How To Keep Unconventional Hair Colors Vibrant

How To Keep Hair Color Vibrant

Every year there’s a new vibrant hair color that’s trending. This year it’s rainbow dip-dye and maybe next year it’ll be purple highlights. Between Katy Perry rocking blue hair and Selena Gomez’s rainbow highlights, it’s easy to see why unconventional hair colors can make a huge statement. But wild hair colors tend to be semi-permanent or temporary, like Splat’s line that lasts six weeks or longer, or Manic Panic that lasts four to six weeks. And even worse, you can visibly see the dye run off in the shower with each wash. So how are you supposed to keep your vibrant locks, and your money, from washing down the drain? Read on.

Wash Your Hair Less

As gross as not washing your hair often sounds, this is your first line in defense against your beautiful technicolor strands fading out. We’ve been a little brainwashed on how often you need to shampoo your hair. Many stylists will agree that shampooing daily, in most cases, is too much.

If you have less oily hair, live in a dry climate, don’t sweat often or have medium to thick hair, you can get away with shampooing every few days. So the less you wash your hair, the less your gorgeous color will wash down the drain.

Wear A Swim Cap

One of the greatest enemies of brightly-colored hair is the swimming pool. It will zap most temporary wild hair colors in an instant. In fact, exposure to water is listed as one of the gradual ways to remove Manic Panic from your hair. A trip to the water park without a swim cap usually means I need to redo my hair color once I get home.

Avoid Harsh Hair Products

Another way to remove vibrant hair colors includes using harsh hair products, like clarifying shampoos. Always opt for gentle shampoos specifically made for color-treated hair. Hot oil treatments, alcohol-based hair products and hair spray are also off limits if you want your color to last as long as possible.

Use Color-Depositing Shampoo And Conditioner

If your wild hair color is a bright red, there are several color-depositing shampoos and conditioners on the market. One of the most popular is Aveda’s Madder Root. It’s a bit on the pricey side, but it smells great and leaves your hair soft and full of volume.

Another option is to mix a conditioning dye like Manic Panic into your conditioner. You can add the dye to your liking. One part dye to three parts conditioner usually gets a pretty good dye saturation. To use, shampoo your hair like normal, and then glob the mixture liberally into your hair. Let it sit for at least a couple minutes. For a full treatment to really give the color a boost, leave it in for an hour or so under a shower cap and towel wrap, then rinse. A light, clarifying conditioner free of silicones will be best to reduce buildup.