making semi-permament dye last longer

[black and white photo]

ive dyed my hair a couple of times, especially wild colors.  the sad thin is that the brands that i use (special effects and punky color) are only semi pemament, so is there any way to make the color last longer?

[MissDisney]

almost all *wild* (unnatural) colors are going to be semi-permanent

you can take extra precautions to make it last longer, but it all depends on how well your hair took the dye to begin with, and what you expose your hair to

[Tygir]

When I do my hair I bleach it first, shampoo out the bleach (but do NOT condition it!). Then put the dye on towel dried hair (I use SFX too). It says to leave it in for... I think 15 mins or so?... but I just leave it in till I feel like washing it out. It won't hurt your hair to leave it in since it's all veggie based. Then I condition my hair after rinsing the dye out. The conditioner kind of locks the color in.

The main thing to keeping the colors bright is to not wash your hair so much. Also, some shampoos strip colors more than others, so maybe a shampoo for color treated hair will work better for you. If your hair is really porous to begin with, then the colors will be able to penetrate your hair shaft a little better and won't fade as fast. Bleaching before you dye it helps to make your hair porous. Just don't overdo the bleach, cuz then you'll damage your hair and it will just break off.

My color usually stays bright for 2-3 weeks and then starts fading (though the blues and greens fade the fastest for me)
I hope some of this makes sense!

[black and white photo]

When I do my hair I bleach it first, shampoo out the bleach (but do NOT condition it!). Then put the dye on towel dried hair (I use SFX too). It says to leave it in for... I think 15 mins or so?... but I just leave it in till I feel like washing it out. It won't hurt your hair to leave it in since it's all veggie based. Then I condition my hair after rinsing the dye out. The conditioner kind of locks the color in.

The main thing to keeping the colors bright is to not wash your hair so much. Also, some shampoos strip colors more than others, so maybe a shampoo for color treated hair will work better for you. If your hair is really porous to begin with, then the colors will be able to penetrate your hair shaft a little better and won't fade as fast. Bleaching before you dye it helps to make your hair porous. Just don't overdo the bleach, cuz then you'll damage your hair and it will just break off.

My color usually stays bright for 2-3 weeks and then starts fading (though the blues and greens fade the fastest for me)
I hope some of this makes sense!

your telling me that blue fades fast! i bleached my hair and then dyed it blue and it lasted about under one week,  but then before when i dyed my bangs pink it stayed in for about a month before it needed a touchup

[uglyshyla]

As you can see from my Icon my hair is blue,I have a hell of a time keeping it from fading.But I have started using the Beyond Zone color brand and it seems to last allot longer then the Manic Panic and doesn't turn that nasty green that Punky Color turns.My mom tried the Red and the red in that brand also seems to work nicely.

[jezebel_1982]

I've used a lot of different brands - that can make a difference right there. Everyone swears by certain brands (I myself use Special Effects) and I don't think any one person is right - just what works with your hair. I usually touch up my colour once a month or less frequently.

But, as it's been said, first, you'll have to bleach your hair. If you are unsure of doing this yourself, PLEASE seek professional help, or at least advice. You can overbleach your hair, weakening it, causing it to be stringy, straw-like, and break very easily. This is hard to repair, and usually requires a drastic haircut.
After bleaching, wash hair, but do not condition. Dry thoroughly. (unless your brand specifically reccomends wet hair, I find dry hair absorbs better - you've bleached and opened those pores, and what you're doing is trying to replace the colour) I usually blow dry my hair after a bleach, then sit outside for about half an hour, fluffing it by hand. Don't be concerned about looking good.
Apply colour to all hair evenly. Having a friend help can make this easier. Sectioning your hair will help ensure even coverage, as will using a tint-brush (you can pick these up at Beauty supply stores like Sally for cheap)
A lot of brands only reccomend that you leave the colour on for 15 minutes or so. I usually leave it on for about an hour or longer if I'm tired (I'll just sleep with a plastic bag on my head) The longer you leave it on, the more vibrant the initial result often is. Plasticing your head can help as well, as it retains the body heat you put out and helps contain the colo ur in the pores. (I've heard this from several hairdressers...)
When it comes time to rinse, don't use shampoo, although if you have hair like mine, you will need a conditioner. Use water as cold as your head can stand (hot water leeches colour out quicker than cold) If you think you can stand it, try a vinegar rinse as well. I take about a cup of vinegar to 2 cups cold water and rinse my head with that after the initial rinse. (vinegar is a different pH level than the hair colour, and helps your hair return to it's proper pH leverl, sealing the pores, with your new funky colour inside)
THEN and only then, do I condition my hair. It helps get rid of the pickle-head smell 
For the first wash, I always blow-dry my hair again, this time with a little more care. You will find that regardless of what you do, these colours will bleed and fade overtime, but I try to protect my shirt collars in the first few days by blow-drying to keep the dripping to a minimum.
And, last but not least, wash less frequently with colour-safe shampoos (for colour-treated hair) in cool water. If you find your hair is getting "greasy" you can powder your scalp with a bit of cornstarch or baby powder to absorb the ick, and prolong your washing another day or two.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, long story short:
1. Bleach (no conditioner)
2. Dry hair well
3. Apply colour evenly
4. Allow to process for a long period of time
5. Rinse in cold water
6. Cold vinegar rinse
7. Condition
8. Dry hair well
9. Wash with appropriate shampoos in cool water
10. Wash less frequently to prolong colour. Use baby powder or corn starch on roots to prolong between-wash times

And of course, this does not apply to any chemical colours (like the L'Oreal colour rays) or hennas. Please use those according to directions.

[poisonous_duckie]

I do the vinegar rinse too. I'll apply the dye to dry, clean hair and leave it on overnight. I don't wash often and when I do it's in cold water.

My color lasts a good 6 weeks before fading. You can mix  2 tsp of your color to your shampoo to help too. Also, red is going to fade the fastest since the molecules are thee biggest of any color. Try makeupalley.com to see what color protecting shampoos rated the best by consumers. I'm on there religiously.

[egg_salady]

Word on the less shampooing tip.  Try using a completely sulfate-free shampoo, really works on not stripping color and moisture from your hair.  Even baby shampoo has worked for me. 

[papermittens]

Def try to find a good gentle shampoo. I use gothrosary.com's shampoo now, and it is really nice. Also bleach your hair and use a good brand of dye. Special effects, raw, and whatever that new brand hot topic is carrying is kind of amazing. The new brand they have stains EVERYTHING, though. My tub is green and purple now. haha

Make sure your hair is SUPER clean when you go to dye it. Like i fyou bleach it, Scrub the heck out of it afterwards.
When you dye it the color, leave it in for however long. I usually wait an hour or two, and it's dry by the time I wash it. Wash it with cool water, not hot. Condition it and leave the conditioner in for a few minutes to 'lock' it in.
Then, don't wash your hair for AT LEAST 24 hours. A couple of days is even better.

Always go as long between washings as you can, and use cool water on your hair and don't wash the whole head. Use a tiny amount of shampoo (most people use more than they really need without knowing. You don't need huge suds.. ) and just wash the scalp.

I also use a hair straightener, which could or could not make it stick more. haha. I don't know.

But anyway, I usually don't have to re-dye for a couple months at a time, and thats usually because of roots, not fading. And I currently have blue on most of my head!

Oh, and stay out of the sun!
 

[Jillie]

As you can see from my Icon my hair is blue,I have a hell of a time keeping it from fading.But I have started using the Beyond Zone color brand and it seems to last allot longer then the Manic Panic and doesn't turn that nasty green that Punky Color turns.My mom tried the Red and the red in that brand also seems to work nicely.

What shade do you use?  The dark blue one (I think it's called Huckleberry) always comes out light and turquoise on me.