Red hair is a beautiful colour and not the most common hue of hair – but is red hair hard to maintain? Is it harder than other colours? Let’s look into this.
There are many different shades of red hair, each equally beautiful. But what is it about red hair that makes people think it is hard to maintain?
Is Red Hair Hard To Maintain?
If you are a natural redhead, you may chuckle a little at this question – in general, it is no more difficult to maintain than any other colour!
However, red hair that has been dyed red can actually be trickier to maintain than most of the other colours.
This is due to the difference in the pigments of the dye – red hair colour molecules are larger, and as such they don’t “stick” to the hair as well.
Red hair colour tends to fade away faster than other shades, and as such you may need more regular maintenance and touch-ups.
Heat damage tends to be more pronounced in coloured red hair, so you will have to watch out for the styling products you use.
Swimming in chlorinated pools will often make red hair fade faster – if you love swimming and your red hair, maybe consider a shower cap?
How Long Will Red Hair Last?
All hair dye is temporary, that is true – but red does seem to fade quicker than other colours. How long can you expect it to last, realistically?
Within 4-8 weeks, you will notice your colour looking significantly less vibrant, and may wish to book a salon appointment.
The time between the initial dyeing and fading time will vary – depending on your lifestyle it may fade quicker or more slowly.
For example, if you use a lot of heat-based styling products, you will likely notice fading more quickly.
If you are a regular swimmer in a chlorinated pool, chances are you will see your colour disappearing sooner than you would have liked it to.
It may sound a little disgusting, but actually washing your hair less frequently will help the colour stay in for longer – get it down to once or twice a week if you can.
Why Is Red So Hard To Keep In Hair?
If you have dyed your hair all the colours of the rainbow and you have decided on red, you may notice that is fades quicker than the other colours.
This is because, when you dye your hair, you are either coating each strand of hair with colour (semi permanent) or actually sending colour into the shaft of the hair where it chemically alters the natural pigment (permanent).
The molecules used to make up the red pigment in hair dye are much larger than those of other colours, so it is harder for the pigment to enter the strand of the shaft.
This means that basically the colour is weaker, so it is far more likely to be washed out, faded by the sun or stripped by a swimming pool.
Rough handling and heated styling equipment will also speed up the loss of your copper colours, so keep these to a minimum.
Not washing it for a couple of days after dying, using cold water to wash your hair, reducing heated styling equipment and limiting trips to the pool will all help reduce the fade.
This video perfectly explains why red is a hard colour to keep in your hair:
Does Red Hair Fade As You Age?
The short answer to this is yes, it does – as every hair does, it will eventually fade to white or grey.
However, the pigment in red hair does fade faster than other colours, and here are some of the reasons why:
The pigment responsible for red hair gradually shifts towards lighter, more golden tones as the red pigment stops producing the warm, red colours.
The scientific term for this is Achromotrichia, which literally means “absence of pigment in the hair.”
This transition is heavily based around hormones, especially women, who may see more fading around the menopause.
Red hair generally fades to lighter blond colours, and will eventually turn white without going through the grey stage first.
You can help to slow this transition by being extra careful with your copper locks – use cool water to wash it, and gentle products that don’t strip the hair.
Do Redheads Age Faster Or Slower?
There are a lot of rumours out there that redheads stay more youthful than the rest of us for longer, so let’s have a look into this.
In truth, we all age at the same rate, and how it manifests in your body will depend on your lifestyle.
For example, if you spend a lot of time in the sun without sunscreen, or you are a smoker, you will generally appear to look older.
Your hair is similar – if you look after it and treat it with care, using less heat treatment and harsh products, your hair will look healthier for longer.
There is some scientific evidence ot back up the “reheads look younger” rumour, however, and it is to do with genetics.
The gene that produces red hair is MC1R, and this can also affect skin pigmentation, leading the face to appear more youthful
However, this gene can also lead to higher incidences of sun damage due to the lighter skin tone.
The best advice we can give is to look after your hair, skin and body as well as you can, and accept the fact that we all age, no matter what we do. It is actually a privilege, if you think about it!
Here’s a very informative article telling you all about the “redhead gene”.
Final Words
Red hair, whether natural or dyed, is a lovely colour and a great many people can really look great with it.
Once you have a few tips on how to improve the health and condition of your red hair, you can work on keeping it looking as healthy and strong as possible.
