12 Ways to Make Your Hair Color Last Longer

I have been dying my hair since middle school, always highlights and balayage blonde. But last year I finally took the leap for a color I’d been contemplating for years—red hair. After a few tries, my colorist and I found a shade of red that I love and I’m so happy with the results. I get asked all the time if my red hair is natural and I take it as such a huge compliment. I’ve also been asked frequently how I have made my hair color last and stay vibrant through all of my travels. For one, I get it touched up about once a month. But especially with my uncertainty about when and where my next salon visit might be, I needed to make my color stay vibrant for as long as possible.

By far one of the biggest considerations with hair color is how to make it last—especially red hair color which is well known to be the quickest to fade. Salon visits can be pricey and faded hair color can be unsightly. I did a ton of research and tried a myriad of advice. Some might seem obvious, but it’s nevertheless important to keep these tips in mind. These are some of the best ways I’ve found to preserve my hair color:

1. Avoid hot showers

One of the main things to avoid when worried about damaging hair, let alone color-treated hair, is heat, in any form. While hot showers can be great for opening up your pores and clearing your sinuses, they are also extremely environmentally unfriendly and damaging to your hair. If you really like the water scalding, try to use it only for your body and avoid washing your hair with it by switching to a cooler temp when cleaning and conditioning your hair directly.

2. Don’t overuse hot tools

On the thread of heat damage, we know nothing is worse than applying burning hot temperatures of hundred of degrees to our fragile hair, yet we do it all the time. Whether you blow dry, curl, straighten, crimp, wave, or all of the above, you are causing irreparable damage to your hair and thus to your hair’s ability to retain its vibrancy. Find ways to extend your styling (like dry shampoo and silk pillowcases), limit your use of direct heat on your strands (use tools and products that help you style more quickly), or even to ditch the heat tools altogether (there are tons of tips and tricks online for styling hair without any heat, from curlers to braids and more).

3. Use a thermal protectant

If you must use heat, then you must use a thermal protectant of some sort, not only for colored hair but for all hair. This will provide a barrier between the heat and your fragile locks.

4. Wait to wash your hair as long as possible (72+ hours) after dyeing

Immediately after your hair has been dyed, it is still susceptible to setting into your strands. The longer you leave the hair without washing it, the more time the residual hair color will have to permeate deep into the strands of hair and set. This is why you’ll notice your hair dye comes off on your towels, especially after the first one or two washes. Use dry shampoo and avoid sweating or extensive styling to extend the time.

5. Use color-safe shampoos and conditioners

There are a number of color-safe shampoos and conditioners on the market so you have a lot to choose from. There are even a number of products lines formulated for specific color tones. Things you want to avoid that will make your color fade faster: sulfates, sodium chloride (salt), alcohols.

6. Wash your hair less frequently

Every time you wash your hair, you are washing out a bit of the color, too. So it stands to reason that the less frequently you wash, the longer you can extend your color and keep it looking fresh. One way to do so regardless of your hair texture is by utilizing dry shampoos. My personal favorites are — and —, but there are so many great options on the market to choose from. Plus, you’re conserving water, too! Eco-friendly and hair friendly.

7. Use your products in the right places

Not all products are meant to be applied throughout the entirety of your hair. An easy breakdown: apply shampoo on your scalp and work it down through the rest of the hair; apply conditioner on the ends and not the scalp; apply protectants everywhere; apply hair oils and leave-in conditioners to the ends of the hair.

8. Blot hair to dry

When you step out of the shower, do you wring your hair out with the towel, or rub the towel vigorously through the strands? No more! The way you dry your hair is just as important as how you treat it the rest of the time. Instead, gently blot your hair with the towel, working your way down from the scalp to the ends.

9. Prep your hair before coloring

The healthier the hair, the better it will keep its color. So to prep your hair before heading to the salon, you should do a deep conditioning treatment about 3 days prior to lock in extra moisture. You should not wash your hair the day before, if possible, so you don’t strip away your hair’s natural oils. And finally, you shouldn’t use any heat styling the day or two before the appointment, for the same reasons of maintaining healthy hydrated hair that can lock in color better.

10. Deep condition more

Hair color will undoubtedly stay vibrant longer in healthier hair. In order to maintain healthy hair, in addition to the other suggestions in this post to help avoid damage in the first place, you can apply a deep conditioning treatment or mask every few weeks to give your hair an extra boost of hydration and replenishment.

11. Avoid and protect against the sun

Our skin isn’t the only thing that can be serious damaged by the sun. Maybe it’s the pale Floridian in me, but I’m always so paranoid about applying SPF everywhere, and this includes my hair. Especially with colored hair, it will fade much more quickly when exposed to prolonged sunshine. But don’t worry, you don’t necessarily have to hole up inside forever. There are a ton of great UV protectant and SPF thermal sprays out there to lock in moisture and block out harmful UV rays. And that’s not to mention the many adorable hats that can cover and protect your face and hair, too! In fact, while I do love the style a cool hat can add to an outfit, my obsession with them actually began in an attempt to protect myself from the sun.

12. Swim smarter

Whether swimming in the ocean or a pool, there are tons of chemicals working to undermine your hair’s health. In addition to the likely sun damage listed above, chlorine and salt water alike are super drying to your hair. Luckily, there are some protective products out there to help! There are also some easy measures you can take to limit the damage. One tip is to pre-soak your hair in fresh water because when it is already wet it will absorb less from the pool or sea water. Another is to tie hair up into a top bun or a cool braid so it' barely gets wet at all. You could also consider a stylish cap or turban/head wrap to keep your hair dry entirely, depending on how extensively you are swimming. Further, you should be sure to shampoo hair as soon as possible once you’re done swimming and don’t forget a deep conditioner to cleanse out and hydrate those thirsty locks.

Are there any other tips or tricks you have tried that help keep your hair color vibrant for longer? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!