For those that color

[tweetylonghair]

Ok I need help. I do color with funky colors and treat my hair gentle except for the bleaching and color. Does anyone know how can i get the color to stay more vibrant? or longer? I have heard of adding conditioner to the color dye, Does anyone have experience doing this? please any suggestions or answers strongly appreciated

[Fufu]

For myself, I use shampoo and conditioner catered for coloured/highlighted hair and it does help to keep my hair's colour stay vibrant longer.

[Katurday]

Tips and tricks:
If you do Manic Panic or Special Effects, you can easily leave the dye in overnight.
Do not mix your initial dye with anything!
After you rinse the dye out, pour diluted vinegar over your hair.
Add leftover dye to conditioner, apply this conditioner when your color dulls.
Use SLS free shampoo.

[BeckyAH]

Was as infrequently as you can get away with.

DO add some color your conditioner - it'll help it stay intense, because you're adding a bit more every time you wash - which is taking a bit out. Stay away from clarifying shampoos and anything that's transparent and green (I do not know why but NOTHING strips color out of my hair faster than green shampoo). Use cones - no really, if you don't consider it - that 'seal' over your hair you get from cones helps.

[spidermom]

I read that color will stay longer if the FIRST rinse as you rinse it out is a vinegar solution. So try making a pitcher of vinegar water, maybe 1/4 cup vinegar, and start your rinse-out with that, then keep rinsing with water.

[KittyLost]

As you are a curly have you tried co washes? Or spreading washes or sulphate free shampoo? All help greatly when trying to keep veggie colours vibrant.

[Nymph]

Tips and tricks:
If you do Manic Panic or Special Effects, you can easily leave the dye in overnight.
Do not mix your initial dye with anything!
After you rinse the dye out, pour diluted vinegar over your hair.
Add leftover dye to conditioner, apply this conditioner when your color dulls.
Use SLS free shampoo.
You said everything I wanted to say.

[slz]

About vinegar rinces : my routine is shampoo - rince out - condish - rince out - diluted vinegar rince (not rinced out). Well I noticed that even though I rince enough that the water comes out perfectly clear after the conditioner step, my vinegar rince will end up green (I dilute in a huge bowl where I dip my lengths then my scalp, then pour all over). So from my own experience, diluted vinegar does take some dye out. Since my lengths aren't dyed I'm going to skip the scalp dipping / pouring overhead part and only put vinegar on the length.
However, this worries me as of the pertinence of the "first rince after dye with vinegar" thing. Comments ?

[hototogisu]

Co-washes and keep that hair out of the sun! I have to colour my hair much more often in the summer because the sun just kills it. I also find getting my hair wet less often helps.

[pink.sara]

I clarify before applying, apply to dry hair for less dilution, leave it for HOURS and still reapply every few weeks to keep the colour fresh. Thats my colour routine! Use diluted shampoo, dont deep treat it straight after or right before dying either.
I find adding it to conditioner messy, and a bit pointless as it dilutes my colour, plus I reapply often.
I use a diluted vinegar rinse after every wash, I only recently started doing this and haven't notices a difference in my dye longevity at all, it doesn't seem to affect it one way or the other. But then colour will stay on my bleached hair for EVER, I only reapply so often as I like the really vibrant perfect colour of new dye.