If you recently dyed your hair a new vibrant shade, you may be wondering when it’s safe to re-dye it that same color again. Going over bleached or previously colored hair too soon can lead to damage, so it’s important to give your strands some recovery time before applying more permanent dye. Here’s a look at how long you should wait before re-dying hair the same color.
When Can You Re-dye Hair?
As a general rule of thumb, waiting 1-2 months between permanent hair dye applications on previously colored hair is recommended. However, the exact time frame can vary based on several factors:
- Your hair’s condition and porosity
- The current color of your hair
- The color you want to re-dye it
- The permanent hair dye brand and volume peroxide used
Doing a test strand is advisable before committing to re-dyeing your full head soon after the first application. This can help you gauge how much the color has faded and if your hair can handle more dye so soon.
Hair Condition and Type
The condition and porosity level of your hair play a big role in how soon you can re-dye hair the same color. Here’s a look at how these factors impact timing:
- Damaged hair: Overprocessing with bleach, dye, heat styling, etc. can leave hair compromised. Re-dyeing damaged, fragile strands too soon can increase the risk of further damage. Waiting longer between color applications allows the hair to recover strength.
- Fine hair: Those with finer hair textures need to be extra careful about overprocessing, as the strands are more vulnerable to damage from chemical processing. Allowing a minimum of 4-6 weeks between dye jobs is recommended.
- Thick, coarse hair: Naturally thicker hair with minimal previous chemical processing can typically handle re-dyeing sooner. However, err on the side of caution and still wait at least 4-6 weeks.
- Color treated hair: Previously bleached or dyed hair that’s been weakened from chemical processing needs more recovery time before re-dyeing. Wait at least 6-8 weeks between applications.
- Virgin hair: For those with hair that has never been colored, a minimum of 4 weeks is recommended between permanent dye applications. However, 6-8 weeks is safer to prevent excessive damage over time.
- Chemically relaxed hair: Re-dyeing too soon after a relaxer chemical treatment can be damaging. Wait a minimum of 6-8 weeks after a relaxer before applying permanent dye again.
- Curly and coily hair: The curly hair texture is prone to dryness and damage. Be cautious about re-dyeing tightly coiled curls too soon. Wait a minimum of 8 weeks between permanent hair dye applications.
Current Hair Color
The current color of your dyed hair also impacts how soon you can re-dye it. Here are some tips based on current color:
- Recently bleached platinum blonde hair: Bleached hair is very porous and requires deep conditioning and recovery time before re-dyeing. Wait a minimum of 8 weeks, with 12 weeks being ideal.
- Light blonde hair: Pale and light blonde hair still needs a recovery period to prevent brassiness and damage. Wait at least 6-8 weeks before re-dyeing the same shade.
- Medium to dark brown hair: Medium brown to dark brunette hair can typically handle re-dyeing permanent color in 4-6 weeks. Perform a strand test at 4 weeks to determine if hair is ready.
- Black dyed hair: Re-dyeing jet black hair too soon can lead to flat, dull color. Wait a minimum of 6-8 weeks for the best saturation.
- Vividly colored hair: Vibrant reds, blues, greens, purples, etc. fade faster than natural shades. But avoid re-dyeing for at least 4-6 weeks to prevent damage and uneven results.
- Highlighted hair: Re-touching highlights or lowlights too soon won’t allow enough time for your natural regrowth. Wait 6-8 weeks between highlight sessions for best results.
Color You Want to Re-dye
The specific permanent hair dye color you used also impacts the timing. Here are some tips:
- Bleaching to re-lift color: Bleaching hair that was recently dyed requires extra caution and recovery time. Wait a minimum of 8-12 weeks before lightening dark dyed hair again.
- Lightening a shade: Going just a shade lighter shouldn’t require pre-lightening with bleach. Still, wait at least 6-8 weeks between permanent dye applications.
- Darkening a shade: If the desired shade is just a bit darker than your current color, wait 4-6 weeks before dying it again. Do a strand test at 4 weeks.
- Dyeing jet black: Achieving an intense solid black requires an even canvas. Wait at least 8-12 weeks before re-dyeing black for the best results.
- Re-dyeing vibrant fashion shades: The vivid dye molecules in bright colors penetrate the cuticle differently than natural pigments. Allow 4-6 weeks minimum between applications.
- Dyeing gray coverage: When re-applying permanent dye for gray coverage, wait at least 4-5 weeks. Test strands at 4 weeks to see if more time is needed.
Permanent Hair Dye Brand and Volume
The brand and volume peroxide of the permanent hair dye product used also impacts how soon you can re-apply it. Here’s how:
- Salon professional permanent hair dyes use higher volumes of peroxide to lift color, so they require more recovery time than drugstore box kit dyes which use lower volumes of peroxide.
- Permanent fashion colors from brands like Manic Panic, Arctic Fox, Punky Color, etc. are formulated with less harsh chemicals than typical permanent dye. Waiting 3-4 weeks between applications of these is usually sufficient.
- Permanent drugstore box kit dyes from brands like L’Oreal, Clairol, Revlon, Garnier, etc. use lower volumes of peroxide so hair can handle re-dyeing in 4-6 weeks.
- Salon professional permanent hair dyes with 20 Volume peroxide require at least 6-8 weeks between color applications.
- Salon professional permanent hair dyes with 30 Volume or higher peroxide require 8-10 weeks of recovery time minimum before re-dyeing.
When to Avoid Re-Dyeing
While following general re-dye timelines can help prevent damage, it’s also important to avoid re-coloring hair when:
- Your hair is showing signs of damage like excessive dryness, brittleness, split ends, breakage, etc.
- Your hair feels gummy or sticky when wet.
- Your hair is experiencing a lot of shedding and fallout.
- Your scalp is very irritated, itchy or inflamed.
- You need to bleach previously dyed hair to achieve your color – bleaching too soon causes breakage.
If your hair is showing any of these symptoms, take a break from dyeing for at least 8-12 weeks. Focus on hair repair treatments, conditioning masks, Olaplex, etc. to get your strands healthier first before attempting to re-dye it the same color.
Maintenance Tips Between Dye Jobs
The way you care for your hair between permanent hair dye applications can help extend the vibrancy and longevity of the color. Here are some tips:
- Use a sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo and conditioner.
- Wash hair in cool water and rinse with cool water.
- Use a deep conditioning hair mask 1-2x per week.
- Avoid chlorine, salt water, and other chemicals that can strip color.
- Use a color-depositing conditioner as needed between dye jobs.
- Protect hair from sun exposure with hats, scarves etc.
- Avoid excessive heat styling tools like curling irons, straighteners, etc.
- Use a microfiber towel or t-shirt to gently dry hair.
- Sleep on a silk pillowcase.
- Get regular trims to remove split ends and keep hair healthy.
Keeping your dyed hair well-conditioned and protected in between color applications will help extend the vibrancy and longevity of the shade, allowing you to wait longer between dye jobs.
How to Test if Hair is Ready for Re-dyeing
Doing a simple strand test before fully re-dyeing hair the same color can help prevent surprises:
- Select a 1 inch section of hair near the nape of your neck.
- Mix a small amount of the desired permanent hair dye based on the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Apply the mixed dye to the 1 inch section of hair using a clean applicator brush and timer.
- Rinse the dye from the test strand once the time is complete.
- Allow the strand to fully air dry.
- Examine the test strand to see if the hair dye took evenly from roots to ends and matches your desired shade.
- If the test strand is uneven, damaged or didn’t take color well, wait 1-2 more weeks before attempting to re-dye your full head.
Testing first before diving into re-dyeing all of your hair can save your strands from potential damage. Only proceed if the test strand shows your hair can handle another round of permanent dye.
Conclusion
If you’re eager to freshen up your hair color with another round of permanent dye, it’s crucial to wait an appropriate amount of time first. While guidelines vary based on your specific hair type and color, a general minimum wait time of 4-6 weeks between permanent dye applications is recommended. However, erring on the side of more time is always safest to prevent excessive damage from overlapping chemical processing. Pay attention to your hair’s condition and do a test strand before committing to touch up your color soon after the initial dye job. With some patience and TLC between sessions, you can maintain beautifully vibrant, healthy hair.
| Hair Type | Minimum Wait Time |
|---|---|
| Damaged, fragile hair | 8-12 weeks |
| Fine hair | 4-6 weeks |
| Thick, coarse hair | 4-6 weeks |
| Color treated hair | 6-8 weeks |
| Virgin hair | 4-8 weeks |
| Chemically relaxed hair | 6-8 weeks |
| Curly, coily hair | Minimum 8 weeks |
This table provides a summary of the minimum recommended wait times between permanent hair dye applications based on your hair type and condition.