So you’ve finally taken the leap of faith and tried out that vibrant hair dye that you’ve always wanted, and you’re oh so in love with it. But wait, what’s this? Your hair color is bleeding! When you stepped out in the shower, your beloved red hair color is going down the drain!
Or, if you have split-colored hair, it will seem that the more vibrant colors are taking over, the lighter hues, creating a color that’s far different from your pegs. There are a lot of reasons why hair dye bleeds.
But, here’s the good news:
There are also lots of ways on how you can prevent hair color bleeding. So how can you prevent hair dye from bleeding? Read this simple guide to find out:
Your hair color bleeds due to a wide range of factors— the type of hair dye used, kind of hair products used, hair damage, and improper care and maintenance. Below are some tips on how to address these issues:
General Tips for Washing Colored Hair
Whether you have multicolored hair or monochromatic hair, here are some of the tips to prevent hair bleeding:
First, Repair Hair Damage Before You Dye It
Before you dye your hair, examine your hair first. For example, if your hair feels rough or dry or you have split ends, it would be a great idea to carry out some steps to repair your hair first to maximize and protect your hair color.
You can do this by applying protein filler to your hair strands. Another way to use this is to mix it with your hair dye.
Wait for At Least 72 Hours Before You Wash Your Hair After Dyeing
With the chemical smell of your hair, you would be tempted to wash it as soon as you go home. But if you want your hair color to last longer, you need to be patient.
Ideally, you need to wait for at least 36 to 48 hours after dyeing your hair to give the cuticle enough time to close properly.
Pro Tip: For those days when you can’t wash your hair, the best thing you can do is wear a shower cap so your hair won’t get wet. If you don’t have a hair cap at home, you can pin your hair up instead.
Shampoo Less
Shampoos contain surfactants that strip the hair of its natural oils. Unfortunately, during the process, the hair dye gets stripped off as well. To minimize this, shampoo your hair less frequently.
Use Color-Safe Shampoo and Conditioner
These hair products are formulated to help hair color last longer and prevent bleeding, so they are the perfect option if you have colored hair.
Use Sulfate-Free Shampoo
If you can’t wrap your head around the idea of shampooing less, here’s another trick: use sulfate-free shampoos, as these are a lot gentler for your hair and won’t strip off natural oils and dyes.
Wash Your Hair with Cold Water
No matter how tempting it is, avoid washing your hair with hot water. Instead, wash it with the coldest temperature of the water that you can handle.
The explanation for this is simple. Cold water seals in the cuticle, preventing your hair color from getting rinsed out. On the other hand, hot water opens up the cuticle, allowing the hair color you just applied to wash out.
How to Wash Split Dyed Hair
If you want a perfect split dyed or multicolored hair, the most important thing you need to do is choose your hair colors wisely. Before you decide on which color to mix and match, check out the color wheel.
Here are some of the guidelines you need to keep in mind:
- Primary colors mix well with secondary colors.
- Avoid using complementary colors or the colors placed across each other on the color wheel as these colors blend. When you use these, you’re most likely to end up with neutral colors like brown or gray.
- Opt for analogous colors or those neighboring shades at the color wheel because these would enhance the vibrance of one another.
Now that we’ve got that covered, here are the additional split dyed hair maintenance tips that you need to know:
During the Dyeing Process, Coat Light-Colored Hair Strands with Conditioner
The conditioner will act as a barrier between the light-colored hair strands and darker-colored ones, reducing or eliminating the unwanted contact of one another and preventing bleeding.
Wash Sections of Your Hair Separately
To avoid the blending of your hair colors, you should wash your darker and lighter hair separately. You can simply do this by tying up your dark-colored hair strands and washing the light-colored strands, then vice versa.
Kiss Hair Color Bleeding Goodbye!
It’s normal for your hair color to bleed a few days after dyeing. But if you’ve been dealing with bleeding hair for weeks now or the bleeding is too bad to the point that all your hair colors mixed and turned into an unwanted shade, it’s a problem that you need to address right away.
Yes, vibrant hair colors, split dyed hair, and multicolored hair are gorgeous hair trends. But be warned: the beauty of these trends comes with a lot of challenges. That’s why you should take the time to research and properly care for your beautiful hair if you want to make its hair color last longer.
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