Hair dyeing can be addictive. Whether you are doing it yourself at home or have the money for constant trips to the beauty salon, the ability to switch up your look can be just what you need on a rainy day. For some this may mean a new vibrant color each week or consistent highlights that you have rocked since 7th grade. However, while your schedule or mental self might want a change of pace, your hair might not be as willing to cooperate.
So how can I dye my hair? At what point is dying hair too much? I am going to answer that question and give you some tips to prevent damaging your hair further so you can go a tad bit longer without giving your hair a break from dying.
How Many Times is Too Many?
There are many factors that come into play when it comes to dyeing your hair. Someone who has never dyed their hair will have more leeway than those of us who have dyed their hair for years. This has to be taken into consideration when looking for a specific number of what is too many dyes.
Another factor to consider is the type of hair dying. Going from dark brown to platinum blonde and adding some red lowlights to your dirty blonde hair are two very different things. If you are using bleach or permanent hair dyes, your hair could need many months to fully recover. This means unfortunately for us darker hair gals, we have to be more cautious about dying our hair, as it takes more chemicals and trips to the salon to accomplish the look. Blonde ladies have more leeway since they more often than not won’t need bleach to accomplish their looks.
If you are sticking to less harsh dyes such as semi-permanent dyes or only dying the ends of your hair, this can be less turnaround with hair trims and some nourishment put into your locks.
There is less of a number but more some specific hair characteristics to be wary of when knowing when you are reaching a breaking point. If your hair is frizzy and breaks easily, this can be a sign that you should give your hair type to repair itself before dying it again. For those that are new to dying their hair, whether you are just hitting the age this is acceptable or you have been scared until now, you have some wiggle room. Pure hair that has not been exposed to dye or chemicals has stronger makeup and can withstand more.
Tips and Tricks
There are loads of hair masks and shampoo meant to repair color damaged hair. Hair masks are meant to sit on your hair for 20 to 30 minutes typically. Think of this as a really extreme conditioner. This helps moisturize your hair better than regular conditioning so it does not get dry and break as often. Some conditioners can also work as a hair mask. Be sure to research this, though, rather than assume that is the case for yours.
Another way to help repair your hair is to find shampoo and conditioner specific to repairing damaged hair. Be sure to look for hair products with no parabens or sulfates. This is a good practice whether you have damaged hair or not. Parabens and sulfates coat the hair in a wax that creates the illusion of smoother hair, but prevents moisture from reaching the actual hair strand.
If you do have shampoos or conditioners with parabens or sulfates currently, don’t worry. Give your hair one final wash with these shampoos, scrubbing really hard and removing all the leftover wax in the hair, and make the switch to a better shampoo and conditioner. The reason for this is switching without this final wash can make it more difficult to remove all the unnecessary wax and allow it to slow the repairing process.
Conclusion
While dying your hair loads of colors is exciting and can be done well, the overzealous lot of us may need to take a pause on this every once in a while. Using less harsh dyes such as semi-permanent dyes or adding lowlights can be a happy medium for those itching for a change but not fully recovered from previous dye jobs.
Another large factor to consider is investing in quality salon visits when you are taking on a heavy dye job. While there are loads of talented people that can bleach or dye their hair from home, it is better to be safe than sorry when talking about our hair. Professionals know when your hair is too damaged or too dark to accomplish your look without causing long term problems.
However, if your hair does get damaged massively, you can always rock a short pixie or buzzcut. Check out our top 10 buzz cut looks to see if this is something that interests you! Now that we are pros at hair dying, we can answer the question “How often can hair be colored” when anyone asks. Be sure to share your knowledge so all of us can rock our healthy and vibrant dyed hair. Now choose your next color and get to dying!
