Pro Hair Color washed out after 1st wash (2nd time!!)

Amy

Hello,
This is my first post and I need some advice from those who have gotten their hair colored previously - especially if you've gone RED.

I started getting my hair dyed for the first time this year. I started with a simple red "glaze" on my dark brown hair. My stylist said to wait about 24-48 hours before I wash my hair. I waited ~ 36 hrs and when I washed my hair, I saw allll this red dye go down the drain, and when I looked in the mirror it looked like it was completely gone and I was back to dark brown. She was apologetic when I told her, and I went in to get it re-done/fixed. She did not do it for free, but did give me a discount.

In June I decided to go a little more dramatic, and got it lighter / true medium auburn. It was perfect and the color stayed - did not see any dye wash out.

Now, two days ago, I went in to get it colored again, this time asking for a little more red than auburn. When she was done it was PERFECT - exactly the color I wanted. Again, I waited ~36 hrs before washing. And to my surprise and disappointment, it washed out AGAIN. I'm still auburn but all the beautiful red tone that I had yesterday is gone today. I contacted her and she basically said this never happened before, and it must be my hair/my water - when I distinctly remember when this issue happened in April, I had some product in my hair when she started - aka she didn't wash my hair out before she did the color - and I had product in this time too, since I just came from work. I did NOT have product in my hair when she colored it in June (the auburn color) and it stayed perfectly.

So my question is - is this actually normal/ has this happened to anyone else? Should I just stop getting my hair colored? And should I ask for my money back or a free redo at all? I'm extremely frustrated...

10 years ago

General

22 replies

Latest reply was from

rute

Veteran

No, that is not normal! Maybe it's the kind of products she is using..I know there are some foams that are made to go out when washed..
When I died mine I don't have to wait to wash and the color stays!

10 years ago

Anonymous

Oh, how frustrating for you!

First off, what kind of colour is she using on your hair? Permanent? Semi-permanent? A gloss? What colour is your natural hair? Is she bleaching it before putting the colour on?

My hair is naturally a warm medium brown with some red in it. I have been hennaing my hair (using pure henna) for a couple of years now, and that makes my hair auburn. My white hairs go bright copper. I am allergic to salon dyes now, so I am glad that the henna works for me.

Red is one of the hardest colour molecules to fix in hair.

10 years ago

ironkurtin

Veteran

I have never heard of anyone trying to dye hair without washing out product first. Not that I am an expert, but that strikes me as a mistake.

10 years ago

Jules

Veteran

Maybe there is something to your product theory. You could go in and ask her what she thinks, and see what you can work out in terms of redo. But I believe they generally color dry, "dirty" hair so no, it's not standard to wash the hair first.
When I got professional colour, I tried not to wash my hair as long as possible after colouring. But not 36, more like 72 hours, if I could manage it. I'd plan to dye my hat on Thursday so I could deal with dirty hair on a low-key Sunday.
Finally, consider dying at home, especially if you are just getting all-over colour (not streaks). I like semi permanent - it does fade, but no roots and its low commitment - you can play with different shades. I've decided professional colour is just not worth the time or expense for my simple needs - I'm not covering grey or highlighting, just warming up my natural colour.

10 years ago

Amy

Active Member

It was permanent dye - Redken I believe is what she uses. She did lighten my hair back in June when she originally did the medium auburn color. This time she did not lighten it as it was pretty light already. My original color is dark brown (kind of ashy) - almost black it's so dark...

Also wanted to note, she was going back and forth between me and another client... so maybe she was rushing things... I don't know, but I'm upset and discouraged and think I should just forget trying to color my hair and go back to brown.

She said too, that maybe she didn't wash it well enough afterwards and this was the remainder washing out...

10 years ago

Amy

Active Member

I agree about the expense - I'm just afraid of using at home dye 1 because I'm chicken (lol) and 2 I don't want to end up destroying my hair...
My sister and mother in law always dye their hair at home and it's completely fried so that scares me.

10 years ago

Jules

Veteran

Is there still colour in your hair? Because I'd agree its not unusual to see excess colour washing out the first shampoo.
At this point I'd say try another salon.

10 years ago

Amy

Active Member

it seems to look like the color I got back in June - just the deeper red tone she did this time around is now gone. So it's not a complete loss, just bummed out because the red made it really beautiful.

10 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I wonder if the red was a glaze she put on. That can wear off pretty quickly.

Also red (even permanent) is notorious for fading quickly. I used to dye my hair red for a while but I got fed up with the upkeep because it just wouldn't stay no matter what.

10 years ago

milehighstyle (Linda)

Veteran

Another idea - are you using color protecting shampoo? I makes a huge difference.

10 years ago

Diana

Veteran

Red is the hardest color to maintain. It will fade no matter what. Luckily for me, I don't mind the color that it fades to on me (kind of cognac).

My color (always professionally done) tends to bleed when I wash it for several washes at least. For the first couple of washes, it's remainder dye that is sitting over the hair, and not inside the hair follicle. I think this is normal, but there is plenty of color that remains in my hair. If it's coming out entirely, then you may want to consider either a different brand of dye or a different process entirely (like henna, but be aware that you can't dye over hennaed hair, you have to grow it out first).

I always have my hair dyed on dirty, unwashed hair (usually 2 days after washing). It's actually recommended, and I know that for myself, hair dye stings my scalp like crazy if I've just washed it because there are no protective oils on the scalp. Hair dye has to be applied on dry hair. I don't use product though so I don't know if that would matter.

I do wait 36-48 hours after I get it dyed before I wash it. I don't always do this (because, well, cold showers are unpleasant) but supposedly it helps, especially the first couple of washes, to wash your hair with cold water.

10 years ago

cciele

Veteran

I dye my hair red too at home, and some of the red shades wash out more quickly than others. Agree with PPs -- red dye is hard to fix, and also I've always had my hair dyed (professionally or at home) on dirty, unwashed hair.

Anyhow, I've had great success with L'Oreal For Dark Hair Only line of permanent dye. My hair is naturally dark brown/black (I'm Asian), but over time this one-step process has lightened my hair at least 3 levels and it's quite red. The red gradually fades to a cognac within a few weeks, as Diana mentions. I have to dye it that often anyhow because my roots are showing by then

10 years ago

Jessie

Member

Amy I too have had this problem with my hair colour, I had it coloured on 21-9-17 and re coloured it again myself on 30-9-17, my hair was washed prior to colouring, but as you my hair dressers use Redken hair colour.

6 years ago

cindysmith

Veteran

According to Damon, who was my hair stylist for most of the 90s on the south side of Atlanta Georgia, red is the largest of the haircolor molecules. It is the hardest to shrink, it fades the quickest. It is highly unusual for ALL of the red to wash out in a first shampoo; mine was always more gradual.

I dyed my hair red for decades (strawberry, deep Auburn, kool-aid red, carrot-top, you name it). The pink rinse water, the red dye on the towels, the fear of getting my hair wet when it rained because I didn't want red hair dyed on my clothes... Since my natural hair is predominately white, it was tricky for me to get the red shades I liked (especially those "manic panic" type colors). I generally had to first do a base color dye job, dying my hair blonde or brown depending on the final result I wanted then I'd have to go back in with the shade of red I wanted. If I didn't do this, the white hair would wind up some weird shade of pink or purple (which is why I haven't yet done anything blue or purple to my hair-gotta figure out a base color so the end result workset out like I want)

I'm seeing good suggestions: cooler water for shampooing/conditioning, color enhancing hair care products. I would also add that it helps to reduce the time between shampooings, and that heat-setting the dye before rinsing it out can help somewhat as well. The aforementioned Damon would park me & my hair dye under a dryer while he cut someone else's hair, then he'd rinse the dye out. Many discussion forums with threads about manic panic type colors talk about using a hair dryer on the dye-soaked hair to get better results. I would let my screaming red dye sit on my head for hours, sometimes wrapped in plastic, occasionally hitting it with a blow dryer to get a strong & saturated red. (That's extreme, and it was only when I was doing manic panic reds, not Auburn or carrot top or anything)

I did my own hair dye, and I bought my stuff at a beauty supply store (I used ion brand color). I found it smelled slightly less awful and dried my hair out less than the OTC kits available at big box grocery/drug stores. I also used rich conditioners designed for dry hair, anil frizz serums, and regular deep-conditioning treatments.

I hope you find a solution. If it were me, I'd find a new hairstylist; one that's also trained by a salon brand hair color line's experts and not just the local/regional cosmetology school. Damon trained at Paul Mitchell for color, my Louisiana stylist trained at Vidal Sassoon; they did so after they finished their initial hair stylist training at local schools.

If you really want red hair, don't give up. Yes, red is harder to do and harder to maintain; but for me, it was worth it because I loved my red hair. Good luck finding a solution!

6 years ago

Anonymous

6 years ago

Liz

Veteran

Note that this happened four years ago for the original poster. Hopefully the information here will be helpful to other people, now.

6 years ago

Anonymous

Thank you, Liz. I had not noticed.

6 years ago

Anonymous

Red hair color is the one that washes out the most/easier
something to do with size of color molecules

6 years ago

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

6 years ago

remi

Member

i had dyed my hair red about a week ago and i had to wash it about 5 hours later bc my hair dresser NEVER gets all the dye out and it itches, it all washed out so i made another appointment. i went 2 days ago and just washed my hair today, it all wash out again. i made sure i had no product in my hair the second time bc i also thought it may have been because of product or i washed it too soon. she did redo it for no charge but i am still extremely frustrated, i payed 160 dollars just for it to wash down the drain, TWICE. i don't want to blame her but my hair has never refused color before, i've died it every color( including red) before. i've sat in the chair for over 2 hours both sessions just to have no out come. she also used recken on my hair so maybe that could be it. but i doubt i will make another appointment or go back to that salon period. i'm thinking about doing it at home like i've been doing all of quarantine, it always turns out well( never as damaged as it is after her doing it and it always stays in, plus it takes me less than an hour). i am extremely disappointed and discouraged.

3 years ago

Vildy

Veteran

I see this is mostly an old thread but good advice. I read not to wash red dyed hair for 4 days, so I don't. And that seems to work. Also, for me with greyed taupe hair, I now choose to have it colored light warm brown and it fades out to a strawberry blond over time, which is what my original color was as a child/young woman. One thing I found out was that color-safe products are important. A lot of the conditioners that use natural oils enter the shaft and eject the color. This happened to me when I couldn't find the matching color safe conditioner to the shampoo I was then using and picked something similar and it took out at least half the color.

3 years ago

Anonymous

I don’t have any good advice for professional dye, I’m sorry to say! I would recommend henna, but I don’t think you can dye dark hair lighter shades with henna. May be something to keep in mind if you still want to try red hair one day if your hair goes gray, though. It definitely works on any lighter hair color. I’ve used henna myself for almost a decade and it lasts, doesn’t fade, and doesn’t wash out.

3 years ago

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