Coloring our hair is about more than changing our look. It can be a way to completely reinvent ourselves. So we know how important hair color is and how you want it to last as long as possible, not only to save you money but the precious time you would rather not spend in a salon chair.
You probably have some tips of your own on how to keep your color fresh but we’ve got a few that may surprise you. For example, how we dry our hair can affect color’s longevity. Yes, really. Read on to learn how hair color works, how it fades, and how to keep it as vibrant as your personality.
Hair Coloring—Demystified
How hair coloring works is actually pretty simple. Melanin, which gives hair and skin its color, is stored in the hair’s inner core. This core is protected by an outer layer of cuticle scales that lay flat when our hair is healthy and dry (as in, not wet). Unfortunately in order to reach the core and change our hair’s color, permanent hair dyes have to increase our hair’s pH levels to lift the cuticles, causing a moderate amount of damage. If the dye contains peroxide (bleach), it removes our natural color from the core so the new color can take. The longer dye is on our hair, the longer our cuticles will be lifted and the more damage it will cause.
And now for the surprising part:
1. Different Hair Types, Different Fade
If you have curly hair, we have a bit of bad news. You may remember from our blog about frizz that curly hair has particularly open cuticles. This unfortunately means that, because curly hair’s cortex is more exposed, our color can fade faster than our straight-haired sisters.
The Solution: Keeping our color bright and saturated will just require a little more TLC. No matter what your hair type is, avoid shampoos with high pH or clarifying shampoos.
2. The Sun is Not Your Friend
You probably already knew that prolonged exposure to sunlight can lighten our natural color. But did you know dyed color is also vulnerable? UV light breaks down pigments in our hair, whether they are natural or artificial. Just like the sun can fade dyes in our clothes, it can also fade the dye in our strands.
The Solution: Wearing a hat when you go out into the sun is always a good idea but if that’s not your style, use a hair sunscreen.
3. Damage Makes a Difference
While permanent hair color is meant to be just that—permanent—it will still fade over time. The rate and degree of fading depends on a number of factors. One factor is how damaged our hair is before we dye it. Because damaged hair is porous, think of it like a colander. The bigger the holes we have in it, the faster we lose the liquid (in this case, color).
The Solution: Prevent further damage and prolong color by laying off the heat for a while after coloring. Dry your hair quickly and gently after each wash with an Aquis Towel or Turban to keep your cuticles closed and lock in color. And remember to never subject wet hair to brushing or heat.
How Aquis Helps
Repeated washing obviously affects hair color. But reducing how often we wash will only help so much. The problem is just how long our hair is wet, our cuticles are open, and our cortex is losing color. By getting water out of the hair and closing those cuticles up fast, color stays vibrant, longer.
Why not just blow dry wet hair? Remember, wet hair is weak hair. Think about your nails after you come out of a bath. They feel weak – not strong and healthy as they do when they are dry. This same thing happens to your hair after long exposure to water. Subjecting hair to heat when it is most vulnerable causes damage and dulls color.
How Does Aquis Work?
Aquis Hair Towels and Turbans are engineered with Aquitex, a breakthrough, proprietary performance-drying weave technology that wicks away water while quickly and efficiently drying hair without heat damage. This is not your ordinary hair towel.
Other benefits of Aquis:
- Less friction = Less frizz
- Real smoothness and shine without extra product
- Faster drying = More natural volume
Our Favorite Hair Styles from NYFW
We love vibrant color and statement bangs. This sassy cut is perfect for all seasons.
Embracing natural curl is something we always love to see. Her definition and volume is just amazing.
This reinvented updo is completely fashion forward and a style that could work with a variety of hair types.
Lavern Cox's sandy blonde is just stunning. This is also a prime example of how roots should look—blended and not abrupt.
Elizabeth Banks boasts a platinum shade in an elegant loose updo. Platinum hair requires a lot of TLC in order to look lustrous and healthy.
We're always a fan of wigs. They are a great way to experiment with an edgy cut or color without the commitment and this style is seriously head-turning.
Claw clips from the 90s are back? Why not? Hair styles are definitely cyclical and we love this throwback.
Deep side parts can be a great way to add volume with little product and we love what it does here to loose waves.