Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or professional treatment. Always consult a healthcare provider for scalp/hair conditions and perform a patch test before using any chemical products.
When you choose to dye your hair, the process of ensuring the color’s longevity begins right from the rinse-out stage. Otherwise, your hair will lose its desirable coloring, and you will need to dye it again.
After applying hair dye and allowing it to sit on your hair for the recommended duration, it’s necessary to wash off the excess dye with water. But should you use hot or cold water for this?
A similar question arises when you wash your dyed hair as part of your regular hair care routine.
Do You Wash Leftover Hair Dye With Hot Or Cold Water?
When washing out leftover hair dye, use lukewarm water rather than hot or cold water. Lukewarm water is effective at rinsing out the dye while being gentle on your scalp and hair.
Hot water can strip away natural oils and potentially cause your hair color to fade faster, while cold water might not be as effective in removing the excess dye.
For vivid semi-permanent colors, rinsing with just water and conditioner helps prevent color bleeding. For permanent dyes, you must use shampoo to properly stop the chemical oxidation process, followed by conditioner.
If you choose to shampoo after dyeing, wash your hair with lukewarm water first to properly emulsify and rinse out the dye base from your scalp, then shampoo.
You should avoid hot water altogether because it can cause damage to your newly dyed or bleached hair. The reason for this is hot water swells the hair fiber, allowing color molecules to wash out easily.
Additionally, hot water can cause damage to your hair cuticles. As a result, hot water increases porosity by keeping the hair shaft swollen, which allows hair pigments to escape.
How to Wash Dyed Hair?
When it comes to washing dyed hair as your regular hair care routine, use cold water to avoid fading your hair color quickly.
Hot water makes the hair shaft swell, which lets color molecules wash out easily. While this swelling can be beneficial for allowing conditioner and hair treatments to penetrate deeply, it can also lead to color fading more quickly.
Since the hair shaft is swollen, color molecules can escape more easily, leading to faster fading of your dyed hair.
Regular use of hot water can strip natural oils from your scalp and hair, leading to dryness and potential damage.
Cold water stops this swelling, keeping the hair tight and locking the color inside. This helps lock in moisture and, importantly for dyed hair, maintains your color, making it last longer.
By keeping the hair from swelling, cold water prevents color molecules from washing out, thus maintaining your color’s vibrancy for a longer period.
You can follow this technique for washing your dyed hair:
Use lukewarm water when shampooing. This temperature is gentle enough to cleanse without stripping color and natural oils.
Finish with a cold water rinse after conditioning to keep the hair tight and lock in color.
Things To Avoid After Dyeing Your Hair
After dyeing your hair, you are at risk of damaging the dye and affecting the color. So, you must be careful to ensure you are not stuck with hair dyed the wrong color for months.
UV Exposure
Notably, you should avoid UV rays after dyeing your hair. Unfortunately, the Sun naturally lightens hair whether it is dyed or not.
For that reason, many people have lighter hair in the summer. If you want to avoid damaging your hair dye, wear a hat when you are out in the Sun.
Heat
Another reason to avoid being out in the Sun is the heat can damage your hair dye. It is not just water that causes fading; prolonged UV exposure from the sun breaks down chemical pigments in the hair.
Once your hair dye has had time to settle, it is less likely to be damaged, so we recommend using UV protectant sprays and wearing a hat if you spend extended time outdoors in the summer.
Chlorine
Finally, you should avoid exposing your hair to chlorine.
Chlorine is found in most swimming pools and can dry out your hair and dull its colors. It can even turn blonde hair green, which would be a disaster.
Rather than taking the risk, avoid putting your hair in a pool while it is dyed.
Over-Shampooing
A big mistake many people make is maintaining their hair-washing routine after dyeing their hair. You still must wash your hair, but you should reduce the frequency of your washes and switch to a color-safe, sulfate-free shampoo.
Washing it every day can cause it to dry out and become brittle. As a result, many experts recommend washing straight or wavy dyed hair two or three times a week, while coily or highly textured hair may only need to be washed once a week or every other week.
Using too much shampoo can cause your hair to lose its natural oils. Your hair needs to stay hydrated so your dye does not wash out or become dull.
Another option is to use dry shampoo if you are worried about your hair getting greasy throughout the week.
So, wash your dyed hair with lukewarm and cold water and follow these tips to keep your dyed hair vibrant for a long period.
FAQs
Here we will answer a few final questions you might have.
After you dye your hair and wash it to remove the leftover dye, it is recommended to wait at least 72 hours before using shampoo on it. It takes roughly three days for your hair cuticles to fully settle down after being swollen by chemicals, and for your scalp’s natural oils to build up and protect the colored hair.
If you use semi-permanent or demi-permanent dye, the coloring generally lasts four to eight weeks. Permanent dye alters your hair permanently and lasts until it grows out, though the tone may fade.
Although it depends on the type of hair dye, dark brown hair color typically lasts the longest.