10 Effective Tips to Make Your Hair Color Dye Last Longer

All hair color fades—even the so-called "permanent" ones, which can be a bit misleading. But don’t worry! There are ways to prolong your newly-dyed hair and keep it vibrant for longer. Here are 10 effective aftercare tips that will help extend the life of your color. Plus, stick around for a bonus tip at the end that you won’t want to miss!

For the first two weeks after coloring, swap your usual haircare products for a color-specific shampoo and conditioner. Why? It’s all about the molecule size. Color-care products contain larger molecules that act like mini umbrellas, protecting the freshly deposited pigments from being stripped away by water and cleansing agents. These products work better than "color-safe" shampoos and conditioners, which are typically just gentler but less protective.

The keyword here is correct! Color-depositing shampoos are different from regular color shampoos. They contain pigments that refill and refresh your hair color, keeping it vibrant. But be careful—many color-depositing shampoos do oversaturate and stain your hair. Overly pigmented shampoos can turn your hair green or red and be hard to remove later, causing more harm than good. 

That’s why we recommend Mankind Color Wash Shampoo—it refreshes your color without staining your hair.

For Pink or Red Based Colors: Cherry Red
For Purple or Violet Based Colors: Ultra Violet
For Blonde Colors: Yellow No More
For Brown Colors: Cool Ash

Important: Use it for your first wash after coloring and only once a week after that. Do not leave it on for more than five minutes.

For Caucasian Blonde Hair:
If you have naturally blonde or lightened blonde hair, avoid using color-depositing shampoos. Instead, use color-neutralizing purple shampoo and conditioner will suffice. They help to neutralize any unwanted yellow tones in the hair without depositing concentrated pigments that could turn your blonde into purple or gray.

Top Pick for Caucasian Blonde Hair: Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo and Conditioner for Beautiful Color. These products help maintain a natural, bright blonde without over-saturating your hair with pigments.

We all love a hot shower after a long day, but hot water strips hair color like nobody’s business! Stick to lukewarm or, if possible, cold water to prevent your color from fading prematurely.

Swimming pools and oceans may be fun, but they can wreak havoc on freshly colored hair. Chlorine and saltwater are highly alkaline, leading to “oxidative stress” on your hair's cuticle layer. This opens the cuticles, causing your color to fade faster—and it could even turn blonde hair green!

Scalp care shampoos are designed to deep-cleanse, often containing harsh ingredients like salicylic acid. These strong surfactants can strip away your new color before it has time to settle. Opt for shampoos made to preserve hair color for at least two weeks after your salon visit.

For best results, avoid getting your hair wet for 24-48 hours after your color appointment. This allows the color to “settle in” properly. And remember: the less frequently you wash your hair, the longer your color will last!

Damaged hair is highly porous and struggles to hold onto color pigments. Think of it like this: when your hair has tiny holes or gaps in its structure, water and cleansing agents easily penetrate, washing out the color pigments. On the other hand, healthy, strong hair can lock in the color for much longer.

What You Can Do:
Use Epres Bond Repair Treatment twice a week, especially before shampooing. This pre-shampoo treatment acts as a protective barrier, preventing your hair from losing essential moisture and dye pigments. Its cationic ingredients cling to the hair shaft, repelling water and reducing tangling and mechanical damage during washing.

Why It Works:
Epres Bond Repair Treatment doesn’t just seal and protect your hair—it repairs bonds from deep within, restoring your hair’s structure and reducing porosity. This allows your hair to hold onto color pigments more effectively, keeping your color vibrant for longer.

Letting your hair air dry might sound gentle, but it’s actually counterproductive for colored hair. When your hair stays wet for too long, the cuticles swell and “open up,” causing the color to bleed easily. Instead, apply a leave-in conditioner and gently blow-dry your hair in a downward motion to keep the color intact.

Heat is one of the biggest culprits behind fading hair color. Whether it's blow drying, flat ironing, or curling, exposing your colored hair to heat without protection can cause the color to fade prematurely. That’s why investing in a good, lightweight heat protectant spray is essential.

Why Mist Spray Over Cream or Serum?
Unlike creams or serums that can weigh hair down or create uneven distribution, a spray mist allows for thorough, even coverage from roots to ends. This ensures that your hair is fully protected from heat damage.

Our Top Pick:
Advante Duo Mist—Generously mist your wet hair with this lightweight treatment before blow drying or using heat styling tools. This isn’t just any heat protectant! Advante Duo Mist works on multiple levels, combining bio-active keratins that penetrate deep into the hair’s cortex to boost elasticity, with lightweight ceramides to condition the hair without weighing it down. Plus, its unique ingredient Trametes Versicolor helps to maintain your hair’s shape and reduce frizz until the next wash. Bonus: it protects without making your hair feel heavy!

Some hair colors “bleed” when wet, especially red and purple tones. To avoid staining your white towels, pillowcases, clothing and sheets, stick to dark-colored fabrics for the first couple of weeks after coloring.

Chez Vous is a leader in Singapore’s luxury hair salon scene, known for innovation in professional hair services. We take pride in our humble approach, always striving to improve and offer our guests the best hair solutions. Established in 1995, we’ve set ourselves apart with exceptional service, bespoke hair treatments, and a “Only Hair Directors Allowed” policy, ensuring that every client is treated by a highly skilled professional with over 10 years of experience.

Our dedication to excellence has earned us multiple awards, including Best Hair Salon for Colors, Perms, and Treatments from esteemed publications like Harper's Bazaar, The Singapore Women’s Weekly, and Her World.