Hair Color Fading Fast? Make It Last With This Colored Hair Care Routine

Coloring your hair can take a lot of time and can be expensive! After you spend hours doing it yourself or spend a lot of money at the salon, you don't want that beautiful color to fade too quickly. So, how do you keep your hair color looking new and great for as long as possible?

To keep your hair color, you need to take extra care of your hair. This means protecting your hair from everyday things that can damage it, like water, shampoo, heat, and sun. You also need to keep your hair healthy and hydrated.

Taking care of your hair color requires more effort, but it's worth it to keep your hair looking beautiful. Let's get into the details of how to protect your colored hair.

Key Takeaways

• Permanent hair color usually lasts about six to eight weeks, while semi-permanent color fades after six to eight washes.

• Using color-safe shampoo, conditioning the ends of your hair, and using weekly hair masks can help reduce fading and make your hair less porous.

• Washing your hair less often, using cooler water, and handling your hair gently can help keep the outer layer of your hair smoother.

• Heat, sun, chlorine, and using strong clarifying shampoos often can cause your hair color to fade and look dull.

How Long Hair Color Typically Lasts

First, how long should hair color last? Knowing what's normal will help you know if your hair color is fading too fast and if you should be concerned.

Permanent Hair Color

How long does permanent hair dye last? Permanent dye goes deeper into your hair, so it lasts longer before it starts to fade. You can usually expect permanent hair color to last around six to eight weeks. You might need to touch up your roots sooner, though.

Semi-Permanent Hair Color

How long does semi-permanent hair dye last? This type of dye is less of a commitment and usually washes out after six to eight washes.

The dye molecules don't go as deep into your hair, so it's a good option if you want to try different colors without committing long-term. If your hair color starts to fade sooner than it should—for example, if it loses its brightness three weeks after a permanent treatment—let's find out why.

How to Help Hair Color Last Longer

Hair color can look great at first, but then start to fade because of washing, heat, sun, and buildup from hair products. You want to keep the outer layer of your hair smooth and sealed and avoid anything that removes color or makes your hair rough.

You don't need a complicated routine. Making a few simple changes can help your color stay richer, shinier, and more even for a longer time.

Use a Color-Safe Shampoo and Conditioner

Regular shampoos might be too harsh for colored hair. Color-safe shampoos are usually gentler and help prevent the outer layer of your hair from lifting too much when you wash it. Use a color-safe shampoo with a conditioner that makes your hair smooth. This way, the color looks brighter and less dull.

When shampooing, focus on your scalp and let the shampoo run through the rest of your hair instead of scrubbing the ends. Apply conditioner from the middle of your hair to the ends, since that's where hair is more porous and likely to fade first. I've found that focusing the conditioner on the ends really helps.

Add a Weekly Mask to Help Reduce Porosity

Colored hair often gets drier because dyeing it can make it more porous. The more porous your hair is, the easier it is for the color to come out, and the faster your hair color looks uneven. 

Using a mask each week helps keep your hair flexible and hydrated, so it holds onto color better and reflects light more evenly. Leave the mask on long enough to soften your hair, and then rinse it out well so it doesn't leave a residue that can make your color look dull.

Use a Lightweight Leave-In or Oil for More Shine

Shine is important for hair that has been freshly colored because shiny hair makes the color look deeper and more vibrant. Using a small amount of leave-in conditioner, serum, or lightweight oil helps lock in moisture, reduce frizz, and prevent that dry, faded look.

Use a small amount at a time and put it on the ends of your hair. If your hair gets oily quickly, don't put it on the roots. Only apply it where your hair feels dry.

Batana Oil With Rosemary for Shine and Smoothness

Batana oil with rosemary can help colored hair because it makes hair shinier, smoother, and more moisturized, which makes the color look richer for a longer time. It doesn't lock the dye into your hair, but it can help with dryness and rough texture that makes the color look faded. 

The key is to use the right amount and keep it off your roots so it doesn't make your hair look greasy. You can use it on damp hair after washing it if you want your hair to be soft and easy to detangle, or you can use it on dry hair if you want it to be shiny and less frizzy.

Start with a very small amount, warm it up in your hands, and then smooth it over the middle and ends of your hair. Focus on the driest areas first, since those areas usually fade faster and look dull sooner. A friend with thick, coarse hair uses a bit more oil and spreads it through a larger section of her hair.

If your hair is fine, gets weighed down easily, or gets oily quickly, only use it on the last few inches of your hair. If your hair is thick, coarse, or feels rough from coloring it, you can use a little more and spread it through more of your hair.

If you use hot styling tools, putting a small amount of oil on damp hair can also help reduce that "crispy" feeling after styling, but it shouldn't replace heat protection. Think of it as a final step that conditions your hair and keeps it smoother, so your color reflects light better.

Wash Less Often and Rinse With Cooler Water

Washing your hair is one of the quickest ways to fade hair color because water and the ingredients in shampoo lift the outer layer of your hair and let the dye escape. Washing your hair too often makes this happen faster, especially if you use hot water.

Try to wait longer between washes, and use cooler water when you rinse your hair than you usually would. You don't need to use ice-cold water, just water that's cool enough that it doesn't create steam in the shower.

Wash Gently to Help Protect the Cuticle

Even if you're using the right products, washing your hair roughly can still cause fading by creating friction and wear on the surface of your hair. This damage makes the color fade unevenly, especially in the middle and ends of your hair.

Use your fingertips to massage your scalp, not your nails. Also, don't pile your hair on top of your head and scrub it like you're doing laundry. When you get out of the shower, squeeze the extra water out of your hair instead of rubbing it hard with a towel.

Protect Hair From Heat Every Time You Style

Styling your hair with heat can break down the color molecules and make your hair weaker. When your hair is dry and damaged, the color looks dull and washes out faster. If you blow-dry, curl, or straighten your hair, using a heat protectant is important because it keeps your hair from losing moisture and reduces damage to the surface.

Keep the temperature of your styling tools as low as possible while still getting the results you want, and don't go over the same section of hair over and over.

Avoid Chlorine, Saltwater, and Harsh Stripping Products

Chlorine can change the tone of your hair and dry it out, while saltwater can make your hair rough and dehydrated. Both of these things can make your hair color fade faster and look uneven. Before you go swimming, wet your hair with clean water so it doesn't absorb as much chlorine or salt.

You can also put a layer of conditioner on your hair to create a barrier. Rinse your hair right after you swim, and then use conditioner so your hair doesn't stay stiff and dry. Also, be careful when using strong clarifying shampoos, since using them too often can remove color faster than you expect.

Limit UV Exposure to Reduce Fading

Sunlight breaks down dye molecules over time, and you can still be exposed to UV rays even when it's cloudy. This is why hair color can fade faster in the summer or when you go to the beach, but it can also happen in your daily life if you're outside a lot.

When you're going to be in direct sunlight, wear a hat or use a product that protects your hair from UV rays so the color stays more stable and the surface of your hair stays smoother.

Refresh Tone With a Gloss or Toner

You don't always need to dye your hair completely to make the color look new again. A gloss or toner can make your hair shinier, reduce brassiness, and bring back a more even tone between dye jobs.

This is helpful when the color isn't completely gone, but it doesn't look right because it's too warm, dull, or uneven. If you use a gloss or toner at the right time, it can make your hair color look newer without having to recolor it completely.

Adjust Your Routine Based on Your Color

Some colors fade faster than others. Red colors often lose their brightness quickly, lighter colors can turn brassy, and darker hair can look dull if it gets dry. If you see a pattern, adjust your routine to what your hair color needs most.

If the color fades quickly, wash your hair and use heat less often. If brassiness is a problem, use toning products only when you need to so you don't overdo it. If your hair looks dull, focus on moisturizing it and making it shiny so the color looks deeper again.

Protect Hair at Night and Detangle Gently

Friction and breakage can make the ends of your hair look lighter and more faded, even if the color is still there. If your hair gets tangled easily, detangle it gently and start from the ends so you don't break the strands.

At night, reducing friction will help the surface of your hair stay smoother so the color reflects light better. Making small changes like being more gentle when you dry and brush your hair can help your color look more even over time.

Prevent Your Hair Color From Fading With Keyoma Care

Keep your color by protecting the outer layer of your hair, not by trying to add more color. Color can fade faster when heat, sun, and rough washing lift the surface of your hair, especially on the porous middle and ends. If your color looks dull but your roots still look good, then you should focus on making your hair shiny and smooth. Shiny hair makes the color look deeper right away.

Keep shampoo on your scalp, rinse with slightly cooler water, and use oil as a final touch, not as something that soaks into your hair. Putting a tiny amount of oil on the middle and ends of your damp hair can help your hair look richer without making it greasy.

Want more simple, natural ways to keep your hair color looking fresh between appointments? Check out Keyoma's natural hair care tips.