HAIR: Tips on maintaining coloured red hair

When I was younger I always wanted the perfect red hair.  Unfortunately, being young and not knowing much about hair, I would use cheap drugstore dyes and always complain when it faded to that horrible rusty colour.  I have been a redhead since October now, and I have discovered the products and secrets that will maintain the colour and keep it looking vibrant and glossy.

1. Go professional
If ££ aren't a problem, go to a salon.  If money is an issue, either do what I do and be a model for a trainee hairdresser (totally advocate it - they are always supervised and never make a mistake) or risk doing it yourself.  If you do do it yourself, MAKE SURE YOU USE DECENT COLORANTS.  I recommend Wella Koleston Perfect (colour chart is below, not affiliated, just love it!) which gives glossy colour and has a massive range of shades.  This can be bought from Sallys or online.  I use 55/65 and it gives a beautiful violet/red colour that doesn't fade.

 

2. Stay professional
If you want mediocre hair, use high street/drugstore products.  If you want healthy, shiny, vibrant hair, use high end products.  They are so worth it!!!! For coloured hair, use shampoo&conditioner designed for coloured hair.  I love Tigi S Factor products, but am currently trying out Wella Professionals Brilliance s&c, which you can get in salon or online (I love lookfantastic for buying online - again, not affiliated! - as you get good deals and normally free delivery).  Even though the shampoo isn't sulphate free (shock! horror!) it still makes my hair feel soft and look glossy.  

3. Colour-depositing conditioner 

I don't know of any other red-depositing conditioner that is easily found in the UK other than Aveda Madder Root.  There's a shampoo for it as well, but I just use the conditioner once a week, mixed in with my normal conditioner as it's very very red! It contains red dyes to deposit colour into your hair, ensuring that your colour stays fresh.  It really really works.  The only downside is that the last ingredient is a brown colour, which makes my hair less violet/red and more natural red as time goes on (but I'm talking a couple of months here, by which time my colour needs touching up anyway).  

4. Resist washing every day

Red colour molecules are too big to penetrate the hair shaft like other colours, so the hair can't "hold" onto red like it can with brunette shades.  The more you wash your hair, the quicker it will fade.  Simple.  Dry shampoo is your new friend (but not your BFF as it can dry out your hair if you use it too much!)

5. Make sure you are committed

Even though red can fade faster than other shades, it won't fade completely and will leave you with that horrible rusty colour that will keep coming back (no matter how much you colour over it!).  I know this from experience from when I was younger - I would dye it red, dye it brown, dye it brown, dye it brown, and it would still end up being a horrible faded-red colour.  So make sure that you really want to be a redhead, and want to stay a redhead for a fair amount of time.  I'm the worst for colouring my hair because I get bored easily, but I absolutely love the violet/red colour I am at the moment and am prepared to commit to this colour for a while!