We get lots of questions about Katie's gorgeous red hair. Today I invited her to share her tips for keeping red hair bright. If you've had red hair before you've probably noticed that it can fade very quickly. It can take a lot of maintenance. Follow these tips to make your color last longer...
1. Healthy hair. Keep your hair as healthy as possible. Coloring hair causes damage, so being kind to your hair is important. Skip the blow dryer when you can, or try no-heat curls instead of firing up the hot curling iron.
2. Wash less. Wash your locks as little as possible. Every washing will strip your hair of color, so try to keep the washing to 2-3 times a week.
3. Sulfate-free products. Hair products with sulfates will fade your color faster, so look for the "sulfate-free" label on the bottles you buy.
4. Invisible dry shampoo. Now that you are washing your hair less, you might need dry shampoo to help absorb that excess oil on the days in between washing. Invest in an "invisible" dry shampoo. You will avoid the white, powdery mess in your hair and your color will shine through brighter.
5. Less sun. The sun can do a lot of damage to hair, especially color treated hair. Always wear a scarf or hat to protect those lovely locks from further damage due to the sun. xoxo. Katie
Thanks for these tips!
Posted by: Miss K | May 28, 2012 at 03:55 PM
Oh I love these tips! I recently started dying my hair red and the color keeps fading pretty quickly. Going to give these tips a try! Thanks Katie & Elsie! :)
Posted by: Meli (Blush + Jelly) | May 28, 2012 at 04:00 PM
I've just coloured my hair red for the first time recently (last week!) and was thinking about how to keep the colour in tip-top shape, so this is great! Thanks!xo
Posted by: Gwyneth | May 28, 2012 at 04:01 PM
This is almost related (I have naturally red hair!) but I want to know how to style my hair like the very last picture. Beautiful!
Posted by: Allison | May 28, 2012 at 04:06 PM
Allison- here's a tutorial.... http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/06/how-to-style-a-summertime-twist.html
Posted by: elsie | May 28, 2012 at 04:07 PM
Her hair is beautiful<3
Posted by: Taryn | May 28, 2012 at 04:07 PM
Just curious. What make/brand/colour dye does Katie use? Been wanting to dye my hair red for ages but can't find the right one. Thanks so much!
Posted by: Hannah | May 28, 2012 at 04:17 PM
I love Katies' red hair! I stopped coloring my hair red a while ago because the color was washed out after 2-3 weeks. I think, I will give it another try, following Katies' tips.
http://higgledypiggledywonderland.wordpress.com/
Posted by: Johanna | May 28, 2012 at 04:26 PM
Interesting. As someone with naturally red(ish) hair, I never really thought about people who had to work to keep it that way! Lol. If I ever decide to accentuate my natural color with some dye, I'll definitely keep this in mind!
Posted by: Jennifer M. | May 28, 2012 at 04:29 PM
This is brilliant, I have red hair and can confirm, these tips really do work!
Posted by: Milly | May 28, 2012 at 04:31 PM
nice tips!
Posted by: Lual | May 28, 2012 at 04:41 PM
does this only work for red hair? cause i have a naturally really blonde hair and its starting to fade into brown
Posted by: shannon | May 28, 2012 at 04:47 PM
What hair dye does Katie use and what colour was her hair to start with? I have recently dyed my hair red and I am wondering if I can get it a little brighter on my brown locks without bleach.
Posted by: nicole | May 28, 2012 at 05:01 PM
Perfect timing! I'm going back red tomorrow, after 3 years of being brown, so any tips on keeping the red bright are helpful.
Posted by: Heather | May 28, 2012 at 05:03 PM
She has such beautiful hair!
Posted by: Katy | May 28, 2012 at 05:15 PM
i love her hair - mine are red too, but not as bright as hers. i dont want to bleach it, but when i see this pictures i am thinking about it again ;)
greetings from austria, becci
Posted by: Becci | May 28, 2012 at 05:26 PM
I used to have hair that color... if I only knew then what I know now! Thank you these are great tips!
Posted by: Margo | May 28, 2012 at 05:43 PM
@Shannon, I'd imagine these tips work for anyone who dyes their hair, and even anyone who has damage-prone hair, like ultrafine or very long hair.
Posted by: Jess | May 28, 2012 at 05:47 PM
As a natural redhead, I just gotta say to us natural reds out there that summer is here! Our reds will get brighter now :)
Posted by: Diana | May 28, 2012 at 06:04 PM
I have naturally reddish hair, but I brighten it up with henna hair color. It doesn't damage my hair, the color comes out a beautiful bright copper, it lasts for several weeks without fading like other hair color I've used, and I never get that harsh regrowth line. I use the stuff from Lush. It's a little messy, but SO worth it! http://www.lushusa.com/Caca-Rouge-Mama/00671,en_US,pd.html?start=1&cgid=henna-hair-dyes
Posted by: Sydney | May 28, 2012 at 06:18 PM