Red Hair Care 101- Why It Fades and How to Stop It?

Admin July 15 2022

There’s no denying it. Red hair is by far the most attention-grabbing hair color. Bright ginger locks catch the eye with ease. Sadly, it’s also the color that fades the fastest, so it takes a little extra care to keep it looking beautiful and vibrant. After all, once you’ve found your perfect shade you want to hold onto it for as long as you can. Let’s take a look today at the reason red hair fades so quickly and what you can do to stop it. 

Why Red Hair Tends to Fade So Quickly

It’s not just your imagination. Ginger hair does in fact fade more quickly than other hair colors. The reason for this is that the red dye molecules themselves are larger than those of other colors of dye. This is both a blessing and a curse because while the larger molecules make the color more vibrant, it also makes it more prone to fading. Here’s why.  The large molecules of red dye can’t penetrate as deeply into the hair and more of it rests on or near the surface. Your strands also aren’t able to absorb as much of the dye. Since the dye molecules don’t go as deep it’s much easier for them to be washed away and fade your color.

How to Stop Fading 

Keeping the red on your head and out of the shower drain does take a little extra effort, but it really pays off. Here’s what you can do.

Shampoo Less Often- When it comes to holding onto that vibrant red color, the most important thing you can do is modify your wash routine. The less often you lather up the longer your color will last. This doesn’t mean that you can’t wash your hair. It just means that you should shampoo less often. Most people shampoo too often anyway. Try cutting back to only washing a couple of times per week and freshening up between with dry shampoo. You should also use a sulfate-free shampoo that is formulated for red color-treated hair.

Take Precautions When Swimming- We get it. It’s summer, and it’s hot. There simply is no better way to cool off on a hot summer day than diving in the water, but the pool is not your hair color’s friend. Pool chemicals like chlorine can damage your color and make it lose its vibrance. The best way to avoid this is to steer clear of the pool. But if you’re not willing to limit your pool time you can protect your hair in a few different ways. One is by wearing a swim cap, but this hides your gorgeous color. Another way is to wear your hair up high on your head and keep it above water. And if you prefer to just dive in and swim as usual, thoroughly wet your hair with fresh water and saturate your strands with a leave-in conditioner before jumping in. This will keep your tresses from soaking up as many pool chemicals and offer some protection for your color.

Reduce Sun and Heat- Because the red dye is more superficial than other colors it is more susceptible to heat and UV damage. To protect your color from sun and heat styling damage, opt for no heat styles whenever possible and take precautions before heading outdoors. You can apply a sunscreen formulated for hair if you don’t want to keep your hair under wraps, but the best way to protect your color from the sun is by wearing a wide-brimmed hat and staying in the shade as much as you can. If you don’t have either of those things handy, put your hair up in a braid or bun to minimize sun exposure.

Seal It With Gloss- One of the best ways to make your beautiful red last longer is by sealing it in with hair gloss. Not only will the gloss provide unbelievable shine that will make your color appear even more vibrant, but it will also add a protective coating to your strands that lock the color in place. A color gloss can also provide a pick-me-up with a wash of translucent color when your strands eventually do start to fade.

If you’re ready to try out the redhead life with some fiery red locks, come see the expert colorists at D’Ametri’s Hair Color and Design Studio. We will help you choose the perfect red to complement your complexion and make you look like you were born ginger. Give us a call at 303-274-7838, use our online booking tool, or download our free mobile app from iTunes or Google Play to book your appointment today. We’ll see you soon at 5760 Olde Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada, CO.