How to Maintain Red Hair

Oh my gosh! I have neglected this blog for too long. My apologies!! March has been beyond a busy month. The final payment for mine and Anthony's trip to Israel was this month, so fundraising was in order and trying to come up with the money some how was necessary. With that said...WE ARE GOING TO ISRAEL!!!! It's official. Bam. But also, yesterday was my birthday. I turned the awkward ol' 19. We didn't do a big party or anything, me and Anthony went shopping for Israel and then met up with my parents at a Japanese restaurant that I love for my birthday dinner. We didn't even do a cake, but then again I've never been a fan of cake although I do bake a mean batch of cupcakes! Anyways...moving on. So, today I decided to dye my hair a dark brown/red color. I wanted to do something different and dark since I went a bit lighter the last time I dyed my hair. And quite honestly, I have no idea how to maintain red hair...and quite frankly, I'm scared. I know I added more brown to it just so it would take less maintainence...but still. So, I did some research and here are some tips on how to maintain red hair.

I am still working with my bangs!

I don't think you can really see the red in this picture seeing as how it's taken in my poorly lit room but it gives you an idea. So let's get started!

Maybe that should've said "Dyed Red Hair"...too late.

So like I've said, I'm kind of a noob when it comes to maintaining red hair. I've always stuck with very neutral colors that requires little to no maintainence. But, I guess this will help me appreciate my hair and take incredible care of it. Moving on...

Tip #1: Cold Water - After watching many videos and reading many articles...ALL I SAW WAS COLD WATER. When you wash your hair in warm water, it opens up the pores and the color can wash out even faster. Red hair tends to fade incredibly fast, so in order to slow this down especially in the shower...go ahead and turn that dial on cold. Cold water helps close porous hair which will help the color stay in and last a tad bit longer.

Tip #2: Dry Shampoo - Whenever you wash your hair, you are washing some of the color out regardless. With red hair, you have to be extremely careful because red fades faster than most hair colors. Try to limit how much you actually wash your hair to every other day or even less than that. And for days where you skip a wash, go ahead and use dry shampoo. This will make your hair look like you've showered and what not, but you're not risking the color.

Tip #3: Moisturize - Anytime you dye your hair, you're already damaging it and stripping it of moisture and all them goodies. So you may want to use moisturing shampoo or conditioner or even just a mask. I prefer to use a mask of course, but the choice is all yours. It's always good to keep your hair healthy and moisturized because it'll give it a beautiful shine!

Tip #4: Limit the Sun - As with most colors, the UV rays from the sun will fade your hair. Red just so happens to fade incredibly easier. Of course. Try to stay away from the sun as much as possible. This is gonna be difficult for me since the trip to Israel is coming up. BUT, there is a way to protect it if you like to go outside...it's called a hat. I just bought one. I'm sure you can too.

Tip #5: Minimize Heat - Using heated tools such as a blow dryer, curling iron, or a straightener will strip your hair of necessary moisture that your hair needs strictly because it is dyed. If you need to use a heated tool, be sure to use a heat protectant spray (I need to buy one...) and if you blow dry, try to stop before your is actually dry so that you can preserve some moisture.

Those are the most common tips out there! If you have any that you'd like to share, please comment! I love to hear reviews and ideas and tips from others. Especially on subjects I have no clue about. I'm so glad to finally post again! Thanks to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday and I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed week. Take care everyone!

Thanks for reading~! <3

With love,

Taylor Rae

A photo from my Birthday...