How long does it take for semi-permanent hair dye to wash out completely?
Semi-Permanent Hair Dye Fade Time
Semi-permanent dye is a low commitment, temporary hair coloring product, so it'll start to fade after your first or second wash. Typically, your color will last for about 8 to 10 washes in total.
But it's also not as effective at covering greys as permanent colour and semi-permanent hair dye won't last as long – around 6-12 washes. It's still pretty stubborn at being removed but we know of a few ways that work to get that colour out and back to your original base hair colour.
Temporary hair color and wash out hair color are one and the same. They're a type of hair dye that washes out after just one shampoo — yep, you can literally wash out this hair dye in the shower.
Semi-permanent is a deposit-only, temporary hair color that stains the hair for about 3 to 6 washes. Unlike demi, semi-permanent color does not need to be mixed with a developer and is typically applied to freshly shampooed hair for the best result.
Can Your Hair Go Back To Normal? Semi-perm dyes don't affect the melanin and only coat the surface of the hair shaft. Thus, people get their color changed back to their original state. Semi-permanent hair dye starts to fade after every wash, giving back the normal hair color.
“Red is the hardest color to keep lustrous and the hardest color to remove,” she adds.
"The best way to grow out your natural color, especially coming from a highlight or balayage look, is to have your colorist gloss down your hair back to the natural level of the roots to allow the natural root to blend as it grows," says IGK Hair Care founder Chase Kusero.
Semi-permanent dye does not contain strong chemicals, so there's nothing much to worry about when you get busy and forget to rinse in time. However, leaving the dye on for an extended period can bring a darker shade than your expectations.
Mix equal parts baking soda and anti-dandruff shampoo.
Combining baking soda, an abrasive, with anti-dandruff shampoo, a clarifying product, creates a mixture that can help strip dye out of hair. Use 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of baking soda and 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of anti-dandruff shampoo.
Demi-permanent is the best choice – and the least damaging one – if you're looking for a temporary hair color change or to shift your tone from cool to warm or vice-versa.
What hair color washes out the fastest?
When it comes to the hair colors that fade the fastest, red might just take the top spot. Per AnswersToAll, intense red shades are likely to fade pretty fast in comparison to auburn and more red-brown shades. This is because brown is the hair dye color with the most staying power of them all.
This type of dye washes out typically in 6-8 washes and your hair will return to its normal color without any issues. So there's no reason to be afraid about giving semi-permanent hair color a go!
Salons use semi-permanent color to add depth to your color, grow out permanent color, or add gloss and shine to your strands. “It can even create a highlighted look, depending on the hair and the shade selected,” Shade says.
You may be wondering, why have these orange and red hues appeared in my hair? These brassy tones appear whenever you lighten brown locks – whether it be from balayage or blonde highlights. The bleaching agent removes the melanin in your hair, exposing the orange undertones underneath.
How long does it last? Temporary hair color does not penetrate the cortex or the hair. Instead, it coats the outside of the hair shaft with color that washes out in one or two shampoos.
Temporary hair dyes weakly bind to your outer cuticle and can be washed out in a single shampoo, according to the same research review above. Permanent hair dyes penetrate your outer cuticle and mix with your natural color in your cortex.
Semi-permanent and temporary hair colours penetrate your hair's cuticle (protective outer layer) to gain access to the cortex (inner layer) where your hair's pigment is contained. Therefore, they can cause moisture loss from your hair, and subsequent dryness.
A temporary red hair spray will typically only stay in your hair for a couple of washes and will fade quickly even after one wash, making it the ultimate wash out red hair dye option.