What could be causing my hair to lighten?

[Luna12345]

I colored my hair from brown to black....It was definately permenant hair color and it said BLACK, ...It was black for only a week and it's been getting lighter and lighter each day. It's only been a little over two weeks since I colored it.

Could it be because of the products I use,
I have been ewashing my hair every other day with TRESemme Naturals Vibrantly smooth shampoo(low sulfates) and using the conditioner as well and after washing my hair I apply Frizzease hair serum by John Frieda and that's it....I'm so upset because my hair is totally brown again:(

[Mina_Harker]

Maybe it is the water. Where I live the water is terribly hard and it has a major effect on the hair. I know that the a salon down the road from us had to put in a water softening system because the hard water was making the hair colors come out different then they were supposed to:(

[KatiSasha]

Hmm, I don't know what kind of color you used, could it have been expired? Also, is your brown a virgin color? If you use commercial dyes all the time, your cuticle doesn't close well after a while and the color seeps out quite quickly. You could try and do a gloss on top of the color next time and see if it holds better. I'd also try no-sulfate shampoo, those with sulfates strip color, no matter how little is in it. Something like VO5 is cheap and works well.

[Wheatland]

I used to dye my hair black (my natural hair color is brown) with permanent black hair dye. And it would ALWAYS fade. I would have to redo it every month or couple of months because I hated the fading. I think maybe some people's hair just doesn't hold dye as well, no mater how "permanent" it is.

[BrightEyes7]

Was your hair highlighted or otherwise chemically treated before dying?

If so it could cause the dye not to 'hold' as well. If you plan on re-coloring your hair black, I would suggest maybe leaving it on 10 minutes longer and don't wash your hair for at least 72 hours after coloring. That is what I always did when I used to color my hair to get a fully saturated color.

[lapushka]

Was it a semi permanent color. They tend to gradually fade with each wash. If it was permanent dye, I have no idea.

[Sereia]

I used to dye my hair black with permanent colors at home, and as I live in a very sunny place, it always ended up being a little redish.
it also happens with black animals that walks around in the sun, so I think it's pretty normal.. although it used to bother me, I wanted it REALLY black.

anyways I don't do that anymore, I'm trying to have a full head of natural color (boring grayish brown, but who cares? health is more important than vibrant colors)..
why don't you try indigo? I never did, but people say wonders about it :)

[Maria_L]

I have personally never colored my hair black, but I have some friends who do. Black hair dyes often fade a little, even the permanent ones. This is especially clear with blue-black dyes. But some brands are better than others. Here in Sweden H&M's own black hair dye has a good reputation, is it available where you live?

Maybe you could find a goth or metal themed discussion board and ask the people there about which black colors are best where you live. That's where my black-haired friends has gotten the best advice.

[kitten1986]

I dyed my hair black with permanent hair colour for almost 10 years
I was on the never ending quest to find a black that was actually pitch black and not dark brown....I became very obsessed hahaha It would drive me NUTS because I was sure that I could see brown in my hair or lightening soon after I dyed it.
Then, because I thought it was fading I would put the dye over all of the hair instead of just the roots about once every 2-3 months :( this is why i am stuck with sooo much damage ugh!

ANYWAY I found that if you use blue black then it is just about the blackest you can get Im not sure where you are but Clairol Nice and Easy Blue Black is awesome and it actually stays black... it has a blueish tinge to it until you do your first two washes or so I think it tones out the redness of the brown if that makes sense...but then you are left with just the black

Hope you find a solution... but be careful about the damage you could be doing my hair is full of it and I am certain that it is from the permanent dye... but at the end of the day you have to enjoy yourself and your hair :D

[Malibu Barbie]

All colors fade. When I used to use red a week later the color was awful. Thats why I went back to blonde its easier for me. Red is the hardest to keep in hair. I don't know much about black that is the only color I haven't been.

[caiti42]

You just can't get permanent colour. Simple as that. You will get longer lasting results at a salon though.

[HintOfMint]

From what I've read, even in dark permanent dyes, there is a bit of color remover along with the deposit color. I once dyed my hair blue-black, and it faded to a medium brown. I had brownish black hair to begin with.

[PrincessBob]

In my experience no dye is "permanent." Fade is inevitable... but I don't know why it would fade so quickly, though.

[SallyCinnamon]

Maybe try to leave an extra day between washings. Washing frequently with shampoo will cause the color to fade quicker. Also if you use any type of oils after you dye your hair, it may cause the color to fade.

One more thought, I know there are color-protecting shampoos and conditioners. They might be worth a try. :)

[kwaniesiam]

What brand of dye was it? Some are better than others. Ion from Sally's is notorious for fading very fast.