5.4 how do I make my dyed hair color last longer?


General info.: Temporary hair dyes (Manic Panic, Directions, etc.) will start to wash away almost immediately. Some color will remain for several weeks (sometimes longer), and some will even stain hair that was originally very pale. But the brightness and intensity of the color will not last very long. Gentle treatment of your dyed hair can prolong the color.

Red hair colors, whether temporary or permanent, will always fade to some extent. This is the hardest color to keep your hair. How fast it fades will vary, depending on your hair, the type of dye, and how you treat your hair after it's dyed.

Some basic tips for keeping the color in your dyed hair:


From: Thessaly
Hair-washing fades the colour. Conditioner should help seal it in, but if you condition your hair (which you usually should, even if just a cream rinse, because dyeing roughs up the cuticle and conditioner smooths and coats it), you'll prolly have to make sure you're washing your hair to avoid a gutterpunk rastafarian look. If you wash your hair in warm-to-hot water, a final cool rinse will close the cuticle and make your hair look shinier.

Try Jason brand colour enhancing shampoos. They are about as pigmented as mixing shampoo with Manic Panic. They do not generally stain your clothing or skin. They smell wonderful, very fruity. They are available, generally, in health food stores, and are a cruelty-free product. They come in a bunch of shades, but most relevant to you would be Red (which has a musky strawberry scent) or Fuchsia (which has a raspberry/melon scent). Red is for red-orange tones, and Fuchsia is for red-violets. They should cost somewhere around $8/bottle.


From: H Harris III
I suggest that you try and not shampoo every day, just rinse it w/cool water if you feel dirty and follow w/a conditioner everyday. Try shampooing every other day to preserve your cool new color.


From: Sunekh
Concerning shampoo and dyed hair -- there are many different shampoos that you can use that will have minimal effect on your hair color... they all have the following in common:

1) No citric acid. Citric Acid=bad. Fade is imminent when you add Citric Acid.

2) PH balanced. Again, it relates to the acid thing again... go for a "minimal" type of shampoo... the more natural the ingredients, the better off you probably are.

3) Lack of dye/fragrance. Not a major concern, but if the shampoo you use is green or orange or dark red, chances are it will mess with your hair. Same goes for fragrance. These things can have a sizeable effect on your precious PH balance.


From: Jenn
I used Colorvive when I had Manic-Paniced hair, and it actually took the dye out faster than normal shampoos! No matter what shampoo you use, get used to using a conditioner whenever you shampoo so that your hair won't get horribly fried... If you have an Aveda store nearby you, I'd suggest going there and getting what they suggest... the price is a bit steep (expect to shell out a little under $10 for a bottle, which should last as long as your dye), but the stuff is mainly all-natural, it smells great (really it does!, and it'll work great with dyed hair... you might also want to try Pantene Pro V, my hair hasn't been dyed in a long time so I don't know if it'll help keep your dye longer, but it'll keep your hair in great shape.


From: Sabrina
I have heard of people mixing small amounts of Manic Panic (or other vegetable dyes) into their shampoo.. The key here is small amounts.. Due to the soap from the shampoo, it won't stick to your skin. In SMALL amounts (maybe a tablespoon or two to your average sized shampoo bottle).

However, I wouldn't suggest this method for anything other than vegetable dies like Manic Panic and Punky Color because with other dyes, the developer is very much required for the color, and due to the peroxide content, regularly washing your hair with it is liable to make it all fry and break off. NOT GOOD. Not to mention that developer tends to not do well in closed containers when mixed with the dye and will explode all over your bathroom in a matter of a few hours. Also, there's a slight fear of a chemical reaction that might occur, and goddess only knows what kind of results that would give you!

If you're wanting to go for a shocking but not quite so bright red, you might try mixing two different shades of Manic Panic... Like Flaming or Vampire Red with a minute dab of a darker color.. Think of the color wheel when mixing shades like this... Red and blue make purple.. Red and Green make brown.. etc..


From: Mary-Suzanne
I added two tablespoons of Manic Panic vampire red to my bottle of Colorvive shampoo. For the record, it works! :)


From: Leigh Gardner
Have you ever tried Aussie Intermissions in Magenta Sky? It gives your hair burgundy highlights with repeated use on its own -- if nothing else, it'll help maintain the reddish factor, and quite possibly help keep it dark. In the same vein, there's also a black version -- I think that's Midnight Sky or somesuch. Ideally, use the shampoo *and* conditioner -- unfortunately, though, sometimes it's harder to find more than the shampoo.


From: Jen Becker
what i use is Clairol Professional Complements in red-plum. Basically its one of those "color enhancing shampoos" that everyone else mentioned, but this is in a nice, bright, true red. Usually i use it 3-4 times a week, alternated with whatever shampoo is in the bathroom (currently Pantene i think). The people at work actually noticed a brightening in my (dyed) color after i started using it, even though i hadn't dyed my hair in weeks. i bought it at Sally Beauty. Personally i have had poor luck with Colorvive.


From: Elusis
I'm using Framesi's shampoo for fine hair, which has been good for keeping my reds red in the past; I had quite a handful of fuschia bubbles this morning, so we'll see if it works. I wonder if I should have tried one of the Sally's heat-activated transparent "sealants," prolly the clear one, to see if it would help the color stay better...?



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