Does permanent hair dye wash out?

If you are wondering if does permanent hair dye wash out, you are in the right place to find out everything.
Today there are many types of hair coloring, however permanent dyes are the best known and most used for many years. These types of dyes are the ones that penetrate deeper into your hair, and therefore last longer.
Permanent dyes do wash out over time. A good part of the color will remain in your hair, but depending on the color you bring down, the dye can be washed out more or less. Permanent dyes are the ones that last the longest, but they are not 100% permanent.
Everything will depend on the porosity of your hair, the current color you wear, and the color you have chosen to dye your hair.
In this article, I’ll explain everything you need to know about permanent dyes, and I’ll give you my best tips to prevent dye from fading.
Does permanent dye wash out? Everything you need to know
Permanent dyes have been a big favorite with consumers for many years. Nothing better than hearing the word “permanent” so that we have the peace of mind that we are investing in something lasting.
This type of coloring is undoubtedly the one that usually lasts the longest in our hair compared to others. However, permanent dyes are not always long lasting. This depends on some factors such as:
- The color you have in your hair.
- How porous is your hair.
- The quality of the dye.
- The way you apply the dye.
First I will explain the difference between various types of color so you can know if permanent dye is the best option for you:
What is the difference between permanent and other types of dye?

In the world of coloring there are many color options. This gives us a wide range of possibilities so that we can choose the color that is best for our needs.
Depending on the type of dye you apply will be its duration. There are dyes that penetrate our cuticle more, and others simply pigment our hair superficially.
The main types of dye are:
- Permanent dyes.
- Demi-permanent dyes.
- Semi-permanent dyes.
Let’s see one by one in detail so you can know their differences:
PERMANENT DYES
Permanent dyes are the ones that wash out the least in the hair. These types of dyes are recommended for drastic color changes, situations where you want to pigment the hair a lot or to lighten the hair. If you want to change your hair color in a lasting way, this is your best option because the color is deposited inside your cuticle. This type of dye is the most recommended one for covering greys.
DEMI-PERMANENT DYES
These types of dyes are a middle ground. Dye pigments slightly penetrate the cuticle, allowing the color to last for at least 20 washes on average. These types of dyes do not usually have much power to lighten the hair, so it is recommended that they be used only to deposit color. With this dye you will hide the gray hair but you will not cover it completely.
SEMI-PERMANENT DYE
These types of dyes are like a kind of hair toners. They only have the power to deposit the color on the outside of your cuticle, which is why they are the ones that last the least. Its use is recommended for cases where you would like to tone your hair or paint your hair with a fancy color. These dyes do not have any gray coverage power.
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How long does permanent dye should last?

Permanent dyes should last you at least 40 washes under normal conditions. I will now show you the most common examples of situations in which you dye your hair. So you can know how long the permanent dye will last in each one:
- If you dye your hair a similar or slightly darker color, the dye will stay in your hair for a long time. With the washes, the color will not wash out, but what will happen is that it will lose its shine.
- On the other hand, if you are lightening your hair to achieve a blonde or copper tone, the lightening effect will be permanent in the areas where you have applied it. What would change is the color since it will fade to brassy over time.
- If you have light hair and want to darken it for a change, you should know that this is the case where the permanent dye will wash out faster. If you do not do a pre-pigmentation, most likely the dye after a couple of washes will have faded 50%.
Permanent dye is not removed from your cuticle, that’s the “permanent” effect. What changes is that both the color fades when you wash your hair.
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How to prevent permanent dye from washing out?

The best way to prevent permanent dye from fading too quickly is to improve your hair care. If you don’t take care of the color of your hair, after a few washes you will have lost the beautiful effect of freshly dyed hair.
There are four tricks to getting the most out of your permanent hair color:
- Do not wash your hair for at least 5 days after dyeing it: This is essential to seal the dye into the cuticle of your hair. The more days you wait to wash your hair after dyeing, the better!
- Wash your hair a maximum of three times a week: Dyed hair should not be washed very often because this makes it fade faster. Ideally you should wash your hair only twice a week.
- Avoid very hot water: If you use very hot water when you shower, you will open the cuticles of your hair and this will cause the color to wash out faster. You don’t have to suffer either, but at least wash your hair at lukewarm temperature.
- Use a special shampoo and conditioner for color care: If you use a supermarket shampoo, it will easily wash out your hair even if you buy it for colored hair. If you really want your color to last longer, you need a shampoo with a specific pH and antioxidants like this one.
If you take care of your hair following these tips, you will see that you will make the permanent dye last much longer and you will avoid dyeing your hair so often.
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Bottom line
I hope this article has been helpful to you in knowing if does permanent hair dye wash out.
Don’t be afraid to experiment in the world of dyes as long as you do it safely. Whenever you have the opportunity, go to a hairdresser to apply a quality dye.
The dyes used in hairdressers are usually professional, with which their formula is more careful with your hair and its duration will be superior.
The truth is that the cheaper your dye is, the easier it will fade because the pigments are not of good quality. As long as you can use quality products, use them. And remember not to dye your hair more than once every 4 weeks!
See you in the next one.