- Wait at least 72 hours after dying your hair to wash it.
- If you don’t, you run the risk of the hair cuticle not closing completely and the pigment washing out.
- After seventy-two hours, you can wash your hair, but it’s important to use a sulfate-free shampoo. Later in this article we’ll discuss why.
Of course, as far as your own hair is concerned, you really can do whatever you want. But if you want your hair treatments or colors to look their best, there are a few basic rules that you have to follow. So you have two options.
- Keep your hair color as long as possible
- Let your hair color become washed-out and dull three weeks after dyeing it.
What option would you choose?
The first one, of course. And to get that, you’ll have to wait seventy-two hours before you wash your hair.
It’s essential to wait seventy-two hours because that’s how long it takes for the hair cuticle to close and seal in the pigments deposited by the hair dye.
If you don’t, your hair will not retain the pigments, and you’ll end up with faded hair color. Which means you’ll have to touch up the color.
With what result?
You’ll spend more money, and your hair will suffer more damage.
Of course, that’s not all you have to do to preserve that lovely hair color.
So, in this article we’ll go over:
- The right way to wash dyed hair
- Everything you need to do before and after dyeing your hair.
Let’s get started and answer all your hair dye questions.
The Right Way to Wash Dyed Hair
Do you know what happens to your hair when you dye it?
The chemicals open the cuticle, which allows the color to enter the hair fiber.
If you wash your hair right after dying it, the cuticle layer may still be open, which allows the color to wash out.
Believe it or not, the cuticle layer can take up to three days to close completely. The longer you wait to wash your hair after dying it, the longer the pigment has to fix to the cuticle.
This helps it last longer. But that’s not all the science behind hair dye.
Do You Want Your Hair Color to Last as Long as Possible? Don’t Miss These 3 Tips
- First, use sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners.
What are sulfates?
They’re a detergent found in many personal care products, used to make shampoos and conditioners lather.
Although they create a nice lather, if you use these products on recently dyed hair you run the risk of it stripping your hair of its natural oils and pigments… as well as the recently applied hair dye.
To keep your color from fading, it’s important to use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner.
There’s an endless variety of brands on the market, including some designed specifically for curly or straight dyed hair.
With options of shampoo or conditioner available for every type of hair, you should have no problem finding one that works for your hair.
- If you’re someone with a fantasy hair color, let me tell you a hairdresser’s secret.
Seventy-two hours after dying your hair, wash it and put a few drops of hair dye in your conditioner. This will help keep the color vibrant longer.
- Hot showers can feel wonderful in wintertime. We all know how reviving and energizing they feel.
Unfortunately, hot water is dyed hair's worst enemy in both summer and winter.
Washing hair in hot water opens the cuticle and lets the color run out.
To keep all your color from going down the drain, wash your hair with lukewarm water and rinse with cold water after applying the conditioner.
The warm water allows the shampoo and conditioner to clean your hair, while the cold water helps seal the cuticle and keep in the color.
Now that you know how long to wait before washing your freshly dyed hair, let's look at some other important points to keep in mind, both before and after dying your hair.
How to Care for Your Hair Before and After Dying it
As you probably already know, your hair is never the same after you dye it. This is because the dye chemically alters the hair structure.
A chemical process that reaches the middle layer, or the cortex, of your hair, where the natural pigments are, and deposits a new color.
This process makes your hair more porous, weak, and dry.
Of course, this damage is kept under control while you dye your hair, and can be reversed with some extra hair care
To keep the damage under control, you must care for your hair both before and after dying it.
- Before dying your hair, moisturize it with cream baths, ampoules, and even hair cauterization or hair botox.
- After dying your hair, use shampoos and conditioners designed for dyed hair. There are many options out there, and some even contain dye. For example, if your hair is dyed red, you could use a shampoo with red pigment to keep the color bold and bright.
- It's also important to wash your hair less often because water is the arch-nemesis of hair dye. The less you wash your hair, the longer the color will last.
- On days that you don't wash your hair, you can keep your hair looking clean with a dry shampoo, which absorbs excess oil.
- Last, of all, make sure to always have conditioners and styling products with sun protection to protect your dyed hair as summer approaches.
Conclusion
After dying your hair, it's important to wait at least seventy-two hours before washing it so the pigments can completely adhere to your hair.
After seventy-two hours, wash your hair with a sulfate-free shampoo, and always use lukewarm water. Before you get out of the shower, quickly rinse it with cold water to keep the color bold and bright.
Now it's your time to share: how do you care for your dyed hair?
