Faking red hair for the most of my life has taught me about how to maintain the color for as long as possible. I have a lot of hair so dyeing it is too much of an arm workout to do all that often! I gotta make it last as long as possible. These are all the maintenance products and tips for keeping my red from fading.
Washing
Cold water / Yeah it SUCKS to shower in cold water. I just deal with it and stick my head under the stream to shampoo before turning the temperature up for the rest of my body. At the end of my shower I blast the color water again to rinse out conditioner.
Stop doing it / Washing your hair 1- 2 times per week MAX is key. While not washing your hair seems like it makes you low maintenance, working around certain washing days requires a lot of planning. I save a lot of money on shampoo and conditioner with this practice though! Dry shampoo (this one is my favorite) and low ponytails on bad hair days are my best friend. I don’t care how thin or thick your hair is or how often you workout, you can train your hair to only be washed once per week. It won’t look perfect everyday of the week and I have a lot of messy bun days. Truly the only person harshly judging you on how your hair looks is yourself. Just let it be.
Products
Goldwell Elumen / is the longest lasting red dye I’ve found.
Sulfate- free shampoo / Suds strip the color while sulfate free shampoos don’t disturb it as much. I like this one.
Color depositing conditioner / I like EVO Fabuloso Mahogany. I use it as a hair mask. Glossing masks are great too.
Hair masks / Healthy, hydrated hair holds color better. I like this one to protect my hair. Combing it through my ends with a wide tooth comb is the best way to fully saturate it throughout my head.
Staining Tips
Sink / With a fresh dye job I’ll wash my hair in the kitchen sink because it’s easier with stainless steel than staining my white shower. Bending over the sink makes using ice cold water easier too!
Dark fabrics / Say goodbye to white towels and pillow cases. When my hair is wet, it’s basically a pink inked stamp to anything I lean on. I love to wear a turbie twist around while it air dries to avoid staining my clothes or couch too. I only buy dark towels like navy or maroon.
Red will fade over time no matter what, but these tips will prolong the pigment. Honestly right now since it’s summertime my hair is a little more faded than I’d like. Being in the sun lightens red and I’m too hot and sweaty to only wash my hair once a week. When fall comes back around I’ll get back to my upkeep! How I see it, letting it lighten up right now will make the red I eventually dye it be much brighter rather than adding a coat of red to super darkened hair. See the products I use to get my color here.
I’ve been various shades of red over the years and I agree it’s a pain to maintain. My hair is currently dark mahogany brown but even so, I still wash my hair in cold water. I do it in the tub before my shower & let conditioner or a hair mask sit on my hair (clipped up out of the way) while I do my shower, then just get on my hands & knees in the tub to rinse with cold water from the faucet. I am not about to spray my bod with freezing cold water from the showerhead. 😂
That’s the idea of what I’m aiming for when I just bend over the kitchen sink to wash it haha. I’ll have to try your method too!