The Complete Hair Dye Guide- Maintaining Your Hair Colour

Whether you’re a Manic Panic dye-hard or a hair-dye beginner, you’ll be sure to fall in love with your Manic Panic colour transformation. Our hair care guides go over every step of the process- what to do before dyeing your hair, how to dye at home, and what hair dye to choose. If you’re about to dye your hair, check out all of our guides here and find the perfect tutorial to help you out. 

If, however, you’ve already achieved your gorgeous colour transformation, your first concern will probably be: How do I maintain my hair colour?

Our semi-permanent hair dyes last an average of 4-6 weeks, but you can do your best to extend your colour results for as long as possible with a few handy tricks. Keep reading for our top tips on how to make hair colour last longer!

Maintaining your hair colour- DOs

1. DO pre-lighten your hair- your colour is more likely to have longevity if you apply it over a light blonde base (level 8-10). Even if you’re a natural blonde, you may find that bleached hair simply holds on to the pigment better.

2. DO use cold water- whenever you wash or rinse your hair, try to use cold water. This avoids bleeding and seals your hair cuticles so that the dye lasts longer.

3. DO be kind to your hair- excessive heat or product use will only make your hair colour fade faster. The more gentle you are with your hair, the longer your colour will last.

4. DO use colour-protecting products. You can find our colour-protecting shampoo and conditioner here, or shop our range of Love Color™ Colour Depositing Conditioners. These colour-depositing conditioners are nourishing and conditioning to your natural hair, while depositing extra pigment to keep your colour vibrant. Simply apply like regular conditioner, and leave to sit for 10 minutes before rinsing off. Shop the range for every colour of the rainbow! 

5. DO try a vinegar rinse- this is something you can do shortly after dyeing your hair, to help seal in the colour. Simply mix half a cup of white vinegar with half a cup of water, and use the mixture to rinse your hair. Comb through, and rinse out with cold water. This should encourage your colour to perform better.

Maintaining your hair colour- DON’Ts

1. DON’T use hot water- as we already mentioned, hot water is worse for hair colour longevity, as it opens up your hair cuticles and leads to colour bleeding.

2. DON’T try hot oil treatments- while normally helpful for dry and damaged hair, hot oil is a big no-no when it comes to maintaining colour. Just like hot water, the hot oil will only lead to colour bleeding.

3. DON’T use harsh products- if your products contain alcohol (as most hairsprays and gels do) or high PH levels, you may want to consider finding gentler options. Harsh ingredients will strip the colour pigment from your hair. Consider investing in colour-protecting haircare so that your colour can last longer.

4. DON’T expose your hair to sunlight- bright sunshine will make your new colour look gorgeous, but the UV rays can be harmful to the pigment. Wear a hat or use SPF hair products to help protect your head from the sun.

5. DON’T use excessive heat- this is a general DON’T for all hair, but make sure that you’re not using too much heat on your hair, as this can be damaging. If you can’t avoid using curlers or straighteners, make sure that you’re prepping your hair with heat-protectant spray.

Shop all haircare here for plenty of colour-safe products:

Hopefully, this guide has helped you to understand how to maintain hair colour- the DOs, the DON’Ts, and everything in between. We want to help you keep your Manic Panic colour for as long as possible, and we love seeing all of your gorgeous results! 

If you have any more questions, check out our full range of hair dye care guides here, or email our customer services team at sales@manic-panic.co.uk.