Dark Hair Color Fades Really Fast

Q) - My dark hair color fades really quickly when I color it.

It turns a gross light color every time. I cant seem to get it right! It just fades again whenever I try it. Please help me. I don’t know what to do! Is there a hair color that won’t fade so quickly?

Professional Hair Care Tips - Next time you color, don't wash your hair again for at least a few days. (You must shampoo and condition after you apply color, but don't do it again for a few days!) Be sure to condition well too and also rinse with a cold shot of water. That helps close your hair cuticle and lock your color in place.

Darker hair color fades very quickly for a lot of people, so don't feel alone. Darker hair colors have very dense color molecules. That means that they contain a lot of color molecules closely packed together. You may have noticed a lot of color in the shower when you shampooed it and up to a week after you colored it.

You must allow your hair cuticle to have every opportunity to absorb as much of the color that's there. That means not washing it a lot at first. It takes your hair a while to hold that many hair color molecules!

The other way to protect your dark color is to use 10 volume peroxide instead of 20 volume. If you are using a box color, they give you 20 volume. To make your own 10 volume peroxide, mix the peroxide 1:1 with water. One part water to one part peroxide.

Say for example, you have 4 ounces of peroxide. You want to mix that with 4 ounces of water. Mix it up and you will have 8 ounces. Then discard half of it as you only need 4 ounces to mix with the color you bought. (Or you could simply use 2 ounces and mix with 2 ounces of water and save the rest of the peroxide for another time.) You will then have 10 volume peroxide which is a total deposit developer. That will give you much richer, fuller, darker colors! But still, don't wash it a lot at first. (If you want to know more about coloring your own hair at home, you should buy my inexpensive 2009 Hair Color Guide.) You'll learn lots of tips (like using 10 volume) in the guide that can help you successfully color your own hair at home!

Other things you can do is to buy color enhancing shampoos or glazes. They will help protect any hair color(s). I always suggest using name brand hair colors, like L'Oreal or Clairol. These folks really know their color and are the most dependable! All hair color fades a little over time, but it should never wash out of your hair completely, like you have described.

If it does continue, you may have color oversaturation which will require you to get rid of the color molecules build up in your hair before you color it again.

You might also try some shampoos that do not contain sulfites or sulfates. A good example is Loreal Everpure or simply use organic hair products, which rarely contain them.