5 Reasons Your Hair Color Quickly Fades

Are you struggling to maintain your hair color? After getting your hair colored, you'll probably want to last for a while. The longer it lasts, the less often you'll have to re-color your hair. While no hair color is permanent, though, it may quickly fade under certain circumstances. Here are five common reasons why hair color quickly fades.

#1) Washing Too Often

Washing your hair too often can cause the color to quickly fade. It can take several days for the cuticles of your hair to close after getting it colored. Even then, you may want to avoid washing your hair every day. Frequent washing will accelerate the fading process, in which case you'll have to re-color your hair.

#2) Using Too Much Shampoo

When you do wash your hair, you may want to limit the amount of shampoo that you use. Using too much shampoo can cause your hair color to quickly fade. Shampoo is designed to cleanse oil, debris and other contaminants from your hair. Therefore, it will inevitably strip away some of your hair's color. To preserve the color, consider using less shampoo when washing shampoo. Alternatively, you can wash your hair using only conditioner.

#3) DIY Coloring

Another common reason hair color quickly fade is do-it-yourself (DIY) coloring. There's no substitution for a salon hair coloring service. DIY hair coloring kits may be convenient and inexpensive, but they don't last very long. If you use a DIY coloring kit, chances are your hair color will quickly fade.

#4) Heat Exposure

Heat exposure can cause your hair color to quickly fade. Hair color, of course, consists of dye. When applied to your hair, the dye will soak into the cuticles where it creates the appearance of a new color. Exposure to heat from a curling iron, blow dryer or other tools, however, can cause some of this dye to evaporate. You can still use these or other tools to style your hair, but you may want to turn down the heat on them. Using a lower heat setting will allow you to style your hair while preserving its color.

#5) Hard Water

You might be surprised to learn that hard water can cause your hair color to quickly fade. Hard water is defined by the presence of a high mineral content. Specifically, it contains high concentrations of hard mineral deposits, such as calcium and magnesium. If you wash your hair in hard water, these mineral deposits may strip away its color.