How to Make Your Hair Color Last Longer

We know how it is...you color your hair and you LOVE it. And then a few weeks later it starts to fade or looks a little dull. Nooooo! Well don't worry - we've got your hair covered with these tips and products to help extend the life of your hair color, allowing you to color less frequently and enjoy that gorgeous new shade for as long as you want.

Here are some simple things you can do in your routine leading up to coloring:

How to Make Your Hair Color Last Longer

1. Prepare Your Hair
   By taking some extra care before you color your hair, you can help your locks get ready to hold onto your permanent color.
2. Deep Condition
   By adding a deep conditioning step into your routine prior to applying color, you're giving your strands an extra dose of moisture, which helps to fortify them. Stronger hair is better able to hold onto color - it's more challenging for dry hair to keep color vibrant. We recommend deep conditioning once or twice a week in the weeks leading up to your salon or at-home color session. The easiest way to deep condition? Apply your favorite conditioner to wet hair - we recommend our Color Protecting Conditioner - and leave on for fifteen minutes before rinsing.
3. Use Products with Keratin
   Another easy way to fortify hair is by using products that contain keratin or other proteins that penetrate the hair shaft to repair the structure. Luckily, all of our products have been formulated with keratin, a true hair-loving ingredient. Which leads us to...
4. Pick Your Color Products Wisely
   If you're using permanent hair color, it's important to use a product that doesn't have potentially drying and damaging ingredients. Unfortunately, a lot of traditional hair colors use ingredients that can weaken hair, and dry, damaged hair simply cannot hold onto color well. This can create a cycle of over coloring, in which a person applies more color to hair earlier than they should because the color has faded.

At Madison Reed, our permanent hair color is free of these chemicals, and is packed with nourishing ingredients including keratin, argan oil, and ginseng root. If you plan to color at a salon rather than at home, ask your colorist about the product they use, and if they offer an ammonia-free option.

How To Protect Your Hair After You Color

To help extend the life of your color, consider your daily routine and the products that you use for hair maintenance. These simple steps will help keep your hair color looking vibrant longer.

1. Shampoo less. If you're a daily shampooer, it's time to grab a shower cap and hold off on washing everyday. Frequent shampooing can strip hair of its natural oils, and for color-treated hair, it can also strip color molecules, leading to a quicker fade out. Every other day is a good target for daily washers new to shampooing less, and two to three times a week is even better.
2. Shampoo smart. When you do shampoo, be sure to use a product that is formulated to work with color-treated hair, like our Color Protecting Shampoo and Conditioner.
3. Kick your heat habit. If you're sensing a trend that heat is rough on your hair, you're right. Regular blow drying and hot tool styling can do a number on your hair - hello, dryness, hello, breakage, introducing color fade. Try to limit your heat styling, especially in the first week after coloring your hair. When you do need to reach for that curling iron, grab a thermal protectant first. Both our Style and Tame products protect hair from heat while preserving color and helping you style your hair.
4. You look great in hats. The sun does a lot of good for us here on planet earth, but it's also one of the biggest stressors on color-treated hair. Exposure to the sun can lighten up color or contribute to a faster fade. If you know you're going to be in the sun for extended periods of time, grab a floppy hat - they're very on trend - or tie on a scarf for a retro look.
5. Gloss On You can help keep your color looking vibrant longer by using a gloss treatment in between color sessions. This gives your existing color a boost, refreshing color. Our Color Reviving Gloss lasts for six to eight shampoos, which can extend the life of your color, adding shine.

By treating your hair right before, during, and after your coloring session, you'll be able to keep your hair color looking great longer than you might expect! Ready to dive into a new hue? Be sure to visit our color advisor to get started on your way to refreshed, long-lasting hair color.