.png)
All About Hair...and So Much More.
Welcome to All About Hair—where education meets inspiration for stylists and hair lovers alike.
Whether you’re starting your career behind the chair or just obsessed with all things hair, this channel is your go-to spot for real tips, honest advice, and plenty of inspiration.
You’ll find pro techniques, career-building tools, and everyday hair hacks—plus the encouragement to grow with confidence and creativity.
Subscribe and join a community that’s passionate about great hair and even better vibes.
All About Hair...and So Much More.
Why Your Hair Color Is Fading (And How to Stop It)
Tired of watching your beautiful salon color fade away within weeks? You're not alone—it's one of the most common hair frustrations, but it doesn't have to be your reality.
Your gorgeous hair color isn't just magically disappearing. There are specific, preventable reasons behind premature fading, and understanding them is the key to maintaining vibrant, salon-fresh color for much longer. As a professional stylist and educator, I've seen thousands of clients struggle with this issue, and I'm pulling back the curtain on why it happens and exactly how to stop it.
The episode concludes with answers to the most common color longevity questions I receive: why red fades faster than other colors, whether purple shampoo prevents fading, how soon after coloring you can wash your hair, and the best products for refreshing faded ends between appointments.
Ready to break the cycle of fading color and preserve your beautiful shade? Listen now to transform your color maintenance routine and keep that just-left-the-salon look for weeks longer!
Shop my Amazon Storefront, where you'll find the Shower Filter, Olaplex Bond Building shampoo and more!
Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Use my Gloss Genius link to start using today!
______
Train With Confidence. Lead With Impact.
Running a salon is hard enough—training new stylists shouldn’t feel like a second full-time job.
If you're constantly pulled in a dozen directions, struggling to teach while juggling clients, and wishing your new hires would just get it faster—you’re not alone. And more importantly, you don’t have to keep doing it the hard way.
Download The Ultimate In-Salon Training Toolkit today and start onboarding your stylists with clarity, confidence, and zero guesswork.
_______
Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel as well!
Visit my Amazon Store for all my favorite products!
Grab your Ultimate In-Salon Training Toolkit!
Website: www.danisekeilitz.com
Instagram: danisekeilitz
Shop my favorite Eufora Products.
So tell me if this sounds familiar. You leave the salon feeling fabulous. Your hair color's rich, shiny, perfect, but then, within just a couple of weeks, it starts to fade. The vibrancy is gone, the shine is dull and you're left wondering did I just waste all that time and money? You're not alone. This is one of the top frustrations clients have with their hair color and, to tell you the truth, it's kind of frustrating for stylists too.
Speaker 1:Welcome to All About Hair, where we talk shop, share stories and spill the secrets behind great hair and a great career. I'm your host, denise Keilitz, a former salon owner, educator and a lifelong hair crusader. Whether you're a new stylist building your book or just someone who loves learning about all things hair, you're in the right place. Okay, so here's the truth Hair color doesn't just magically disappear. There are some really good reasons why it fades faster than you want, and most of them are preventable. The good news With a little knowledge and a few simple changes, you can extend the life of your color and keep it looking salon fresh for much longer.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's talk about the first obstacle your hair's condition. We're talking the porosity and the damage that's occurred in the past. So why does this matter. Well, think of your hair like a sponge. If it's smooth and healthy, it holds on to color longer like a sponge. If it's smooth and healthy, it holds onto color longer, and if it's over-processed, dry or porous, color molecules just slip right out. So what do you do? Well, you could do deep conditioning treatments weekly until your hair gets the strength and the protein back in it. You can ask your stylist to use bond builders in your color, or they do have bond builders over the counter that you can use on your hair with your shampoos. In fact, I think um Olaplex has a couple of them that you it's actually like a shampoo and you want to make sure that the protein and the moisture balance is correct in your hair, and this makes your hair a stronger canvas so it'll hold onto those color molecules. Here's what you can do Just ask your stylist if your hair could benefit from a porosity equalizer before coloring. I guarantee you most hair color can. Okay, I'll never forget this one of my clients, sarah, who loved platinum blonde, but she also loved changing her look every few months and after years of lightening, her hair became so porous that no matter what color we put in, it would fade within a week. She was frustrated and honestly, so was I. But once we slowed down the bleaching, added in regular bond treatments and gave her a gloss between her appointments, her color started holding again. It was such a good reminder that healthy hair really is the foundation of lasting color.
Speaker 1:Let's move on to another obstacle your water and your hair washing habits. Why does this matter? Hot water swells the cuticle and it releases the color molecule. Hard water minerals build up and dull the shade and then, if you shampoo too often, this can strip the pigments out of your hair. I don't know there's some of you out there who really feel like you need to wash your hair every single day. Totally get it. You don't feel clean unless your hair is clean. Totally get it. Kind of wish I was that way, but I'm not. I hate to shampoo my hair. So why does this matter? If you shampoo too frequently and you use hot water and you have hard water minerals in your water, that is just a storm ready to happen. So here's the solution Try to wash your hair with cooler water, use a shower filter if you live in hard water area, and guess what? I will share the link. I just bought a shower filter from my house. Love it. I'll share the link in my show notes. You can go over to my Amazon storefront and pick that up and then also try not to shampoo as often. In this case. Dry shampoo is your color's best friend, and if you are not a fan of dry shampoo, I think it's probably just because you haven't found the right one. Again. My Amazon storefront has a few dry shampoos. Euphora has a wonderful shampoo. All those links are in my show notes. You go over there and shop away.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's talk about the third obstacle using the wrong products. Why does this matter? Well, many drugstore shampoos contain harsh sulfates that act like laundry detergent and just strip the color out of your hair. They're really great at cleaning, but they are brutal on hair color. Even some of the moisturizing shampoos and I'm saying that in air quotes they aren't color safe, even if they say it. See, this isn't all regulated. They could say things on the label and just hope that you don't read the ingredient list. So make sure that you're using shampoos that do not contain sulfates. Here's what I would do Invest in salon quality shampoo and conditioner formulated for color treated hair. How about listening to your hairstylist and take their recommendations. I guarantee you they're not just trying to sell you shampoo and conditioner to make their little tiny, minimal commission that they might make on that. It's actually good for your hair color. If you're going to spend all that money on coloring your hair, why wouldn't you invest in some products to protect your investment? You want to make sure that they're pH balanced, sulfate free and your hair color will last longer.
Speaker 1:Now let's move on to the fourth obstacle heat styling. This is a tricky one because constant blow drying, flat ironing and curling irons. It actually breaks down the cuticle layer that's meant to hold in your hair color, and you know how I feel about that cuticle layer. We got to protect it at all costs, right, but once that cuticle is frayed, pigments just wash right out yeah, really, really quickly. So how do you combat this? Well, you always, always, always have to apply heat protection before styling your hair. I say this all the time. Also, limit your high heat when possible. You don't have to use the highest heat on that flat iron. You don't have to use the highest heat on your blow dryer, you really don't and maybe just embrace some styles that last a few days between your washes. Maybe the first day you blow dry your hair, the second day you spray some curly spray in it or sea salt spray in it and wear it a little bit wavy. Maybe the third day you're wearing it in a ponytail. Then you're only washing your hair every four days. It could actually solve your problem.
Speaker 1:All right, let's talk about the fifth obstacle the sun and the environment. Just like the sun fades fabric on your patio furniture and we've all seen that right it also fades your hair color. The UV rays, the chlorine from swimming pools and even pollution in the air work against your hair color. So you want to protect your hair, just like you protect your skin. We all know to use sunscreen on our skin. Well, how about your hair? Wear hats in the sun, rinse your hair before and after swimming, get that chlorine out of your hair and use leave-in products with UV filters. This is what I always suggest, like, especially if you're going swimming or you're going to be at the beach all day.
Speaker 1:Wet your hair beforehand because, remember, your hair is just like a sponge A wet sponge has a hard time collecting any more moisture in there. So if your hair's already wet and you go into a pool, it's not going to absorb all the chemicals that's in the pool, right? However, go the extra step. How about you wet your hair and you put a deep conditioning protein mask on there that has UV filters in it, maybe braid your hair or then put it under a hat? You're using the heat from the sun to open up that cuticle. Get that mask in your hair. So you're working all the areas here right and you're protecting your hair. That's what I would do.
Speaker 1:I once had a client who she loved spending every weekend on her boat in the summertime and she'd come in with the brightest, glossiest brunette color, but within just a few weeks her hair was brassy and dry. We figured out it was hours of unprotected sun exposure from being on her boat. So once she started wearing a wide brimmed hat and using a UV spray, her color lasted twice as long. So there is something to that, all right. The last obstacle this I'm talking to hairstylists, okay the application and your developer choice.
Speaker 1:Sometimes fading has less to do with what clients do at home and more with how the color was applied in the first place. You see, using the wrong developer, like if you're using too high of a developer. Using the wrong developer, like if you're using too high of a developer, skipping porosity equalizers, if you're not using them or not processing long enough, can cause premature fading. Remember the episode I talked about toners? Think about your toners. For every minute you leave it on the hair, that's going to be one shampoo. That's not scientific, that is just kind of a way to think about it. So if you're only leaving that toner on the hair for five minutes, it's only going to last five shampoos. That's not the client's fault, that's your fault for getting freaked out about not picking the right toner and it looks like it's processing too dark and you're you're freaking out of the shampoo bowl or you're just running behind and so you're not letting the toner process for 20 minutes or whatever your manufacturer suggests.
Speaker 1:Make sure you're using the right developer. I always say, when you're refreshing the ends, a five volume, seven volume that's all you need for refreshing ends. With all the porosity equalizers out there on the market, there is no reason why you should not be using one every single time. You're applying hair, especially to the mid shafts and ends, then processing time. You've got to process it the whole time. This is where finding a stylist you trust is so important. You ask your hairstylist about bond builders, your glaze options in between appointments and what they recommend for your hair type, because everybody's hair type's different. A good stylist will customize the application to give your color the best chance of lasting, and if they're not up to that, you find a different stylist. There's so many stylists out there who really do believe in healthy, beautiful hair. There's a lot of stylists out there, too, who believe in taking shortcuts and using cheap products. So you got options okay, but I guarantee you, when you follow these steps, you're going to notice your color stays vibrant for weeks longer. Not only will it look better, but you'll save money and time on your touch-ups. Color can be one of your biggest confidence boosters and it should last as long as possible.
Speaker 1:Now that we've covered the biggest reasons why your color might be fading and what you can do about it, I want to take a few minutes to answer some of the most common questions I hear from clients and listeners. These are the things people are always asking me about when it comes to keep their color fresh. Chances are you've wondered about a few of these yourself. Here's one why does my red hair fade faster than blonde? Well, red molecules are larger and they don't anchor as deeply into the hair shaft, which makes them the first to wash out. That's why reds are notorious for fading fast.
Speaker 1:So what do you do? Use color depositing shampoos or conditioners made for redheads, which they are out there, I have to tell you. Well, first of all, euphora has a wonderful one, and it is not a shampoo or conditioner, it's a treatment. You use it in between your shampoo and conditioners. Fabulous, again, euphora links are in the show notes. They always are my favorite product line.
Speaker 1:However, I was just walking around in Target the other day and I had some time to kill because I was waiting on a prescription, and so I walked down the hair color aisle, which I never do. I just don't shop the hair color aisle at Target. But, oh my gosh, I was so surprised at all of the options they have in their color depositing shampoos and conditioners. Wow, you should just take a visit, and I'm sure other drugstores, walmart, wherever you shop I'm sure they have some too. But I was just surprised they actually have some professional brands in there that will actually give you some good results and if you need some suggestions, hit me up. I'll help you. Anyway, use your color depositing shampoos and conditioners made for redheads. You want to make sure you're shampooing less often oh yeah, with cool water. And you want to make sure you're protecting your hair from the UV rays which just zap the red pigment faster than most. Okay, I know red's hard. Beautiful when it's fresh, but it sure does fade fast, okay.
Speaker 1:Another question Can purple shampoo prevent fading? Well, no, purple shampoo does not prevent fading, it corrects tone. Same with blue shampoos for brunettes it does not prevent fading, it corrects the brassiness. These are designed well. The purple one is designed for blondes, to neutralize the yellow or brassy tones, but not to hold the color in place. Same with the blue shampoos it's not to hold the color in place, it's just to neutralize the orange. So if fading is your issue, you want to pair your purple shampoo with a good color, safe cleanser and a strengthening conditioner. You want protein in that conditioner because you want to build up the strength of your hair. Think of purple shampoo as a tone refresher, not a fade shield. I think a lot of people think that purple shampoo is going to solve everything. No, it is just used to neutralize yellow. That is it All right.
Speaker 1:Another question how soon after coloring my hair. Can I wash it? I would probably, and I you know I have a hard time reminding people about this I would wait at least two days, two to three days, and I'm guilty of not of not telling my clients this. This just gives the cuticle time to completely close and the pigment molecules time to lock in. I do know that on my back bar I use a shampoo and conditioner that helps the cuticle close down so much so that you can't even use it before a toner, because if you use that shampoo before a toner, your toner wouldn't stick because your cuticle's too tightly closed. Isn't that crazy? So there are different shampoos out there, but if you're not using the same shampoo and conditioner I'm using, then definitely wait two to three days before washing your hair, because washing too soon can rinse away that fresh color before it's set in. And when you do wash, make sure that you use cool water and you're just gentle on washing your hair, all right.
Speaker 1:Another question is hard water really that bad for hair color? Uh yeah, it's like kryptonite for hair color. Hard water contains minerals like calcium, magnesium and iron that build up on your hair and this makes your hair color look dull and causes it to fade unevenly. So what do you do? I would get a shower filter, very easy to hook onto your shower head, very inexpensive I think you can buy one under $30. Again, I'll put the link down in my show notes. That's your first line of defense.
Speaker 1:But you can also get clarifying treatments at the salon. What that does is it completely gets all the minerals off your hair and it's a clarifying shampoo. It goes in there and really deep cleanses the minerals out of your hair. We used to do this at the salon and we'd put it under heat and you can actually see the like, uh, mineral deposits coming off into the like you put a little plastic bag over their hair and it would actually come off and it would be like yellow liquidy. Yeah, we used to live in a place that had really hard water and uh, uh, it was a problem. It was a problem. People, you know, get brassy hair.
Speaker 1:Um, but if you're using a clarifying treatment and you could do, I used to and I still do tell people this is to clarify your hair before you go to the salon to get your hair colored, because what that does is you're totally cleanses the. To clarify your hair before you go to the salon to get your hair colored, because what that does is you're totally cleanses the palette of your hair and it makes it so the um color molecules don't have to break down anything to get into the hair shaft and into that cortex of your hair. So maybe think about asking your stylist for a clarifying shampoo that you can take home and use the day before you come into the salon. I think that everyone should do that. It's, that's a magic. It is like magic makes the stylist job a lot easier too, and also a chelating shampoo once a week can make a huge difference. And a chelating shampoos not quite as strong as a clarifying treatment, but it does really does help to get a product buildup off the hair, some mineral buildup off the hair, and that is something you could just keep in your shower, and just once a week. You know, sometimes we take the weekends to just really have a day for ourselves. Maybe that's your day to use your chelating shampoo Again. You can go over to my Amazon storefront and I have a few of those over there, all right.
Speaker 1:Another question Do expensive shampoos really make a difference? Well, in most cases, absolutely they do. Professional shampoos are concentrated, ph balanced and formulated without harsh sulfates that strip hair color Drugstore brands they often contain fillers and detergents that make your hair feel clean, but they can also take the color out of your hair. With salon shampoos, a little goes a long way, so you actually end up using less over time. I think that's a huge misconception. Professional shampoos I'm not going to say that they are affordable, because most of them aren't. I mean, think about it. It's like a $30 shampoo and some are like 50. Heck, I've seen like $75 shampoos and I was like shoot, you get your hair done and then you buy a shampoo and conditioner and shampoo and conditioner is 150 bucks. What Crazy right? I totally get it, totally get it. However, remember they're concentrated. A little goes a long way and it's almost like buying insurance for that hair color.
Speaker 1:If you just spent and Lord knows, it's all over the place these days but if you just spent eight hours in the salon, four hours in the salon, spent $500 on that beautiful balayage with the toner and all that stuff, the last thing you want to do is get a drugstore shampoo and wash it all out, holy cow. So if you're going to spend all that time and money and effort to get your hair colored beautifully. I would go ahead and make that investment into a professional shampoo and again, speaking to my hairstylists and salon owners out there, you could actually bundle your shampoo and conditioner into your hair color pricing. We've done that before. Maybe not the full eight ounce bottle of shampoo, but maybe your travel sizes. Maybe you get travel size shampoo and conditioner. You don't give it away for free because it costs you money. Put that price into the price of your hair color, but you're sending them home with a little mini version of shampoo and conditioner so your client can actually see the difference in what quality shampoo and conditioner feels like on their hair and they're more apt to buy it next time. We used to love doing this and because they're already spending a lot of money coloring their hair and a lot of people don't have it in their budget to buy the shampoo and conditioner, I don't blame them. It does make a difference. It absolutely makes a difference.
Speaker 1:Another question what's the best product to refresh faded ends? I think the best product is a color depositing conditioner or gloss. These add back pigment and shine between your appointments and some brands even make custom color conditioners for specific tones. I've seen that and actually I saw those in in Target. You always want to make sure you apply this to your mid shaft and to your ends, where the fading is most noticeable, and follow this with a nourishing mask to seal it in. The thing that I find that people do is they use these color depositing conditioners thinking that they're going to feel like a conditioner, and they're not. They don't feel like a conditioner, it's actually. It actually makes your hair feel dry. So that's why you want to follow it up with a mask.
Speaker 1:And then another question I get is how often should I gloss or tone my hair between my appointments? I would suggest every four to six weeks. That's typical, depending on your hair type and how fast it fades. A gloss or a toner refreshes your shade, add shine and reseals the cuticle, so your color looks fresh. Think of it as a tune-up for your color between surfaces. The thing that you don't want to do is you do not want to pull that root color through your ends, because it can probably contains a higher level of developer and all you're going to be doing is opening that cuticle up too much and trying to deposit, and you don't want to do that. So if you are going to gloss and tone in between your appointments, make sure it's a low volume developer like a five, a seven, no more than a 10, for sure, and um, but I would say more like a five. Anyway, I hope that I answered some of your questions and I hope this helped you, and if you have any other questions, reach out to me and always remember, when you know better, you do better.
Speaker 1:Thanks for tuning in to All About Hair. If you loved this episode, hit, subscribe, leave us a review and share it with a fellow stylist or hair loving friend. You want more tips, tools and behind the scenes goodness? Follow me on YouTube or head to my website at denisekeilitzcom. Yes, I know it's hard to spell, so don't worry, the link is in the show notes. Until next time, keep learning, keep creating and keep loving what you do.
