Does Red Hair Dye Fade Fast? How long does it take to fade?

woman with dyed red hair looks at the clock thinking about the time

Red dye is one of the fastest-fading dyes, but it doesn’t disappear completely.
If you’ve used a permanent red dye, the color will start to fade after three to four weeks, and the color will be less intense and a little duller.
If you’ve used a semi-permanent red dye, the color will start to fade to pale pink after ten washes.

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At this point, if your only concern is whether red dye fades fast, it’s because you’re facing two possible situations:

Situation 1: you’re regretting dyeing your hair red.
Situation 2: you’re fascinated with your red hair and you want the color to last longer.

In both cases, I don’t have good news. Sorry. But the difference between the two situations is that in the second case, you can do something to affect the outcome positively.

What do I mean by this?

If you’re regretting dyeing your hair and want it to fade faster , unfortunately, you should know that red is one of the most persistent colors. Although it fades quickly, it won’t disappear completely.

woman brushes her red hair after bleaching it that left it orange

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So if you used a permanent red dye, you must bleach your hair for the color to disappear completely.

And in this case, I recommend you put your hair in the hands of a professional. Otherwise, you may end up with orange or multi-colored hair.

I also advise you not to use a color remover to remove the red dye because the results are always unpredictable.

And what if you used a semi-permanent dye? You should wash your hair with clarifying shampoo several times to remove the color completely.

If you dyed your hair red and want it to last longer , you will need to be very strict with your hair care routine.

Whether you’ve used a semi-permanent or permanent red hair color, you’ll need to modify your hair care routine.

And that’s what I’ll talk about next.

How to make your permanent red hair color last longer

Joico color infuse red shampoo to make the red tint last longer

You’ve dyed your hair red and should be prepared for what’s coming. Because after three to four weeks, you’ll notice that your red hair has started to fade to brown or orange.

Why? Since the red color molecule is very large and doesn’t fully penetrate inside the hair, the color starts to fade to a dull, washed-out red with each wash.

How can you keep your red hair color from fading so quickly?

Use red toning shampoo. I recommend you apply it once or twice a week, leaving it on for five minutes.
Apply a red color mask once a fortnight. You’ll need a red conditioner for this mask. Wait a fortnight after dyeing your hair. Apply this mask to your dry hair from the roots to the ends and leave it on for 40 minutes, rinsing it with cold water. Repeat the application every fifteen days.
Wash your hair a maximum of three times a week.

How to make red hair dyed with semi-permanent hair dye last longer

woman applies a mixture of conditioner and red dye to her hair to make the color last longer

In this case, if you used semi-permanent red dye and want the color to last longer, you will need to be VERY STRICT with your hair care routine.

Because semi-permanent dyes don’t penetrate the hair, they last for much less time than permanent hair dyes.

How long will your hair look bright red and shiny? Hopefully, a maximum of ten washes.

Is there anything you can do to make the color last longer? Yes, there is.

Wash your hair less often. Include a dry shampoo in your routine so you’ll avoid a traditional wash with water.
Wash your hair with lukewarm, almost cold water. Hot water opens the cuticles and makes the color fade faster.
Use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioners. Sulfates are detergents that fade the color of your red hair, leaving it orange.
Avoid heat tools.
Use red shampoo and conditioner once a week. You can also take advantage of the semi-permanent red dye to make a homemade red color mask using white conditioner and red dye. Apply this mixture to your dry hair once a week, leaving it on for twenty minutes and rinsing it with warm to cool water.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, red hair dye is one of the fastest-fading hair dyes. But now you know what you can do to make the color last longer, depending on the type of dye you used.