How to Keep Purple Hair

Co-authored by April Ferri and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: September 1, 2021 References

Dyeing your hair purple is a fun and funky way to express yourself. Keeping purple hair vibrant and maintaining the health of your strands can be a process, especially since purple hair has a tendency to fade pretty quickly. By using the right products and keeping your hair moisturized, you can make your purple hair last longer in between dyes and keep your hair feeling smoother and shinier.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Dyeing Your Hair Purple

1
Condition your hair with a deep conditioner 1 week before you dye it. Every time you dye your hair you are damaging it at least slightly, even if you aren’t bleaching it. Lock in the moisture that your hair already holds by giving it a deep conditioner treatment. Apply the deep conditioner to your wet hair and leave it on for about 1 hour. Rinse it out in the shower and let your hair air dry.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- If you do bleach your hair, it is extra important to lock in the moisture that your hair already has.
- You can also use coconut oil as a deep conditioner instead of a specific product.
2
Use a conditioning hair dye to maintain your hair health. Your purple hair will look much smoother and more vibrant if it retains its moisture. Try to pick a hair dye that has a deep-conditioning base so that it adds moisture back into your hair cuticles as it deposits color.^{[2]
X
Research source}

Tip: There are a few different deep-conditioning hair dyes on the market that you can purchase from beauty supply stores. Look for bottles that say “conditioning” or “protects hair health.”

Advertisement
3
Dye your hair a darker shade for more longevity. Pastel purple and lilac are beautiful colors, but they start out so light that fading happens almost right away.^{[3]
X
Expert Source

April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 8 December 2020.} If you want your purple hair to last for a long time, consider going for a darker, more vibrant purple.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- As your hair fades, you can enjoy the lighter, more pastel purple that it becomes.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Washing and Conditioning Purple Hair

1
Wait at least 3 days to shampoo after a fresh dye. Shampooing your hair straight after you dye it purple will only wash out the color since the cuticles, or the outer part of your hair shafts, haven’t fully closed yet. Try to wait at least 72 hours before washing your hair after you dye it purple.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- This also gives your hair time to recover from the damage done during the dyeing process.
2
Wash your hair with purple shampoos and conditioners that are sulfate-free. Purple hair products help to add some color back into your hair each time you use them, especially if your hair is lighter purple.^{[6]
X
Expert Source

April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 8 December 2020.} Use a purple shampoo and conditioner in your hair each time you wash it to add a little bit of purple back in.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Sulfates are what make your shampoo foam up when you scrub it into your hair. They are great for cleaning your hair quickly, but they dry out and damage your cuticles in the process. Look for products that are sulfate-free to keep moisture and color in your hair longer.^{[8]
  X
  Research source}
3
Wash your hair every 2 days at most. Washing your hair is the number one thing that fades your hair color. Try to wait as long as you can in between washes. Ideally you should wait 2 to 3 days, but you can try to stretch it even longer.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- Washing your hair infrequently will help keep the natural oils that your scalp produces in your hair and can lead to better hair health overall.
4
Use cold water to wash your hair. Hot water opens up your hair cuticles and makes your hair more porous, meaning that it will lose more color overall. Wash and rinse your hair in cool water to close up those cuticles and lock in the color better.^{[10]
X
Research source}
- If you don’t want to stand under a stream of cold water in the shower, try washing your hair in the sink instead.
5
Apply a color-depositing product every 2 to 3 weeks. If you want to stretch the times in between your hair dyes, purchase a purple color-depositing product to add even more color back into your hair. Use this product every 2 to 3 weeks to avoid altering your hair color too much.^{[11]
X
Research source}
- Color-depositing products have more purple dye in them than purple shampoos and conditioners, which is why they should be used less frequently.
Tip: If you don’t have a purple conditioner, you can make a 1:1 ratio of purple dye and conditioner and let it sit in your hair for some added color.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Protecting Purple Hair from Damage

1
Minimize your use of heat styling tools. Styling tools like blow dryers, straighteners, and curlers can damage your hair and make the color leave much faster. Try to let your hair air dry as much as possible and limit the amount of times you use heat styling tools to do your hair.^{[12]
X
Research source}
- If you are using a heat styling tool, set it to the lowest temperature to protect your hair as much as possible.
2
Spray heat protectant in your hair if you are using heat styling tools. Sometimes styling your hair with heat can’t be avoided. Before you use your hair dryer, straightener, or curler, spray a liberal amount of heat protectant over all of your hair, including the roots and ends. If your hair is wet, you can dry it as usual and then use heat styling tools on it. If your hair is dry, allow the heat protectant to dry for 5 minutes and then style your hair as usual.^{[13]
X
Research source}
- You can purchase heat protectants at most beauty supply stores.
3
Keep your hair in a swim cap in the pool. Chlorine and other chemicals used in pool water can seriously dry out and damage your hair which leads to less color longevity. If you plan on swimming a lot, try to keep your hair out of the water by either tying it up or keeping it secure in a swim cap.^{[14]
X
Research source}
- Always rinse out your hair after you’ve been in the pool to get rid of any chemicals that it may have picked up.
4
Protect your hair from the sun with a hat or a hood. When the UV rays from the sun beat down on your hair, they dry out and damage your hair and its color. If you are going to be spending a lot of time outside, wear a hat, scarf, or hood to keep it out of the direct light.^{[15]
X
Research source}

Tip: If leaving your hair uncovered is a must, you can apply a thin layer of coconut oil to your hair to protect it from the sun.^{[16]
X
Research source}

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you maintain purple hair when it gets greasy?

April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist
April Ferri is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Co-Owner of Widows Peak Salon, a hair salon based in Los Angeles, California. With over ten years of experience, April specializes in hair coloring and enhancing and transforming natural tones into vibrant shades for beautiful and low maintenance hair. Her work has been featured in Voyage LA Magazine, and she has worked as a stylist for LA Fashion Week.

April Ferri

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Purchase some dry shampoo from a beauty supply store to remove any grease from your scalp on days that you don’t wash it.
Question

Will purple shampoo help purple hair?

April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist
April Ferri is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Co-Owner of Widows Peak Salon, a hair salon based in Los Angeles, California. With over ten years of experience, April specializes in hair coloring and enhancing and transforming natural tones into vibrant shades for beautiful and low maintenance hair. Her work has been featured in Voyage LA Magazine, and she has worked as a stylist for LA Fashion Week.

April Ferri

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Investing in a good purple shampoo is a good idea. This type of shampoo is made for pulling out any impurities in the hair as well as depositing purple into the hair. Try to find one that's not overly drying, and consider investing in a tinted conditioner as well.
Question

What mistakes should I avoid when dying my own hair?

April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist
April Ferri is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Co-Owner of Widows Peak Salon, a hair salon based in Los Angeles, California. With over ten years of experience, April specializes in hair coloring and enhancing and transforming natural tones into vibrant shades for beautiful and low maintenance hair. Her work has been featured in Voyage LA Magazine, and she has worked as a stylist for LA Fashion Week.

April Ferri

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

A common mistake people make is putting one type of dye in their hair, such as a box of red hair dye, and expecting their hair to perfectly match the color on the box when it is done. There are more steps involved in getting from point A to point B than just putting one color in your hair.