Anyone that dyes their hair red knows that it is a huge pain to keep the color. While all dyed hair does fade a bit, red hair is notorious for fading fast. Red color molecules are larger than other color molecules. That means that they escape from the hair shaft more quickly. Try a few of my tips to keep your red looking vibrant.

Protein Filler

Using protein filler is one of the best things that you can do to keep your hair color from fading. It also works well to make the color take evenly. Protein filler neutralizes the porosity in your hair which is responsible for making the color take evenly and take longer to fade. After touching up your roots, add two oz. protein filler to the color, shake it up and apply to the rest of the hair. Look for protein filler at beauty supply stores or online.

Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo is a handy tool for all fake redheads. The advice given by most hair professionals is to wash your hair less often when you have colored. But, a greasy scalp is no bueno, especially for me. I wash my hair every other day and use dry shampoo in between.

Color Depositing Conditioner

Color depositing conditioner adds just a touch of color to your hair so that it keeps it from fading so fast. Dyed redheads should try to use it at least twice per week. Make sure to leave it on for at least three minutes.

Avoid Box Dyes

I know that box color can work for many people. However, having used both box dye and hair dye from beauty supply stores, such as professional Wella and Ion color, there is just no comparison. If you don’t have access to such a store, you can buy it online as well.

Redheads especially should try to get their hands on the good stuff. Buying the hair dye, plus developer is actually way cheaper than buying boxed color. My personal favorite, as a fake redhead, is Wella. You can even experiment by mixing two or more colors together.