Pastel hair color is beautiful. A head of rainbow unicorn hair creates an instant pop of personality to any look, but there’s one thing that you’ll instantly discover during your pastel phase: it doesn’t last long. Pastel hair colors are known for fading quickly, leaving you with plain blonde hair again. However, learning a few things about how to make pastel hair color last longer can guarantee that you always look fabulous, and it can save you some money because you won’t have to head to the salon as often.
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How Long Do Pastel Colors Usually Last In Hair
Pastel colors will generally last 6-8 weeks after you dye them. However, that period can be shorter for some people. As a general rule of thumb, pastel colors will fade quicker if they are lighter. For example, dark pink will last longer than light, and nursery pink will. It also depends on how often you wash your hair. A little bit of hair dye will fade with every wash, meaning the more often you wash your hair, the faster your pastel colors will fade.
Making Pastel Color Last Longer
Pastel hair color will last longer than the standard few weeks you’re used to, but you have to know how to make pastel hair color last longer for that to happen. These tips will all help prevent fading, but you want to use as many of them as possible to enjoy your hair color as long as possible.
Make Sure Your Hair Is Light Enough Before Dying It A Pastel Color
Pastel hair colors don’t show up as well on dark hair colors. If your hair color is dark, you’ll need to lighten it to make the pastel colors appear. Then, you’ll want to ensure it’s a few shades lighter. As the color fades, you’ll still be able to see it because of how light your hair is. If your hair is darker, you won’t be able to see the hair color when it starts to fade.
Don’t Wash Your Hair As Often
Washing your hair is a quick way to make hair color fade faster. This is true with almost any hair color. Only wash your hair as needed to prevent fading, and pick up some dry shampoo. You want to wash it the least amount possible.
Use Cold Water To Wash Your Hair
When you do wash your hair, use cold water to help prevent fading. Wash your hair in the coldest water that you can stand. If you take hot showers, pull your hair up in a bun so the hot water doesn’t touch your hair.
Try Semi-Permanent Hair Color
Temporary hair color is designed to fade quickly, whereas semi-permanent hair color will last longer. Pay attention to which type you’re purchasing, and opt for a semi-permanent hair color to enjoy pastel hair longer.
Pick Up Color Safe Shampoos
Color-safe shampoos are a must-have for died hair. These shampoos are specially formulated to help nourish your hair, and they don’t contain chemicals that break down the color in your hair. It doesn’t matter if your hair is dyed brown or rainbow, color-safe shampoo will help your color last longer.
Avoid Heat When You Can
Heat can make your hair fade much quicker than it usually would, which is part of the reason you don’t want to wash your hair in hot water. However, this isn’t just limited to hot water. Heat products like blow dryers and curling irons can also make your hair fade faster. Instead, let your hair air dry and use heat-free curling to protect your color.
Stay Out Of The Sun
The heat from the sun is another thing that can make your hair fade faster. Pick up a sun hat to protect your color from fading as quickly. If that’s not an option, you don’t have to worry about your color fading from one day at the beach. Heat makes color fade faster, but the sun isn’t as problematic as a curling iron.
Go More Vibrant In The Beginning
It doesn’t matter what you do; your pastel colors will still fade as time goes on. That’s why some hair stylists recommend going more vibrant in the beginning instead of instantly dying your hair a barely-there pastel color. As your hair fades, it’ll still be a pastel color but more vibrant and bold initially.
Use Color Depositing Conditioner
Color depositing conditioner slowly deposits small amounts of color into your hair. As your hair fades, you’ll slowly add more color with every wash. Using a color-depositing shampoo and conditioner combo will help your hair have color longer.
Final Thoughts
Pastel hair is the definition of beautiful, but it’s also known for fading away ridiculously fast, especially when compared to darker hair colors. Combine several of these tips to help keep your hair the color of your dreams as long as possible.
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