Permanent hair color can lighten, darken, or change the tone of your hair; and it'll last about six to eight weeks. It often needs a root touch-up about every four weeks because dark roots are noticeable as the hair grows out, especially if hydrogen peroxide was used to substantially lighten your natural color.
Permanent hair dye (like the name suggests) is designed to last longer than temporary and semi-permanent hair dyes, however, it still doesn't last forever. Unlike semi-permanent hair dye that's designed to last just a few shampoos, permanent hair dye penetrates the hair strands more, locking in the colour for longer.
Ideally, *permanent hair colour* would stay vibrant forever, or at least until the roots grow. On most heads of hair, that would mean getting a good 6-8 weeks between touch-ups – but sometimes, even with permanent dye, colour fade can happen within a few weeks.
Does permanent hair dye fade? Sadly, yes. While permanent hair dye won't wash out of your hair in the same way that temporary, or semi-permanent hair dye does, it will eventually start to fade and change shade over time. The colour you go for will also influence how long your hair will stay vibrant.
Unfortunately, permanent hair dyes mix an oxidizer and ammonia in with the color. These chemicals are quite strong and can be damaging to your hair. The chemicals are necessary to lift the cuticle, dissolve your natural pigment and deposit color, which creates the permanence of the dye.
Disadvantages of Permanent Dyes
Can be more damaging to your hair than semi-permanent or temporary dyes. The chemicals used are stronger. The mixture usually has to be left on for a longer period of time. Cannot be washed out if you are unhappy with the colour.
Some, particularly permanent hair dyes, alter the structure and makeup of the hair. Many hair dyes can damage both the inner and outer parts of the hair shaft. Both natural and synthetic dyes may weaken hair, but permanent dyes may cause more damage as they penetrate deeper into the hair shaft.
Stripping hair color with a professional
If you're looking to get rid of hair color, the safest way is to contact a professional at a salon. A colorist may use bleach or sulfur-based hair stripping products to lighten your hair back so that it can be re-dyed.
"You must understand that it will take some patience during the transition," says Kandasamy. "You will have to grow your roots at least one to two inches. That means you will have to wait anywhere from two to four months to allow your hair to grow an inch or two. (If you can, wait even longer)."
As natural brunettes, brown hair dyes can last the longest compared to other hair dyes. There's no need to bleach your hair colour as the eumelanin content will allow the hair colour to stay on longer.
The more you wash your hair, the faster your color will fade. Shampooing causes the hair strands to swell, and the color then washes out little by little.
Semi-permanent hair color can last between 6-12 washes if you are wondering how long does hair color last. After this, the color gradually starts to fade out. Semi-permanent hair colors are great if you want to fix your brassy or ashy hair. They are a decently long lasting hair color that does not damage your hair.
The truth is, chemical-laden hair dyes can irritate your scalp and cause hair thinning or loss in some people — while the long-term health effects are not yet known.
Quality professional product use alone for a major hair color correction could easily cost the stylist around $50 - $60. Plus, of course, there's a whole lot of expertise in play. Typically a color correction can require up to 4 hours.
Do salons use semi-permanent hair color? All the time! If you've ever blended visible gray hairs or applied a color mask, you've likely already used semi-permanent color. Salons use semi-permanent color to add depth to your color, grow out permanent color, or add gloss and shine to your strands.
The US National Toxicology Program (NTP) is an interagency program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The NTP has not classified the potential of hair dyes to cause cancer.
Permanent. Permanent dye is the longest lasting dye. Generally, it's safe to re-dye every 6 to 8 weeks.
Just as with blonde hair, red hair requires a little extra tender love and care. Hack admits that red hair is his favorite to color, but that she's noticed many women don't realize the extent of after-care that's needed. “Red is the hardest color to keep lustrous and the hardest color to remove,” she adds.
It's not your imagination — red hair dye does fade faster than other hair color shades.
As a general rule, hair color lasts about 6-8 weeks, depending on if you're covering gray hair or not. If you don't have a lot of gray and you're dying your hair to change up your color, there are ways for stylists to blend in highlights with your natural hair color to keep it looking fresh for longer.
anywhere from eight washes up to six weeks depending on what color you do. Lighter colors will fade quicker while darker colors will last longer.”