Why red fades
Why red leaves first
Every color fades. Red and copper just show it sooner.
Red pigment sits near the surface of the hair, and it rinses out sooner than brown or blonde color. Hot water opens the hair and lets it go. Sun softens it toward gold, and strong shampoo lifts it. A red does not need rescuing if it is kept up on a schedule, so we plan the weeks when we plan the color.
What speeds it up
Hot water and long showers
Sun and heat tools
Strong, stripping shampoo
The schedule
The weeks between visits
A typical rhythm for a red or copper. Your consultation sets your own, in weeks.
- 01Week 0
Step 1: Color day
Your shade is mixed, applied and glossed, and your colorist writes down the formula and the weeks ahead.
- 02Weeks 4 to 6
Step 2: First gloss visit
A 45-minute gloss brings the red back to full tone before it has gone gold.
- 03Weeks 8 to 10
Step 3: Color refresh
Roots are colored and the lengths glossed together, so the shade stays even from root to end.
- 04Week 12 on
Step 4: The rhythm repeats
Gloss, refresh, gloss. Cherry reds take the tighter end of the count, auburns the longer.
At home
Three habits that slow the fade
Small things between visits add up to weeks.
Cool water
Rinse with the coolest water you can stand. Warm water lets the color go.
Color-safe shampoo
Wash less often with a gentle shampoo made for colored hair, and rinse well.
Shade from sun and heat
A hat in strong sun and a low setting on heat tools keep a red from going gold.
Questions about fading
Does every red fade at the same rate?
No. Cherry and other cool, saturated reds fade fastest, copper and ginger more slowly, and auburn the slowest. Your colorist sets the count of weeks for your shade.
Is a gloss visit the same as a color day?
No. A gloss is a shorter visit that refreshes the tone without new color at the roots. It is listed as an add-on and can be booked on its own.
What if I miss a gloss visit?
Your red will drift toward gold or orange. Book the next one when you can, and your colorist will tell you whether the next color day should come sooner.
Start with a consultation
Tell us the red you want and what your hair has been through, and we will build the plan and the weeks.