In the mood to dye your hair?
Before you set up an appointment or buy some boxed hair color, you should know what you’re getting into. Dyeing your locks is a process that’s easier for some and incredibly painstaking for others. Not to mention, some hues are easier to maintain than most.
Obviously, part of that depends on your natural hair color, but for the most part, it’s pretty standard that some shades require more upkeep. To help make your hair transformation as seamless as possible, we’ve ranked the hair colors from least to most difficult to maintain. See where the hue you’re hoping to achieve falls below.
The short version: brown and auburn are the easiest hair colors to maintain, while bleach blonde, grey and rainbow shades take the most upkeep. We’ve numbered the list from 8 (easiest) to 1 (hardest).
8. Brown Hair
Brown is a fairly easy color to maintain for just about anyone, no matter what your natural locks look like. Granted, if you’re already a brunette, staying in that family will offer a lot less maintenance for you.
But even going from blonde to brunette isn’t all that difficult. You will need to touch up your roots every handful of months or so and you might need a better shampoo, but it’s nothing you can’t handle.
Remember though, going dark to light is a bit more difficult. So if you know you’ll want to get back to a lighter hue eventually, don’t dye your hair something too dark.
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Also read about: The Best Colors to Wear to Complement Your Hair Color
7. Auburn Hair
The perfect blend of red and brown, auburn looks great on just about anyone. If your hair is already some shade of brown or red, achieving the auburn color will be relatively seamless for you and it’ll not require as much maintenance.
But if you’re a lighter color, such as blonde, getting the auburn you want will result in some major upkeep.
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6. Black Hair
You would think that black is pretty easy to maintain and achieve, and it sort of is, but only if your hair is already naturally dark. For those of you with lighter locks, getting to a jet black look will take some time and patience. It also will cost you a pretty penny.
Even if you do have a darker shade of hair, black can be intense and might require you to spend more time in the salon than you were prepared for.
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Also read about: Show Off Your Shag Haircut With These Instagram Captions
5. Blonde Hair
Blonde is a somewhat tough color to achieve, just because going from darker to lighter is always going to be tough on your locks. It’s not impossible, so don’t let that scare you, but do know you’ll have to put in work to keep it looking fresh.
Thankfully, much like brunette, there are many different shades of blonde you can dye your hair, making it easier to find one that works with your current color.
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Also read about: 5 Unique Hair Color Combos to Inspire Your Chunky Highlights
4. Red Hair
Now we’ve arrived at the trickiest colors to maintain. Kicking it off is red. While having fiery hair seems all fun and games, keeping up with it isn’t. It’ll fade quickly, so you should opt for a little bit of a darker hue than you want and take colder, less frequent showers.
Oh, and you’ll need to get touch-ups at the salon (or home, if you can do it yourself) every couple of weeks or so. If the color really does look great on you and is something you’ve wanted all your life, you’ll figure out a way to keep it pristine every single day.
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Also read about: 5 Ways to Make Your Hair Color Last Even Longer and 15 Instagram Captions Perfect for Showing Off Your Gorgeous Red Locks
3. Bleach Blonde Hair
Bleaching your hair is rough on any type of tresses, no matter how light they already are. It’ll definitely be easier to achieve this look the lighter your hair is, as going from black to bleach blonde might take a few lightening sessions with your stylist.
And your roots will come through quicker than you’d expect, especially if your hair grows fast, so you’ll either need to get used to them or get them touched up every few weeks or so. Once you bleach your hair, you’ll virtually be able to dye it any color under the sun, including some fun and vibrant hues.
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Also read about: The Best Instagram Captions to Show Off Your Fresh Blowout
2. Grey and Silver Hair
Grey and silver hair have become super trendy over the years, but they aren’t easy to deal with. Not only will you have to bleach your hair to start, you’ll add in a mixture of different colors to get the look.
Adding all that dye to your hair, not to mention the whole bleaching process, isn’t exactly the healthiest thing you can do to your locks. It will also fade faster than you’d like it to, so you’ll have to re-dye it often or accept that you’ll be a bleach blonde until your next salon visit.
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1. Rainbow and Pastel Hair
Be it dark purple or hot pink, any sort of color of the rainbow you decide to dye your hair will be pretty difficult to maintain. You’ll have to limit the amount of times you wash your hair and be sure you only clean it in cold water if you want the color to last.
Plus, if you dye it a pastel hue, it’ll fade into the bleach blonde beneath it rather quickly. For those of you with darker hair, you’ll have to bleach your locks to strip it of its natural color and then dye it whatever wacky shade you decide on.
That’ll take quite a lot of energy and effort, and it won’t be too kind on your tresses, but if you really want to go for it, just do it. It’s only hair, after all.
(via Shutterstock)
Also read about: 15 Instagram Captions to Show Off Your Stylish Blue Hair
Hair Color Maintenance FAQs
What is the easiest hair color to maintain?
Brown is the easiest for just about anyone, especially if you’re already a brunette. Auburn is close behind if your natural hair is brown or red.
Why does red hair fade so fast?
Red fades quickly, so it helps to choose a slightly darker shade than you want and take colder, less frequent showers. Plan on touch-ups every couple of weeks or so.
How often do bleach blonde roots need touching up?
Roots come through quicker than you’d expect, especially if your hair grows fast. Plan on a touch-up every few weeks or so.
Why is rainbow and pastel hair so hard to keep?
Pastel shades fade into the bleach blonde beneath quickly, so wash your hair less often and only in cold water. Darker hair also has to be bleached first, which takes more time and is harder on your locks.
After you decide on a color and follow through on getting it done, use one of these Instagram captions to showcase your hair transformation.
