Last year I dyed my purple/pink hair back to a natural brown due to my pregnancy. From that day forward, I couldn’t wait until I could dye my hair a pretty color again! I was a little hesitant, only because I know the commitment and care that comes with keeping a pinky hue, but I did it anyway.
Below are my secrets for maintaining and caring for pastel hair — from damage prevention to making it last.
Be committed to washing your hair less
Like, a lot less. I’ve always been an every other day washer but I’ve cut that down significantly. I now aim for about 1-2 times a week.
Here’s why: It’s no secret that washing your hair strips the color out. Unfortunately, when you have a light pastel color it fades even faster than traditional color. My pink fades to a really nice peachy color after a few washes but I like to freshen the color often.
Opt out of those hot showers
This rule kind of sucks but it really helps. On the days I do wash my hair, I have a lukewarm to cold shower. When you take a shower in warm water the color strips significantly. I’ve never really liked hot showers so I can manage but I know how important they are to others!
Use high quality color
Using high-quality color is a must! At the moment I’m using Pravana Pink and Sparks Pink Kiss. They’re essentially the same thing, but Sparks happens to be a bit cheaper. One box of Pravana doesn’t run higher than fifteen dollars and Sparks is about seven.
The high quality stuff isn’t really that expensive, but remember that it may take a few boxes for one application and you have to re-apply often. I can make one box work on my current hair length, but I’ll up it to two when I really want to saturate it.
Conditioner is your friend
I have about four different conditioners that I use on the regular. Because of the frequent bleaching (those roots are kicking after three to four weeks!) I make sure to take extra care of my hair.
I’d recommend a great wash out conditioner, leave in conditioner, and hair serum. I use the last two on the days I don’t wash. It’s quite a routine!
Have you ever dyed your hair a pastel hue? Let us know in the comments below!
*A version of this post originally appeared on Southern (California) Belle.
Love this post but I have a question. How often do you bleach the length of your hair? I just colored mine purple and I love it but I didn’t get my length white enough so it’s fading even quicker. I’m wondering if I need to bleach my hair again and then reapply my color. What are your thoughts?? I don’t want my hair to fall off lol
Where do you buy the Pravana hair color? I’ve got luscious lavender and it needs a tune up! Thanks!
Pastel hair fades so fast if you go pink you’ll be fine.
For those looking for temporary color, it is possible to remove most of the dye with an anti-dandruff shampoo (like Head and Shoulders) mixed with vitamin C powder (you may have to crush tablets if you can’t find the powder). I find the treatment works best on hair that has already been bleached. It is less effective on natural hair. I would also recommend keratin treatments to lock in the color. I have not been able to reach a light enough blonde for pastels, but I love the vibrant hues I get with Manic Panic dyes. I would say I have to re-dye about every 3 weeks without a keratin treatment, but it lasts well over a month with one. I dye my hair the day I go for the treatment and the color has lasted over two months. On the other hand, swimming in the ocean and especially a pool pretty much immediately strips the color. I hope this info helps 🙂