A New Hairstyle for Summer

Three Things You Need To Know About Temporary Hair Color

12 January 2017

Bob Adams

Temporary dyes offer a great way to play around with hair color without having to make a permanent commitment. If you feel like having red streaks in your hair for a weekend party but don't want to show up to work with them on a Monday morning, temporary color can be your best friend. Following are several strategies for getting the most out of temporary color. 

Temporary Dyes Are Less Damaging to Your Hair 

Because temporary dyes sit on the top of the cuticles of your hair, they don't have the chemical compositions of their permanent counterparts, and this is good news for your hair -- that lack of harsh chemicals will keep it smooth and shining. However, temporary dyes don't have nearly the strength of permanent dyes, and they may not work as well on dark hair -- especially for those who are trying to go lighter. Because these dyes don't cause significant damage to your hair, you're free to experiment with them in ways that wouldn't be wise with permanent color -- you can be a redhead one week and a blonde the next without no visible damage to your hair. 

You Can Extend the Life of Temporary Color 

If your adventure with temporary dyes leads to a color you love, you can keep it around a little longer by simply holding off on washing your hair. Hair powders are available to allow those who want to be able to delay shampoos to do so without developing a greasy look and feel. Going easy on the styling products will also help your hair retain its temporary color -- especially those that contain alcohol. Styling appliances that use heat can discolor temporary dye, so use those sparingly as well. If you find a temporary dye color that you're wild about and want to make it permanent, make an appointment with favorite hair salon before the dye has had a chance to fade so that they can replicate it more realistically.

You Can Use it as a Color Booster

If you're mostly happy with your natural hair color but feel it could use a boost now and then, simply add a bit of temporary color to your conditioning routine for those times when you want your hair to look especially fabulous. If you've got a certain result in mind -- such as bringing out peach tones in blonde or light brown hair -- ask your hair salon professional to recommend a temporary color shade to get the desired effect.  

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