After a certain age, it is very normal to dye your hair, whether to cover those first gray hairs or simply to show off a different image. But if there's one thing we'd love, it's for the color to be just as intense and vibrant as the first day. Although the reality is that with washing little by little the color is lost and does not look as bright or saturated, sometimes even unwanted colors can appear.
Even so, it is true that there are things we can do so that the dye lasts longer and we do not have that feeling that our hair has lost all its light. Among the many tips that experts give is to always keep your hair perfectly hydrated, as well as the importance of adding a specific shampoo for dyed hair.
But also, there is something that makes a big difference in helping the dye stay in the hair longer. We are referring to what to do or rather not to do after dyeing our hair. According to Rubén Peña (@ruben_pe_pa), hairdresser, stylist and trainer at Toni & Guy: “The ideal is to wait between 48 and 72 hours before the first wash. This allows the hair cuticle to close completely and the color to set better,” says the expert.
Obviously our hair routine will depend on our hair type and our lifestyle, but in general terms, washing dyed hair every day will make the color last less and fade with each wash. Therefore, spacing out the washes will help the dye last longer.
Choosing a specific shampoo makes a difference
Also, as we told you, choosing a shampoo designed for colored hair will help a lot. We can opt for “those for dyed hair that do not contain aggressive sulfates and with ingredients that protect the color and help protect the hair fiber, such as citric acid, which helps balance the pH of the hair, close the cuticle and maintain the color, and ferulic acid, an antioxidant that protects against free radicals and can help prolong the intensity of the color,” according to Peña.
To make the dye last longer you have to do this in the wash
We have already said that washing your hair less frequently and waiting between 48 and 72 hours after applying the dye will help the color set better. Just as a specific shampoo for this type of hair is going to be a great ally, we cannot forget the specific masks and conditioners for colored hair. If we follow this routine, the cuticle will be softer and more sealed, the color will be more fixed and the shine will not fade with washing.
But another important aspect is the temperature of the water, which is recommended to be warm and never too hot. “Hot water opens the hair cuticle, which makes the color fade faster,” says the expert. Therefore, it is much better that the water be warm and thus prevent the pigment from disappearing sooner than we would like. And be very careful with rubbing the hair with the towel, this will only make the hair cuticle open more.
