Using oils and dye hair color fade

[shawneez]

I would like my damaged hair to get the benefits of using oils but not at the cost of fading my costly corrective color used to fix my recent hair stylist disaster.

Are there ANY oils out there that will not cause permanant hair color dye to fade?


Since my corrective color was very costly and I want it to last as long as possible because I know if I have to get it redone that will mean more damage to my hair.

Is it best to just co-wash and forget doing oils to save corrective hair color?

Any experience from others who have learned how to retain hair dye color as long as possible will be greatly appreciated.

[SpinDance]

I'm very sorry to have read about your situation. I sure hope you don't need to have any additional processing.

I've not been trying to purposely keep color, but after 3.5 years of coloring I stopped a year ago July due to reaction to the chemicals. I'm graying, got bored, as happens sometimes and had decided to color. I wasn't terribly happy with the way it looked dyed. It was too red for my very pale skin (Winter season coloring) and just didn't look 'right' to me. I was looking for my exit strategy anyway, and when I had the reaction I just stopped.

The dyed white hairs are fading out to a golden color, which is pretty, but not on me. I'm looking forward to them all being their natural color, either clear/white, or my original very dark ash brown. The length and ends have always tended to get and look dry, so the changes I'm getting using oils are making me extremely happy.

The dye was semi-permanent, so is supposed to come out after while, but I've not had all that much fading in nearly a year. I CWC about twice a week, although I'll add a CO or so in there if I get really sweaty/dirty or swim. I use various oils both as leave ins and as deep treatments, with more and more success. Here are some things I've found:

- Less oil gives better results as a leave in. For me 2 small or one medium drop.
- Consistent use of oils is giving me cumulative benefits: shinier, silkier, less frizzy hair.
- The shine is moving down the length over time. After 3 months it was shiny to about APL, after 6 it is shiny almost to the ends.
- My hair hates olive oil, only wants coconut alone as a pre-wash deep treatment, loves Beldaran's Oil, likes jojoba oil, Shea butter, and Better Botanicals Hair Oil, alone or in about any combination as either pre-wash or leave in.
- Fox's Shea Butter Cream is wonderful.
- S&D and small trims are my friends.

I believe that using the oils carefully is smoothing down the cuticle of my hair and increasing the moisture in the shaft, which I expect is helping keep color on it so long. This is an opinion based on experience, so may not be fact.

Best of luck as you grow!