Vibrant Hair Questions: Answered.

Ever since I decided to go vibrant, I have given way to daily stares, questions, and comments everywhere I go.  I guess that's just what happens when you look a little bit different and live in the ultra-conservative south. Most love it, some don't... regardless, I fail to go unnoticed. It's not a big deal though. I'm pretty used to it. I don't have a problem with people coming up and asking me questions, and I'm always happy to pull anyone else over to the bright side! With all of that being said, there's a handful of questions that I constantly get about my hair. So I'm going to share my answers in hopes to enlighten and/or inspire those who are curious or indecisive about rainbow haircolors.

Do you have to pre-lighten it out to get it that vibrant?

Although it will show up as a tint in darker hair, to get it this bright, I have to pre-lighten it to a pale yellow. Pre-lightening your hair is not something I recommend doing yourself, and I’m not just saying that because it’s my job. It can be very difficult and risky if you don’t know the right steps, precautions, and products to use.

How often do you have to touch it up?

With the color line that I use, I usually have to refresh it and touch up my new growth every 4 weeks. I'll be honest, having vibrant, non-natural color is pretty high maintenance. It requires extra effort and care on your part, so keep this in mind when making your decision.

What if you want to go back to a natural color?

Depending on whether I want to do a dark or light color, I will either mix a proper formula to color over it and neutralize the purple/pink hue, or simply lift this color out and start with a blank canvas.

Are you afraid your hair will fry and fall off with you coloring it so much?

Nope. My hair is actually very healthy. When I touch up my color, I only pre-lighten my new growth, so I'm not constantly lightening all of my hair (which WILL fry it eventually). Also, I have a pretty intense daily conditioning regiment that packs and seals my mane with nutrients to keep it healthy and protected.

How do you keep your color from fading so quickly?

There are a lot of ways to prolong your color, and I have written up a few tips and tricks to help you keep that pretty color:

1. Use a SULFATE FREE shampoo. Yeah, the kind that doesn't lather very much. Just because it doesn't lather, doesn't mean it won't clean your hair and scalp, so get past that! Sulphates are industrial strength cleaning ingredients that strip away color and natural oils.

2. Rinse your hair under cold water. Thank God it's getting warm out! Cold water closes the cuticles of your hair and locks in the color.

3. Invest in a good dry shampoo like Fresh.Hair by Kevin.Murphy, and reduce the amount of times you wash your hair every week. 

4. Follow up a wash with leave-in conditioner and heat protecting styling products. If your hair is damaged, your strands will be weak and porous, which causes fading.

5. Speaking of heat... Try to cut down on that as well. If you have to use heating tools, just turn the temperature down. Set your blowdryer to "warm" instead of "hot", and most hair types will curl or straighten just fine with heating tools set around 200-350 degrees.


Keep these tips close to heart, and you'll have no problem maintaining your color!