The Color Red - Why It Fades Faster from Hair

There are so many different reasons to color your hair, but you already know this. I personally have gone through all of the different colors, from brown to black, and even red, of course. The problem is that while most hair colors are pretty much the same, you will find that red is a bit of an adventure. I use a lot of different products, from Argan hair oil all the way to silicone based leave-ins, but honestly, I’ve never had anything as ridiculous as red hair dye plaguing my existence. So, what happened exactly? Well, it’s actually pretty simple.

I first want to say that I take very good care of my hair. I use the best argan oil treatment, and I make sure it’s always shiny and soft. I really am on top of it, so you can understand my surprise and shock when I washed my hair for the first time and found that the red had almost completely faded. A quick look at the shower floor revealed something that was clearly out of a horror movie, not going to lie, so I did some research to help me figure out what on earth was going on.

Red Hair – Why it Fades so Quickly

Like I said, I use a lot of argon hair oil, and you know what? I thought that should leave my hair in pretty good shape, all things considered. Here’s the problem: red is big. No, I don’t mean that it’s big in terms of the way it stands out, though let’s be honest, it is. What I’m talking about is the particles, or molecules, if you will. The red hair molecule is the largest dye molecule there is, so it’s going to slip out of the hair much faster.

That said, it’s probably going to take more than one attempt to get it to stick. Is it, unfortunately? Absolutely, but hey, physics. The good news is that it’s not just you that are having this problem – it’s very common, and most people, regardless of their hair type, is going to end up dealing with it. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do, other than switching to a different color. You want that red, and you deserve to keep that red. Read on to learn a few methods of keeping the red color and keeping your hair in good shape. It’s going to fade eventually, without a doubt, but you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to keep it up.

Hold off on Washing

A common question that we see, is how long an individual should be waiting to wash their hair after they do a red color treatment. The answer is as long as possible. The objective here is to let the cuticle close and remain closed as long as possible. Once you shampoo, the water will swell the cuticle, and shampoo roughs it up. As you do this, you’re going to lose those red dye molecules pretty quickly, which means you really need to wait up to three days before you wash your hair. Your solution? Dry shampoo. Don’t worry, it’s inexpensive and it keeps your hair in great shape.

Try Cold Water

That’s right, you can solve a lot of your problems by switching to cold water as opposed to washing with hot. Here’s the thing: when you wash your hair with hot water you’re steaming the color right out, so while it might be a bit uncomfortable, a cold shower is always going to be in order if you’re trying to rock red hair. Remember, a cool rinse will close the cuticle and keep your red hair nice and shiny. Keeping the red hair definitely presents a challenge but it’s also not impossible. Use our tips to get the best results and longevity for your red hair – they’re some extra steps, but they’re well worth it.

This article first appeared on HSI Professional