Discussions

How long does your hair colour last after having it professionally done?

The hair color itself lasts permanently. But the grey hair comes up and needs retouching every five to six weeks.  
 
It just got too expensive and time consuming so I had to start doing my own.

It has gotten very expensive. Last time I went it was over $200 for cut/color!

My last colour lasted no quite 3 weeks! I mentioned it didn’t last but got a lame excuse. No mention of doing anything about it for me!

Let me guess ... was it red or auburn? Those colors bleed bad and don't last long at all.

Depending on the colour or tone it does fade though. Reds fade over time and fashion colours (pinks, blue, purple etc) usually fade within weeks.  
 
For "normal" colours they do last and can somtimes get away with having root touch ups as they grow out.

Normal colour. My colours are all over the place as far as how long they last. I think I’ve had a couple that actually lasted without fading in the last 5 years! I get the same colour all the time and feel ripped off when I cant even get 3 weeks out of it! I’m loyal and tip every single time I go! All I want is a colour to last for the $ I’m spending! It’s so over priced to begin with, considering the little tube of colour is at wholesale price! Am I even getting a colour applied, or am I paying out my A$& for a toner? Like really this is beyond acceptable!

Not to disregard your message at all, however there are so many factors that could go into color's fading a lot quicker, so I'm only replying in hopes that maybe this could help  
 
1. Was it permanent, semi, or demi? Each type serves its own purpose well. For example, someone who wants to deepen their hair but doesn't want a harsh grow out line from the roots semi would be a great choice as it fades as the roots grow out, making it slightly lower maintenance. Permanent will fade over time however it does get into the hair shaft, so fade isn't as quick as a semi. Demi is typically used to tone hair. Another factor is, if someone maybe has light hair, but they want to go darker for a bit, but have a history of going back lighter, in order to prevent more damage often hairstylists will use a Semi so that when they choose to lighten again it will be much easier then with a permanent.  
 
2. Products used by you - depending on the quality of the products that you use in your hair, this can also affect the fade out process. Drug store shampoos and conditioners contain high amounts of sulfates which is what is used to make hair "Lather" but what people dont realize is, its actually stripping your hair of the natural oils as well as fast fading of colours. I know often people don't realize this but when your spending a fortune on a colour, using high quality products is only going to prolong the colour, so spending the extra money on something that is higher quality is extremely worth it when it comes to maintaining colors.  
 
3. Some people think, that when they have a line of hair at the top (aka root regrowth) its the color fading. Its not the color, just the grow out of natural hair coming through. Hair grows daily so that root line comes in fast, and is way more noticeable when you have a high contrast between your natural color and the color you're coloring your hair with.  
 
4. HORMONES! hormones can play a huge factor in how colors work, unfortunately. So, if your going through any changes with your hormones, it can definitely impact your hair.  
 
hope this helps a bit.

As a hairstylist, there are so many factors.  
I have a client who feels she has to come in every 3 weeks for a root touch up because:  
#1. The amount of grey roots she has( 100%) and her chosen colour is quite dark  
2. Her hair grows so fast!  
3. It bothers her a lot because she is so young  
Also, Have you tried asking your colourist about it? Start there before accusing them of a crap job. Most colourist want to help their clients as much as possible to keep them happy.  
Good luck!

If you go to a school for colour you'll be able to get a lot of information about your hair. The student stylist will be well assisted and you'll get a 'salon' quality service for a very low price. I like Systems Beauty College (on College Ave at 13th) for my hair.

Thanks for the info, I use a sulfate free shampoo/conditioner for colour treated hair, have for quite some time. This last colour didn’t last hardly 3 weeks and now it’s completely back to my original. She did mention that she may have used the wrong formula. If I was a loyal regular customer of yours how would you handle this? It’s so frustrating to pay all that money for something that I got a couple of weeks out of. None of the terms you mentioned for colours have ever been discussed with me, I’ve just trusted her. Sometimes I get lucky and my colour will last a good month, sometimes longer but not this time. I should also add I shampoo every other day.

You got. Maybe it’s time to go permanent. (A colour that grows out rather than fades out)  
Or is it that you have roots grown out after those 3 weeks? Feel free to DM me for more info. I have 22 years of experience as a hairdresser

That must have been what I got. The whole thing faded and no it wasn’t about my roots.

Honestly.. if you were a loyal client that had been coming to me consistently I would have worked with you to get to the bottom of it and address/fix the issue. I wouldn't have charged if the problem was something I had done wrong (wrong formula etc). I don't think that is reasonable for a hairstylist to charge again for an issue that was caused by them.  
 
While I understand that it takes time/money (product cost), there should also be compassion for other people as well. I was a hairstylist because I loved doing it, I loved my clients, I loved my bonds with them, I loved being creative. I would never want one of my clients to feel they got ripped off of a service. While Money was a wonderful bonus to having a job you loved, you do also have to take pride in making sure your clients are satisfied even if that means eating the cost of recolouring.  
 
I hope you can approach your stylist and see if you can come to an agreement!  
 
Good luck!

Waffle222, I feel the same way.