Fading red highlights

[euphrosyne_rose]

I have dark brown hair and frequently get the red highlights that are really, really red and LOVE them but after only a WEEK the red fades to a coppery color which doesn't look bad on me at all but I miss the vibrancy of the red! I have tried different brands of shampoo for colored hair and nothing seems to work that well.
I KNOW that red fades fast and have heard other people complain about it and even my hairdresser laments the fact that she can't make it last longer. I figure there has got to be SOMETHING out there that works, even a little. Does anyone have any recommendations on something I can use to keep my red a little longer???

 

[Kayteuk]

Yeah I just got this done to my hair and I saw the colour come off on the towel! Not happy...Any recs would be good!

 

[TISH1124]

I would like to know too...I have never know a red that did not fade...professionally or at home...

 

[ashleyisawesome]

My hair is Chi Color and it still fades, but not as much as some of the reds I've used. Maybe find a hairdresser that uses that product. I also only wash my hair when I really need to (1-2 times a week, but my hair rarely gets oily) and that helps to preserve the color longer. I've heard the Matrix products for reds are great, but I've yet to experiment with them.

 

[bby112]

i didnt have bright bright red hair but i dyed my hair red and i loved the color so what i did to preserve the color is you can go to hot topic and buy the red hair dye and it comes in a pretty okay sized bottle. and what i did was when i get into the shower i use the red hair dye and message it into my hair. (like washing your hair with the hair dye) then i leave it for about 3-5 minutes then rinse out and wash my hair with color extend shampoo by redken and condition! It works for me and it kept my red from fading. HTH

i'm almost positive it will work for highlights too!

 

[Hilly]

I think this is the 64 million dollar question. Red fades like a hoe!

 

[Shimmer]

cold water
infrequent washings
and consistent recoloring over the red with more red.

 

[concertina]

I used to use Henna in-between professional dying. That helped a lot. Or bleaching the hair pre-coloring.

*Not* over conditioning will help too. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but its incredibly true for my hair.

 

[Chikky]

I have red highlights put in, along with blonde. My hair hasn't been done for a month and they're still there.

It's the Aveda color (as I work in an all Aveda salon). It's faded before (due to using a detoxifying shampoo), but also I've been told that my hair holds color great.

Don't use any kind of detoxifying shampoo.

I also don't wash my hair every night (most of the time) but I use things I know are gentle and color safe. Aveda's Smooth Infusion or Dry Remedy are always safe bets. Plus Damage Remedy.

As long as I don't use anything detoxifying, the only time I need to have touch-ups is because I have roots, not fading.

 

[pink_lily002]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shimmer cold water infrequent washings and consistent recoloring over the red with more red.

Agreed! I wash my hair usually twice a week. If my hair gets oily, some witch hazel astringent or a dusting of powder on the roots helps.

 

[vocaltest]

exactly what shimmer said.

to be honest, nothing is really going to stop it fading. red is one of the those colours that just doesn't hold. weird question but what colour does your salon use? is it loreal, wella etc?

 

[juxt123]

i had same thing(dark brown with red highlights)...nothing you can do just get it done every 4 weeks

 

[euphrosyne_rose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vocaltest exactly what shimmer said. to be honest, nothing is really going to stop it fading. red is one of the those colours that just doesn't hold. weird question but what colour does your salon use? is it loreal, wella etc?

To be honest, I'm not even sure. It's a privately owned salon and I THINK the color is RR something. There are 3 different "levels" of red and I usually get the middle one. I usually end up washing my hair every other day b/c my hair gets oily. I've heard of the using the shampoo "powder" and other types but I usually don't see that around here where I live. After she puts the color in I wait as long as I can before I wash my hair and it just BUMS me out to see the red going down the drain!!

 

[darkwater_soul]

Red has to build up on the cortex (inside part of the hair) and it doesn't do well on hair that's been bleached or manipulated before.

Do what Shimmer said, all of it.

Use the Aveda Color shampoo and conditioner in Madder Root. It deposits a small amount of dye, so it will help to build up.

Keep dyeing it. Red is a color that does have to build up, it's not great for folks who constantly change up thier hair, unless they don't care if it fades fast. I've been dyeing my hair red for 3years, and I'm t the point now where I only do my roots.

 

[xsnowwhite]

ah I wish mine would fade I cannot get any red out of my hair!

 

[vocaltest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by euphrosyne_rose To be honest, I'm not even sure. It's a privately owned salon and I THINK the color is RR something. There are 3 different "levels" of red and I usually get the middle one. I usually end up washing my hair every other day b/c my hair gets oily. I've heard of the using the shampoo "powder" and other types but I usually don't see that around here where I live. After she puts the color in I wait as long as I can before I wash my hair and it just BUMS me out to see the red going down the drain!!

Ahh I know what you mean. I last had mine done 3 weeks ago I think and my shampoo is still pink and turning my towels pink lol. Like darkwater_soul said, keep dying it. I've had this done twice now & its holding a lot better. I'm lucky though as I work in a salon so I don't have to pay for my colour lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xsnowwhite ah I wish mine would fade I cannot get any red out of my hair!

ugh i hate that! when i first went from blonde to brown, i went a reddy brown, and it took me 6 re dyes to get the red out. Now i'm bright red so it was a waste of time hah

 

[euphrosyne_rose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vocaltest Ahh I know what you mean. I last had mine done 3 weeks ago I think and my shampoo is still pink and turning my towels pink lol. Like darkwater_soul said, keep dying it. I've had this done twice now & its holding a lot better. I'm lucky though as I work in a salon so I don't have to pay for my colour lol. ugh i hate that! when i first went from blonde to brown, i went a reddy brown, and it took me 6 re dyes to get the red out. Now i'm bright red so it was a waste of time hah

I will definitely give that a try, then. I LOVE the red so much and get so many compliments on it that I want to keep it as much as I can!! I plan to get it redone in the next few weeks and I'll just have to keep going back a few times!! THANKS!
Too bad I don't work at a salon like you do!! Lucky girl!!

 

[lildee]

I have dark brown hair that i have red highlights put in. My stylist recommended putting more of a violet/purple toned red in and i love it! She put two different shades in, thin streaks of a brighter violet-red and thicker streaks of a dark violet red. With dark brown hair it works out great! Its also fun to put some caramel highlights in with it. Anyways, she always uses a semi-permanent dye. I dont know if that helps it to not fade quickly. Also to keep the red vibrant and long lasting, wash your hair with semi-cold water, dont wash it every day- try for every 1-2 days. I use Biolage Strengthening Shampoo & Conditioner ( try and leave conditioner in for at least 3 min). After washing it I use a pea size amount of Ion Color Solutions Color Defense/ Glossing Polish after towel drying. The Ion polish helps protect my hair from split-ends and keeps it silky, shiny, and most of all keeps the reds vibrant! I know thats a long list, but i took the time to type it because it works!! Try it and get back to me! -Shout out to Krew Cuts in Madison,OH!!!

 

[lildee]

Will the shampoo with red dye in it work in hair with only red highlights? Or will it give the other colors (like brown or blonde) a redness?