Keeping dyed hair colour vibrant and strong

With the use of the semi permanent dyes a major problem that nearly everyone encounters is the fading effect. With some dyes this can be after a few weeks with a slight lessening in brightness whilst with others it can be as much as after one wash you look like you have had an accident with the toilet duck.

The Trick

Keep your colour looking as good as the day you dyed it by adding a small amount of your colour to a conditioner and using it as often or as little as you think necessary. 

For me, I use it maybe once every two to three weeks when I use red or pinks and every other wash when using blues or greens. The length of time you leave it on is, again, dependent on how much fading you have seen. I would always suggest at least 3-5 mins and the longer the better. Plus, it never hurts to leave conditioner on bleached or dyed hair




Before

I let my hair fade to a light pinky lavendar colour then used the conditioner with a mix of three parts conditioner and one part dye. 

After

This was after two conditions over three days
                                                                                                     

Reviews: Stargazer, Directions, Manic Panic

A lot of people ask which dye they should use and invariable I have to ask in return what type of colour they want to achieve. Each dye, from my experience has its own merit so i have put together a little chart for you to have a look at if you want a quick advice sheet for which to use.

	Stargazer	Manic Panic	Directions
Brightness	4/5 The reds, purples and greens have excellent brightness. Lighter colours don't soak in as well.	3.5/5 there is a tendency for them to be more toned rather than bold colours.	3/5 Only the deeper shades come out any where near strong. Very watery base feel.
Longevity	3.5/5 On bleached hair they last a good time but need to be redyed every 3-4 weeks for best results.	4/5 Last well, red tones especially. Difficult to bleach out sometimes and fade badly.	3/5 Wash out quickly and easily. Fade to nice colours though.
Running	4/5 Blues and reds will run for a day or two then be fine.	2/5 Never seems to stop running onto clothes and skin.	4.5/5 Not strong enough pigment to run too much.
Cost	£3.50-5	£8-10	£3-5
Value	4.5/5 Includes gloves and an applicator bottle.	3/5 good quality but expensive in comparison to others.	3/5 Cheap and cheerful for experimenting with.  Not for long term use.
Comments	Good all rounder, nice bottle and easy to use, good colour and good price but stay away from the light colours.	Excellent toner to get white but very pricey in comparison. The reds are difficult to remove and not as bright but good for long term use.	Good for people who change colour regularly but not good for the lighter colours like lilac or pale blue as they just don't cover enough.

So depending what you want I hope that helps! If you have any specific questions please feel free to drop me a line and follow away :)

How to remove dye from clothes and skin

The long suffering hair dyer will tell you there are few things more annoying that waking up at a friends house only to look back at your pillow and have to plan how you will get it to your house, wash it, dry it and get it back before anyone will notice. One of the problems with using the bright semi permanent dyes is there inability to cling to your hair yet easy grasp of clinging to every other object they come into contact with, which is why we must fight the good fight to keep our lovely locks lovely.

I personally have lost track of clothes I've had to throw out due to a slight red ring around the collar or times I've awoken to look like vampires have been at my neck all night so after years of scrubbing away and suffering for my hair I decided to do a bit of research into the best ways to prevent or cure this problem.

Firstly, I had to accept that with beauty comes pain and I would never fully eradicate all trace of dye but I can certainly find ways to make in manageable so where they are for you delectable bunch.

1- ALWAYS wash hair thoroughly after dying. This is the first defence we have against the rebellious dyes but the most important. Any residue left coating the hair will try to jump ship onto any destroyable surface at the first given opportunity. That clean bright white shirt you were going to wear to work tomorrow? Its a gonner if this isn't followed very strictly. A good rule of thumb is the rinse until the water runs clear then wash twice before conditioning. 

2 - Condition well, this will help smooth and seal the hair to keep colour where you want it, rather than on you new boyfriends chest after a snuggles. Not the best impression, I think you'll agree. Also, use cold water to rinse out the conditioner as it will help seal the follicles.

3 - Dandruff shampoo is excellent at removing stains from skin. Just apply a small amount to a babywipe or face cloth and rub in circular motions before adding water to rinse away the colour. It is quite strong so be careful if you have sensitive skin to make sure its all removed after. 

4 - Before bed apply a very thin layer of vaseline to your neck, ears or forehead, basically anywhere ther dye tends to run to. I use it on my neck and a bit down the top of my back. Don't cover yourself in it to the point of being uncomfortable, use the same amount as you would a moisturiser but don't rub in in the same way. Just rub it lightly over the skin and leave it, this will create a barrier and hopefully prevent any sticking. Should you find it does stick over night, a simple tissue will wipe it off in one go when you awake from slumberland and you will be good to go. 

5 - For permanent dyes, keep a small amount of the dye and rub that over the area stained with a tissue and it will lift the dye straight off your skin. Only use this with permanent dyes though as semi's will just see this as a way to further win their fight!. 

A few other things I've picked up over my years has been to take a pillow case discreetly with me if I stay at a friends or hotel just in case you ruin something or offend and scarfs are great at hiding those marks you inevitably get for the few days post dye. I have quite a collection now and they are easily washed so no harm done but at the flick of the wrist can be whipped off to reveal a stain free neck. 

Hope this has been helpful to you, please comment if you've got any other tried and tested methods that work for you. And as always please follow if you like my blogs, the more followers the more I post!

Locks x

Coloured hair for regular swimmers

So I've been getting a few questions in from various people and thought I should pop them up for you fine people.


"What advice would you give a regular swimmer with coloured hair?" - Liz Jefferson

There are a few answer to this depending what type of dye you have on or if it is bleached.

1 - Semi permanent colours, such as Directions or Stargazer, should really not be used if you are a regular swimmer as they run out very easily. In basic terms the colour coats the hair so is easier to come out and with the chlorine in the water acting as a mild bleach that will happen even quicker. Also you are likely to get in trouble or get concerned looks, especially if its red! No one wants to look like a shark attack victim. I would recommend a swimming cap for this.

2 - Permanent dark colours, such as dark reds, browns and blacks should be washed thoroughly at least two or three times and given at least 5 days to let the colour settle before you go into a treated swimming pool. This will ensure and natural oils that have been stripped have had chance to coat the hair in a protective sense and also reduce and running. A good rule of thumb is, if your shampoo comes out white when you wash it, you are good to go.
Its worth baring in mind that the lighter the hair colour the more it will be effected by the bleach, so for lighter auburn's or hair that has been dyed over bleach keep an eye on it and if you notice a change, follow advice below.

3 - Bleached hair. This is always the trickiest for swimmers and the one that causes the most anxiety. I have found a few old house wife tales that have helped me in the passed that I will share for you, but be prepared to get a bit messy.
 Because of the Chlorine in the water it will effect the bleached colour you have sometimes giving a green tint to your hair, but rest assured, this is a tint and not a colour change so can easily be rectified.

One way I found is using tomato ketchup. Yes, I am being serious. The water will oxidize the hair while the tomato sauce is an anti-oxidant so will neutralise the effects. Get about a third of a standard size bottle and run it through your hair, put under a cool tower and leave for half an hour. Do not put under a warm towel as the acid in it will have negative effects and possibly irritate the scalp. Wash it out with a colour care shampoo and condition as usual. I would say around once for every 6-8 swims should suffice to keep it the right colour and take out any horrible dirty discolouring.

My main advice would be to wear a swimming cap all the time, if you are a regular swimmer it will eventually strip the natural oils from your hair so even for undyed hair I would suggest its better to wear one.

If you really can't stand the egg head look, I have found this Boots sun and swim shampoo. I haven't used it personally but has great reviews and would be good for holiday swimming and the odd dip but probably not for prolonged use.

Thanks to Liz for that question, hope it helps!

Hope thats been useful, if anyone has any other suggestions please comment and I can add them to the post. And as always, if you like the post retweet, repost or follow, the more you follow the more I'll post.