How Long Does Permanent Hair Dye Last? Does permanent hair dye wash out?
Have you been toying with the idea of coloring your hair? You might be thinking of grabbing a boxed hair dye at the store or you’re thinking about heading to the salon and getting your hair professionally dyed.
Either way, if you’re on this page, you’re already a few steps into the commitment of dyeing your hair. Dyeing your hair is a great way to up your look, add elegance or make a statement, it’s completely your choice.
But for anyone who’s thinking of dyeing their hair, the big question looming in their heads is usually how long does permanent hair dye last? Or maybe, what kind of different dyes are there and should we go for permanent?
Let’s take a quick look into the basics of hair care and hair coloring, and get down to the nitty-gritty to get straight answers to those relevant questions.
What different kinds of hair dye are there?
When it comes to hair dye types, there are about three major choices that you have. They are permanent hair dye, semi-permanent or demi-permanent, and bleached hair dyes (the one with the bright rainbow shades).
These three types affect your hair differently which means that some will last for a long time and others will need a retouch in a couple of weeks.
Does permanent hair dye fade eventually?
The answer is simple – permanent hair dye is permanent and will not fade. The color will basically last until you decide to recolor your hair. You will usually need to recolor when the roots of your hair start to grow out and your natural hair color starts to show.
Applied properly, whether it’s boxed or at a salon, you won’t need any retouching for permanent dye, just good maintenance to preserve your hair’s health.
How long does permanent hair dye last before it fades?
The great thing about permanent hair dye is that it will last for weeks and weeks! It will probably still be there even at your next haircut.
That’s different from a semi-permanent dye which will last for about 8 to 12 shampoos and demi-permanent dyes which will last for approximately 24 to 28 shampoos.
The special dye for bleached hair fades the fastest, even lasting less than a week if you wash your hair constantly.
The permanent dye lasts the longest because it doesn’t just leave color on the surface of your hair.
When mixed with the activator, the hair dye will actually work to open up your hair’s cuticles, embedding the dye right into the hair which makes it withstand general hair care like washing, blowing, and brushing.
Does permanent hair dye wash out?
While it doesn’t fade or wash out it does sometimes lose its luster. After dyeing your hair, even with permanent hair dye, you might notice that it doesn’t look as bright or as shiny as the day you first dyed it, and there’s a good explanation for that.
When your hair loses luster, giving the appearance of looking a little faded a few weeks after you applied permanent hair dye, it doesn’t mean that the color of the dye is fading.
What it does mean is that your hair may be suffering from the trauma of chemical treatment, exposure to the elements, and maybe lacking nutrition in general.
Our hair needs care and attention, especially when we apply any kind of dye to it, including permanent hair dye. Being exposed to the sun, maybe some saltwater and outdoor elements in general will make your hair look a little dull after a while.
You can easily resolve this by investing in a good non-detergent sulfate-free shampoo that is gentler on your hair and scalp.
A good hair color maintenance conditioner (also sulfate-free) will also go a long way in keeping your colored locks vibrant. Leave-in conditioners to protect your hair when you’re styling them is also a good idea.
How long does permanent hair dye last on bleached hair?
Unfortunately, you cannot use permanent hair dye to color your bleached hair. This will cause a lot of damage to your hair which most likely will be irreparable and should be avoided at all costs!
Bleached hair color is completely different from permanent hair dye, and with good reason. When you bleach your hair, you are basically removing all the pigment of your hair from the cuticle.
These are the same cuticles that permanent hair dye opens up and embeds its new colors into. Using a combination of both can completely damage your hair. You will instead have to use a special dye for bleached hair that will need to be retouched every two weeks.
But why can’t we just add the bright colors of blue or purple or pink to our hair without bleaching, you may ask?
Because the natural color of your hair, whether it’s brown or blonde or dark brown, will only neutralize the colors which means that it will never stand out and will probably end up looking murky and dull. The colors won’t really shine and the effect won’t be the same.
While a lot of people with bleached colored hair have wished for a permanent hair dye option that doesn’t need a touch-up every two weeks or so, there are currently no such options in the market.
If you’re thinking of going for bleached hair colors, keep in mind that a lot will go into maintaining the dye color of your locks.
Before you go, here’s our final take
We hope this article answered your questions about dyeing your hair so that you can go into the process knowing exactly what you’re getting into which means fewer worries and a lot more fun! Just remember, no matter how you dye your hair, you’re going to need to take care of it.
Any kind of chemical that you apply to your hair will reduce its elasticity and make it more prone to damage and breakage. However, some types of dye like permanent hair dye don’t require as much maintenance as others.
By checking the different types of hair dyes and the varying maintenance needs that go with them, you can have the lustrous, shiny-colored hair you’ve always wanted at a hair care level that you’re completely comfortable with.
