How Soon Can I Dye My Hair Again to Fix It?

How many of us have had a bad color job–either by our own hand or someone else? Picture this…you have the PERFECT picture of your hair goals that you snagged from Pinterest and you go to a brand new hair stylist to bring your hair dreams to life. You’re all finished and the stylist swings the chair around for you to face the mirror and you’re horrified. This looks nothing like the picture! You get in your car to leave, maybe have a good cry, and the question already swirling through your head is “How soon can I dye my hair again to fix it?”

So What’s The Run Down on Hair Color?

Permanent color will typically stay in your hair for up to 21 shampoos. Yes, it’s true! Permanent color is formulated to last longer than the other types of coloring because its pigment molecules are bigger and therefore more difficult to remove with shampoos alone. Temporary dye usually only lasts about 4-10 shampoos. Of course, in these situations, it’s usually permanent color that’s been used on your hair. So maybe the bigger question is, what are your options in this situation?

How Soon Is Too Soon?

How often to color hair is a serious question because the last thing you want to do is compromise the health of your hair. The first thing to remember is that if you want 100% healthy hair, it should never be dyed if it’s already compromised. So, how do you know if your hair is compromised? If your hair is extremely dry, fragile, has mild to severe breakage, or is generally just looking very scarecrow like–that’s going to be a hard “no”.

 I Want To Keep My Hair Healthy, But I Also Want My Hair To Look Good

Sometimes the solution isn’t as simple as just waiting when it comes to how often to color hair. You may have a big job interview coming up or family pictures, where allowing it to grow out or to be a little healthier just isn’t an option. If that’s the case, you do have a few options. On average, hair grows about a half of an inch each month so the first and truly healthiest option for your hair would be to wait it out. Again, that’s not always a realistic option so if you do plan on having a color correcting service done, it’s best to wait at least 4-6 weeks. Coloring again too soon can cause irreparable damage and at this point, it would be better to focus more on repairing your hair with things like coconut oil hair masks to strengthen it.

Strong Hair

If you’re not so concerned with how often to color hair and believe your hair is in fact strong enough to withstand another coloring, it’s recommended to wait at least 2 weeks since your last appointment. It’s also important to know exactly what type of color was used. If you find that semi-permanent color was used rather than permanent, you can go a different route and wash it several times and the color will most likely turn lighter or at least fade.

Some Things To Consider

There are many other factors that go into getting your desired color or shade. You original hair color is a big part of things as well as how often to color hair vs. how often YOU color your hair. It’s never recommended to try to color correct on your own. Consulting a professional is going to be extremely valuable, as they’ll be able to tell you what the correction is going to entail, how much it will cost, how much time it will take, and what shade is going to be realistically possible for you and your hair in its current state.

The Perfect Shade

If your hair turned out much darker than you wanted it, consider giving it a chance by washing it several times to see if that solves the problem. Eventually it will fade or lighten. A coconut mask is a great way to preserve the integrity of your hair after coloring and washing to prepare it for the next color appointment. If your hair turned out much lighter than you had hoped, you can choose a darker tone for your stylist to try. Again, it’s recommended to wait at least 2 weeks and it all goes back to how often to color hair without causing damage.

Conclusion

With all of this being said, the most important thing to remember is that not all hair stylists or hair salons are created equal. Hair is a big part of a woman’s look and it can be scary to entrust your beautiful mane to just anyone. Doing research on a hair salon is huge and once you find the stylist of your dreams, sticking with them is the best idea. A stylist gets to know you, what you like, and most importantly your hair. Instead of focusing on how often to color hair it would be beneficial to take the time to do the research, find the right stylist, and communicate effectively with them so that your hair goals can become reality!