How to Refresh Your Faded Hair Color At Home

For the first couple of days after getting your hair colored, your tresses have a fresh and bright hue. But a few weeks on, the brightness reduces, and you may struggle to make your colored hair look as fresh as the day you dyed it.

But, you donât need to re-dye your locks to retain that lovely color. By retouching your hair at home and following some simple tips, you can prevent the dye from washing out too quickly. In this article, we have shared some of the best ways to keep your hair color from fading from the comfort of your home. Keep reading!

• How Long Does Hair Dye Last?
• How To Refresh Your Hair Color At Home
• How To Maintain Your Permanent Hair Color

How Long Does Hair Dye Last?

How long your hair color lasts depends on the type of hair dye you use. If you use semi-permanent hair dye, your hair color will last for about 6 weeks. You can expect the color to last for around 6 months if you used permanent hair dye.

Your hair texture and natural color also determine how long the hair dye lasts. If you have highly porous hair, the dye is more likely to fade away faster. When it comes to blonde or light hair, the hair dye may stain the hair and look washed out after some time.

Some hair pigments will fade away quicker than others because of their molecule size. Red hair color is prone to fading much faster than others. Pink can also fade away and leave behind a stained orange tint on light/blonde hair.

Whether you have blonde or dark hair, regularly refreshing your hair color will make the dye last longer, leading to healthier and brighter tresses. Find out how to refresh hair color at home and make it last longer below.

How To Refresh Your Hair Color At Home

Refreshing hair color is a process of reviving the pigment of your hair without dyeing it again. This is the perfect way to stop your hair color from fading and bring out that freshly-colored shine. Here are some tips that can help you keep your hair color from fading:

1. Try A Hair Gloss Treatment

A hair gloss treatment is a semi-permanent method of refreshing your hair color. It does not contain ammonia and is safe for frequent use, unlike some hair dyes. You can also use an at-home gloss treatment that takes a few minutes in the shower and knocks that dullness out of your tresses.

2. Don’t Take Frequent Showers

Frequent showering can cause your hair color to fade away quicker. Your strands are subject to constant swelling and stretching due to frequent hair washes, which can open up the hair cuticle and let the dye seep out. To keep the color from fading, wash your hair no more than once or twice a week.

3. Use A Concealer At The Roots

There are many types of hair concealers available on the market that can help you cover your emerging roots for special occasions, thus avoiding the need to re-color your hair very often. These concealers are not permanent and do not contain harmful chemicals. They wash out with water and shampoo.

4. Remove The Build-Up

A build-up of pollutants, products, or chemicals on your hair and scalp can cause discoloration and dullness of your tresses. Use a good cleansing shampoo or detox product to remove the scalp build-up and make your hair color look more vibrant. You can also rinse your tresses with apple cider vinegar mixed with equal parts water to eliminate build-up.

5. Use A Cranberry Juice Rinse

If you need an organic method to refresh your hair color at home, try a cranberry juice rinse. Anecdotal evidence suggests that cranberry juice can make your hair look vibrant and bright, especially if you have red hair.

6. Rinse Your Hair With A Cup Of Coffee

Coffee is the perfect way to refresh your brown hair color without using any harmful chemicals. Just soak your hair in a cold cup of black coffee (without any milk or creamer). The longer you brew the grounds, the darker the shade your hair will soak up.

7. Rinse Your Hair With Champagne

What coffee is for brunettes, champagne is for light-colored hair. A rinse with champagne can help bring out the golden tones in blonde hair. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a champagne rinse can also keep frizz under control.

8. Dye Your Hair With Henna

For a quick fix, resort to the time-tested henna. It is a natural way to color your gray roots and delay re-coloring brown or dark red hair for a few months. Henna can also protect your locks by combating bacteria on the scalp (1).

9. Use a Color-Refreshing Mask

One of the best ways to keep hair color from fading is with a color-refreshing mask. It is available in multiple shades, and it helps in restoring and boosting your hair color. It is also less harmful than chemical dyes.

These are some simple hair care tips to refresh your hair color at home. But to make your dye job last longer, you need to take proper care of your hair. We discuss how to maintain your hair color easily in the next section.

How To Maintain Your Permanent Hair Color

Some things that you can do to maintain the vibrancy of your permanent hair color include:

1. Always use cold water to wash your hair. Hot water opens up the hair cuticle, making it easier for the color pigments to wash off.
2. Every hair wash will reduce the brightness of your hair color. So, wash your hair less often (no more than once or twice a week) to make your color last longer.
3. Using a sulfate-free shampoo will prevent the hair color from fading quickly. Use only hair products suitable or specially formulated for colored hair. These products are usually labeled as âcolor-safe.â
4. One of the easiest ways to fade hair color is heat styling. Constant heat will make your hair look fried and faded. Therefore, use heat styling tools like straighteners and curling irons only when necessary, and even then, use them on a low setting after applying a heat protectant to your hair.
5. Avoid swimming pools to keep your hair color from fading (2). Chlorine acts as an oxidizing agent that can penetrate the hair cortex, thereby fading or altering your hair color.
6. To delay the re-coloring of your hair, try using a color-depositing product. These products contain a dye that will help in intensifying your hair color rather than stripping it away in every wash.
7. Protect your hair from the sun. The harmful UVA and UVB rays can cause discoloration of your hair and make it look dull and dry (3).

In Conclusion

If you want to keep your tresses from fading for as long as possible, follow these easy tips to refresh your hair color. These natural, chemical-free hacks allow you to refresh your dye regularly. Remember to go easy on the excessive heat styling and use natural remedies to keep your locks looking bright and healthy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should you refresh your hair color?

Refreshing your hair once every week is ideal if you use natural ingredients for chemical products, you should follow the instructions mentioned on the packaging.

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