Dyeing your hair blue can be a fun choice if you want to add a unique and vibrant color to your hair. Semi-permanent blue hair dyes can look great on most hair types, but how long do they last?
If you are planning to dye your hair blue, or you are wondering how long your current blue hair will last. How long does it take for blue hair dye to fade, and is there any way to make it last longer?
Let’s take a look at how long blue hair dye lasts in your hair.
How Long Does Blue Hair Dye Last?
Blue hair dye will not stay in your hair forever. If you dye your hair with a semi-permanent blue dye, it will typically only last for 5-7 washes before it begins to fade, dull, and lose its vibrancy. Continued hair washing using shampoos and conditioners will remove the blue color from your hair.
Does Blue Hair Dye Fade Fast?
Yes, blue hair dye fades fast. It’s a semi-permanent color that even with the use of hair color-protecting products will still fade and dull with continued washing and given enough time.
How fast it fades will depend on how you care for your hair and the quality of the blue hair dye product used. But most blue hair dyes typically begin to fade within approximately 4-5 days.
Some blue hair dyes can last longer than others, also some dyes can contain more blue pigment and seemingly have a better application than others.
But unfortunately, most blue hair dyes tend to fade fairly quickly. Similar to many other bright or light semi-permanent dyes and unnatural hair colors.
What Color Does Blue Hair Fade To?
Blue hair will eventually fade into green. This is because to successfully achieve blue hair you need to have light hair such as blonde as the base. So mixing a yellowish or blonde base with blue dye results in a green hue, which your hair will eventually fade back to.
Given enough time and continued hair washing. Your hair would fade back to a very light shade of green.
This is because the blue pigment of the hair dye is being removed with continued washing to reveal more of your initial light hair color before the blue dye was added.
So your hair fading from blue to green is hard to avoid, but there are a few ways you can delay this and make your blue dye last longer.
What Does Dark Blue Hair Fade To?
Dark blue hair dye is a bold and striking color choice that can make a statement. However, like all hair colors, dark blue hair dye will fade over time.
The color it fades to will depend on a few factors, including the type of dye used, how well the dye was applied, and how well the hair is cared for.
Permanent dark blue hair dye is designed to last a long time and will usually fade to a lighter shade of blue, then to a greenish-blue, and eventually to a pale green.
This is because permanent hair dye penetrates the hair shaft and changes the hair’s natural pigment, making it more difficult to remove. As a result, as the color fades, it will usually take on green tones.
On the other hand, semi-permanent dark blue hair dye will fade over time, but not as drastically as a permanent dye. The color will usually fade to a lighter shade of blue and then to a silvery-blue color before finally fading to a light greenish-blue shade.
Semi-permanent dye only coats the outside of the hair shaft and does not penetrate it, so the color change is less dramatic.
Temporary dark blue hair dye will also fade over time, but the duration of the color will depend on the quality of the dye and how well it was applied.
Generally, temporary dye will last only a few washes and will fade to a lighter shade of blue before fading to a silvery-blue or light greenish-blue color.
It is important to note that how well the hair is cared for will also impact how quickly the dye fades and what color it fades to. Using color-safe shampoos, washing hair in cold water, and avoiding excessive heat styling can help preserve the color and slow down the fading process.
The exact color that dark blue hair dye will fade to depends on the type of dye used, how well it was applied, and how well the hair is cared for, it will generally fade to a lighter shade of blue before taking on greenish-blue tones and eventually fading to a pale green color.
How Do You Make Blue Hair Dye Last Longer?
So how do you make blue hair dye last longer once it’s applied to your hair?
Here are some of the things you can do to make blue hair dye last longer:
1. Get Your Hair Dyed Blue by A Professional
It’s highly recommended that if this is the first time you have bleached and dyed your hair that you get your hair dyed blue by a professional. Ideally someone with experience bleaching hair and using semi-permanent dyes.
This not only allows you to see what is entailed in the process of dyeing your hair blue but also ensures you don’t damage your hair by bleaching it incorrectly at home.
It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially if you have limited experience with dyeing your hair using semi-permanent blue dyes.
A professional will know how to bleach, color, and condition your hair following a set process. They can also advise on how best to maintain the blue color in your hair.
2. Don’t Wash Your Hair Every Day
If you want to make the vibrant blue color last longer in your hair it’s a good idea to avoid regular washing.
Instead, skip daily washing and try to use alternatives like dry shampoo to keep the hair looking clean, soft, and vibrant without removing color.
When showering you can wear a shower cap or plastic cap to avoid getting your blue hair wet. You can then wash your hair every 3-5 days to ensure the blue pigmentation lasts longer in your hair.
3. Rinse Your Hair Using Cold Water
Rinsing using cold water is a great way to retain the blue color in your hair. Using cold water will remove less blue dye from your hair as the temperature of the water closes hair cuticles, which locks the dye in before it can be removed.
So when you are rinsing your hair, always try to use cold water as this will strip a lot less blue dye from your hair than warm water will.
4. Avoid Exposing Your Hair To Heat
If straighteners, curling irons, and blow dryers are things that you use regularly to style your hair. You should avoid using them on dyed blue hair as exposing your hair to heat will strip and fade your hair color.
When you expose your hair to heat. Blue hair dye can be removed from your hair or begin to fade. So it’s a good idea to let your hair dry naturally and avoid using hair styling tools that produce a lot of heat.
The same applies to sun exposure. Heat, sunlight, and UV rays can slowly begin to fade the vibrancy of your blue hair color. They can break down the chemical bonds that are present in most blue dyes and eventually cause the blue color to fade or become less vibrant.
5. Re-Dye when Color Fading Is Noticeable
When you have used a semi-permanent dye to color your hair blue. Inevitably, your hair color will slowly begin to fade and become less vibrant over time.
With most blue hair dyes, you will typically need to dye your hair every 3-4 weeks. This can depend on how much it has faded, also your hair’s exposure to washing, sun, or heat.
After 5-7 washes, most blue dyes will begin to fade or dull in color vibrancy. Meaning that you will need to re-apply hair dye to get the color back to what it was before.
So if you notice your blue hair has faded you can re-dye your hair to get it back to vibrant blue color. You can also try mixing shampoo or conditioner when you re-dye your hair to ensure it stays clean, shiny, and fresh for longer.
6. Use Sulfate-Free Shampoo
Using sulfate-free shampoo is another way to make blue hair dye last longer. They are a lot more gentle on hair when compared to regular shampoos, and won’t strip out as much blue dye pigment in your hair.
Unlike most shampoos that contain sulfates (surfactants), or detergents to attract dirt, oil, and dye away from your hair. Sulfate-free shampoos are a lot less likely to wash away your hair dye.
7. Use Blue Color Depositing Shampoo
If your hair type, length, or style makes frequent washing of your blue hair unavoidable. It’s a very good idea to consider using blue color depositing shampoo in your hair washing routine.
This will not only allow you to wash your hair more frequently to keep it clean and shiny. But it will also add blue tones, hues, and pigments back into your hair to reduce fading.
Ideally, you should use the color depositing shampoo that is recommended alongside your semi-permanent blue dye. However, if none is available simply use a color depositing shampoo with the same hue as your hair.
8. Pick the Right Products to Upkeep Blue Hair
In many cases, most semi-permanent blue hair dyes will come with a list of recommendations as to what products you should use to maintain your hair color.
However, it always pays to play it smart and check the contents and ingredients of any product that you plan on using to ensure it’s suitable for blue hair.
There are a lot of shampoos, conditioners, hair oils, and hair products that are suitable for blue hair. But be wise when choosing your products and know what will happen before applying them to your hair.
How Hard Is It to Maintain Blue Hair?
Despite semi-permanent blue hair dyes only lasting approximately 5-7 washes before they begin to fade and lose color vibrancy. Blue hair is fairly easy to maintain, especially if you re-dye your hair on a schedule every 3-4 weeks.
The biggest problem facing people who use blue hair dyes on their hair is the color fading from blue to green. It’s inevitable and it does this because the blue dye is slowly stripped away from your hair to reveal the base color you started with before using blue dye.
However, to maintain the blue color in your hair and stop it from fading to green. You can simply re-dye your hair, and use products that are gentle on unnatural colors or that don’t strip the blue dye from your hair.
Ideally, if you want to maintain your blue hair for longer. You should get used to skipping daily hair washing sessions and find alternatives to keep your hair clean, shiny, or soft.
How Many Washes Does Blue Hair Last?
In most cases, blue hair dyes typically last 5-7 washes before they noticeably start to fade. However, how quickly it will fade can depend on the quality of the dye used and also what shampoos or conditioners you wash your hair with. Some people’s hair can absorb more of the blue color for longer than others.
So how many washes blue hair dye can last will often depend on the dye product you used alongside your hair care routine.
If you wash your hair using regular shampoos and style your hair using straighteners, curlers, or blow dryers. It’s likely that after every wash more of the blue dye will be removed.
But if you use hair products that are suitable for blue hair and also rinse or wash your hair using cold water. It’s much more likely that the blue color will take much longer to fade.
Can Blue Hair Dye Be Permanent?
Unfortunately, no. All unnaturally colored hair dyes such as blue are semi-permanent meaning they will fade no matter what you do and won’t last forever. Color fading is inevitable and there’s no permanent blue hair dye or colorant out there.
The reason blue hair dye can’t be permanent is that there are no products available that have enough pigment to penetrate your hair. This means the blue color will be temporary, and will only last as long as you can maintain it.
If you want to keep the blue color in your hair for longer or maintain a long-lasting vivid color. You should aim to re-dye your hair using semi-permanent blue hair dye on a set schedule.
You should also avoid getting your hair wet or exposing it to heat as much as possible. As any contact with water or heat will help to strip more of the blue color away from your hair.
Final Thoughts On “How Long Does Blue Hair Dye Last?”
So how long does blue hair dye last on your hair?
Blue hair dyes are semi-permanent and will only stay in your hair temporarily. When you dye your hair using blue dye it will usually last 5-7 washes before it begins to visibly fade or dull back to green.
Skipping frequent hair washing and using products suitable for blue hair dye can make it last longer. Along with avoiding exposure to heat on your hair color.
If you know what to expect from dying your hair blue and keep up a schedule on re-dyeing your hair. Having blue hair can be a lot of fun and is relatively stress-free when it comes to keeping a vibrant and long-lasting hair color.