Hair went from bright red to dull red

[LindaE]

My hair had been a bright red most of my life. Now it is still red, but more dull. It isn't auburn, just dull red.

I have been using Suave shampoo and conditioner, and other less expensive products.

Do hair products dull the color? Or am I just getting old? I will be 49 in March.

Is there a way to brighten it back up without resorting to dyes and salon visits? ( The last times I was to a salon is almost 11 years ago when she cut off 10 inches instead of the 1 inch I wanted. )

I wash weekly when my scalp is itchy, and use Garnier oil on my hair. It is tailbone, and fairly thick. It does look healthy, just dull.

[maborosi]

Red hair does tend to fade as people get older. You might like rooibos tea- some people report that it imparts reddish tones onto hair. It doesn't sound permanent, too, which you might like!
Or (very diluted) henna treatments to give it some of that vibrant color back. Henna is awesome because it strengthens the hair and is completely permanent. If you only want a touch of color, a mix of henna and cassia (another strengthing herb that imparts golden tones to hair and helps dilute a henna treatment) with a low henna to cassia ratio might be just what you need.

A straight cassia might warm up the color, too, if you feel like you want that. I have henna red hair that seems to look brighter and more vibrant after doing a cassia treatment.

Hair can look dull with buildup, too. Try using a clarifying shampoo and see if that helps you out a bit. My hair looks kind of lifeless, in a way, when I get buildup. Shampooing it and getting rid of some of the ick helps my hair look healthy and vibrant again.

~maborosi~

[spidermom]

Red hair fades. It goes through stages of being more a shade of brown and ends up sort of a rosy blonde (rather than gray) I read recently.

[Anje]

It's worth asking: might it just be the winter? My red darkened in my mid 20s, but before that I noticed that it often turned tan/brown in winter and would redden up when the sun returned.

ETA: If you need to add color, start reading up on henna. Good stuff (can go a bit dark with related applications, especially if you use it full strength), nice red color, plant based, and you can do it yourself.

[maborosi]

It's worth asking: might it just be the winter? My red darkened in my mid 20s, but before that I noticed that it often turned tan/brown in winter and would redden up when the sun returned.

ETA: If you need to add color, start reading up on henna. Good stuff (can go a bit dark with related applications, especially if you use it full strength), nice red color, plant based, and you can do it yourself.

That's true, too. Kind of like how blonde hair sometimes looks duller in the winter and lightens up in the summertime!

~maborosi~

[Panth]

I'd first suspect some sort of mineral build-up, or perhaps product build-up. Clarify your hair and chelate it before you do anything drastic like dye.

[SleepyTangles]

I'd first suspect some sort of mineral build-up, or perhaps product build-up. Clarify your hair and chelate it before you do anything drastic like dye.

Build up makes my hair dull and darker, too! I'm always a shade lighter after clarifying.

[walterSCAN]

I'd first suspect some sort of mineral build-up, or perhaps product build-up. Clarify your hair and chelate it before you do anything drastic like dye.

This is what I was thinking as well-- OP, do you have hard water or have your water conditions changed recently?

[ErinLeigh]

I suspect it could be slowly changing with time. It could be buildup right now but eventually it will fade regardless. This is just based on seeing changes in friends over 50 with natural red hair, and what I have read online.

A weak henna/cassia gloss could add color,shine and strength.
I bought a premixed henna/cassia mix box on etsy. It seemed easier than guessing.
I think a prepared teaspoon mixed with conditioner could bring you some nice color back. Give you the vibrancy you miss

There are also shampoo and conditioners targeted towards maintaining red color in hair. You could try those. They do seem to help.
Another option would be to mix a tiny bit of manic panic into conditioner and use occasionally.

[SkyChild]

I'd go with slowly changing over time rather than build-up. Why would you suddenly need to clarify a lot to keep your red RED?
Try a reddish tea rinse or cassia/henna mixture.
Sources: My husband is ginger, and I live in Scotland so I'm used to red-heads. They do fade over time.

[LindaE]

Yes, we have hard water. My tea kettle has lots of calcium build up, but I'm not sure what else is in the water. I have been using Suave clarifying shampoo, but DH thinks I need to get a higher quality shampoo or something.

My dad was a redhead, and by the time he was my age, his hair had lightened to a reddish blond. By the time he was 60, it was pure white. The dull darker look I have surprised me.

What can I chelate it with? I suspect something other than normal shampoo. Would a vinegar rinse help? Or is that what the rooibos tea is for?

I haven't heard of manic panic. What is that?

Thanks for the help! I've now got some ideas for research.

[TroyaAbundant]

Fellow redhead here - henna/cassia glosses once every 4-6 weeks keep my hair in good condition with lovely enhancement of my natural color, and tinting of any pearly whites. This has been one of the best of many techniques I have learned here. A vinegar rinse with help with clarifying product build up. To chelate minerals, a chelating shampoo or other product will be necessary. My favorite easy to use product is a little packet of Malibu Hard Water powder that turns into a creamy gel in your hands that you work in like a shampoo. I also installed a water filter for chlorinated municipal water in the shower that also pulls some minerals out. Good luck!

[Panth]

Yes, we have hard water. My tea kettle has lots of calcium build up, but I'm not sure what else is in the water. I have been using Suave clarifying shampoo, but DH thinks I need to get a higher quality shampoo or something.

My dad was a redhead, and by the time he was my age, his hair had lightened to a reddish blond. By the time he was 60, it was pure white. The dull darker look I have surprised me.

What can I chelate it with? I suspect something other than normal shampoo. Would a vinegar rinse help? Or is that what the rooibos tea is for?

I haven't heard of manic panic. What is that?

Thanks for the help! I've now got some ideas for research.

If you have hard water, then you're going to get limescale build-up on your hair just the same as in your kettle. That can affect the appearance of any colour hair, plus cause tangles and unmanageableness. Clarifying will not necessarily remove mineral build-up - it's intended for removing product build-up, which is quite a different thing. Occasionally, some clarifying shampoos will chelate, but most won't.

For chelation, you want a shampoo that's advertised as either 'chelating' or as a 'swimmer's shampoo'. There are other methods, but I'm not convinced they work (and not for hard water-based build-up, as opposed to for removing chlorine).

Manic panic is one of the more popular brands of deposit-only (aka "vegetable") dyes. It is good because (unless you bleach first) it does not damage hair and is temporary (although occasionally the darker colours don't wash out so well, depending on original hair colour and porosity). You can also maintain the colour longer (or get only a little tint) by adding a little bit to the conditioner you use with every wash. You can also mix the colours (even between brands, usually) to get a custom colour. Downsides are that it can often be messy to apply (like any dye), some colours bleed a lot, and finally that I'm not sure how likely it is that you could get something that looked natural.

[LindaE]

Thanks for the replies!

I'm going to try some made-for-redheads shampoo/conditioner, find something to take out minerals, then maybe henna gloss if all else fails. I'm not sure I am brave enough for a full henna application, but we shall see. Hopefully the other tricks will work.