Rolling out of the salon rocking your sassy new color is one of the greatest emotions in the world, are we right? And if you can duplicate a blowout at home, you can hang on to the feeling twice as long! That’s to say before your hair grows, and it’s time to brush the roots a few weeks back. But when is the best time to hit the roots? We would have said about every 6-8 weeks. While obviously the amount of re-growth we’re comfortable with varies from person to person, there’s actually a lot more to touch than you might assume. Read on to learn exactly how long does root touch up last.
How Long Does Root Touch Up Last?
Do you want to know how long does root touch up last and when you should touch up your roots again.
1. The Patterns Of Hair Development
It is widely agreed that the hair grows about half an inch every month. Also, you’ve probably heard your stylist say your touchups have been completed every six to eight weeks. This ensures that your hair will be about one inch longer in six to eight weeks if your hair grows at an average speed.
2. The Bleached Hair Note
But what’s the big deal with six to eight weeks? It might sound absolutely random, we know, but it’s actually more scientific than you might think. If you have bleached hair or permanently dyed hair, it is important to go back to the salon to touch the roots until your hair grows one inch. This is because your roots are rising faster than the rest of your hair, all due to the sun on your head. But that doesn’t go much further because if you let your roots grow out a few inches, you can expose your hair to some color inconsistencies, even with a fresh batch of color.
3. How The Hair Is Colored
Going to the salon to touch the roots depends a lot on the color of your hair. Are you a bleached blonde of platinum? Do you have a darker all-over color? What type of dye is used makes a difference in how long it lasts in the hair and how it appears as it grows out. If you tend to use semi-permanent hair dye, you will need to visit the salon more frequently as the dye is washed out more easily. The positive thing about this is that you have a much easier time transitioning to a new hue. There’s still a bright side to it!
4. Highlights Vs. Scanning
If you have some highlights on your natural hair color, this will impact when you need to get in to touch the roots as well. Since sweeping hair highlights tend not to go all the way to the roots, you don’t really need to touch it unless you want a brighter hue. If you have daily highlights that start tighter on your scalp, stick to the general guideline for six-to-eight weeks.
5. Holding The Color Vivid Between Touch Ups
One way to spend less time in the lounge chair is to treat your hair with respect. The color will fade away too easily if you’re rough on your hair or if you’re using products that strip off your strands of color. When your hair gets the all-too-family dullness a couple of months after a color job, consider a leave-in conditioner.
What’s A Root Touch-up?
As hair is dyed using hair dye, roots appear to be the first places to reveal it, and that’s where the new hair comes in. A root touch-up is simply an application of hair dye to the roots of the hair, to cover up the fact that the hair has grown, and to make the hair coloring last longer. Root touch-ups may be performed in the living room or at home.
Hair would usually have to be colored every four to six weeks, but a root touch will extend the time between appointments or home coloring. There are two ways to make a root touch-up at home. The first is to actually use a regular box of hair dye; it might be a good idea to buy two boxes when you first buy a hair dye, because you’ll be sure to get the same color. The box will provide instructions for dyeing the entire head of the hair or simply the roots; follow the directions for dyeing the roots.
In addition, root touch-up materials are now only used for root touch-ups. Both involve a small amount of hair dye as well as a comb to get the product exactly where it needs to be. Colors may be less unique to these products, but most of them work very well and may be less costly than a whole new hair dye box.
It is necessary to always obey the included instructions when using a root touch-up hair dye. In general, it’s a good idea to wear the included plastic gloves as well as the old shirt to avoid stains. To stop having some color on the skin, add petroleum jelly along the hairline. Typically, when reaching the roots, it is best to add the dye to the roots and leave it on for about 15 to 25 minutes, then comb the color through to the ends of the hair and leave it on for another 5 to 10 minutes. This ensures that the color appears even and consistent over the entire time.
More Information
A root touch-up can also take place in the living room. For the longest lasting results that look like the color of the original hair dye, the salon is the way to go. However, it is also the most expensive alternative. Many that have highlights are likely to continue to go to the salon for touch-ups, since it can be difficult to keep them looking natural.
How Long Does Root Touch Up Last: Treating Fading
All permanent hair fades, losing its initial lust. Whenever you dye your hair — even a dark dye — the process requires some initial bleaching to get the color within your hair shaft. As the pigment slowly leaks out of your hair, what’s left is lighter than your initial hue. Darker shades like black purple-red fade, dark brown fades reddish, brown fade orange, and blonde fades from orange to very golden-brown.
Start With Family Colors “Ash.”
You’ll note that most boxed hair color is called “ash,” “warm,” or “golden.” The warm and golden color is redder; if red or orange bugs, start with ash. Without a doubt, all colorists will be astounded by this last sentence, but the only people we’ve met who want more red in their hair are pretty clear about it, while most people who don’t want red don’t realize that “ash” is (usually) an antidote. If you have a colorist to help you, listen to me. But if you’re standing at the drug store in the hair-colored aisle, and you don’t want to fade reddish, start with the ash.
Glosses
Salons treat fading with glosses — essentially semi-permanent color that temporarily changes tone (get rid of color-fade effect) and improves shine. Gloss typically lasts between 12 and 20 shampoos, depending on your hair and how you treat it. Choose a shade on the lighter side of what feels right for the first time. If you don’t get enough tone correction with that hue, go darker the next time you do it.
Sun And Pool
“The worst thing! In particular, the combination of the two. If you’re going to be in a pool or a hot tub at all, wet your hair down, then lock in the water with a conditioner or oil before you head to the pool. Think of your hair like a sponge: you want to fill it with clear water before you get into something chlorinated — chlorine is bleach — so it won’t absorb chlorine as much. It’s worth the extra step, every time.
Think Before You Shampoo
Wash your hair — especially with detergent (most of the shampoos made with detergent, aka SLS)—strips and fades. Think about washing it less frequently, using SLS-free formulations (only SLS-free shampoos are sold on goop), and using a lot of conditioners to restore softness and shine. You can also use shampoo to address color. Generally, to fix brassiness, purple shampoos counteract orange, yellow, blue, or purple, and green colored shampoos help to counteract red and orange. Purple is perfect for blonde colors, green more for brown shades.
Final Tips
Go for the color that’s nearest to your current color. But its tone is the most important aspect of at-home color. Is your present color neutral, hot, or cool?
And think about your past hair dye encounters. Does your hair have a tendency to pick up color easily? If so, and you choose between colors, choose a lighter one.
As a rule, the color at home is more concentrated. The dye load is heavy because companies want consumers to believe that their result is luscious and rich.
If you’re still having trouble choosing, get some advice from your stylist. I helped my clients take the online questionnaires, and I even walked them through the FaceTime dyeing process.
If you can get that amount of support, offering your stylist, who’s probably out of work, some cash is a sweet gesture.
Here are a few more tips.
- Just try it out. If you’re a first-timer or otherwise always anxious, work on a secret piece of hair at the back of your head through the whole process.
- Wear a button-down shirt when applying it. You don’t want to have to strip a shirt from your head for a year when it’s time to rinse.
- First of all, the hairline. To avoid staining, add Vaseline or ChapStick.
- Deep condition to be preserved. The non-professional color will dry your hair. Use moisturizing therapy at least once a week.
Final Words
If you dye your hair — in the living room or at home — you get the roots. Some people love them and even accentuate them: many of the chicest twists on ombré are basically rooted. But if you don’t love roots, they’re pretty painless to erase — as is the fading that’s just part of getting your hair colored.