Less than two percent of the population has red hair, making it one of the most sought-after hair colors. The majority of natural redheads come from Scottish descent. The gene mutation that causes red hair is facing extinction due to the climate turning colder. The gene isn’t able to adapt to the colder weather and eventually red hair will putter out.
Luckily, hair dye exists for those of us who weren’t blessed with fiery, red hair. The newest hair color trending for Fall 2019 is copper. Depending on your original shade before applying the dye, your results can range from pink-orangish color to a deep penny copper.
2019 Hottest Hair Color Trend: Copper
Photo Credit: Byrdie
Summer hasn’t even started and our eyes are already on the huge hair trend set for autumn. Summer might be the time for beach blonde hair and tans, but fall is for pumpkin spiced everything and muted colors.
Like trees shedding their leaves to brace themselves for winter, changing your hair for the season is a natural progression. The muted shade of copper can be warm or cool, depending on your skin tone.
The color is called copper blonde, but on many locks, it takes a radiant red hue. The shade can work with fair skin or darker complexions. The skin tone determines if the color looks more like a penny or a strawberry blond-ish shade.
The copper color adheres better to blond and light shades of brown. Brunettes and redheads may need to use more coloring dye to achieve the desired look.
Aside from skin tone, another thing to consider before taking the copper plunge is the cost of maintaining the color. Keep reading for all the details on how to keep your copper hair shining.
Does copper hair color fade fast?
Photo Credit: B. Young Salon
Red hair is the envy of people who consider their natural shade boring or drab. As gorgeous as it is, red hair has a downside. It fades faster than the other hair color. It also doesn’t grey; it just changes to white. There are scientific reasons behind the fading.
Copper hair does fade faster than blonde and brunette hair. That’s because copper hair is based on red pigments. While hair color is determined mainly by genetics, each shade has is made up of molecules. The molecules of red hair are larger than those of brown and blonde hair shades.
Each strand of hair is made up of several layers. The cuticle is the outermost layer that protects the hair. The middle layer is known as the cortex. The cortex absorbs the molecules, also known as the pigments. The molecules of red hair don’t go as deep into the cortex as other shades. That means red hair fades from the hair strands quicker. What can you do to help prevent fading?
How do you take care of copper hair?
Copper is a shade of red hair and red hair does fade faster than other dyes. However, there are steps you can take to keep your color from fading away too quickly. The first thing is to wait a few days after the dyeing of your hair to wet it. This gives the red dye more time to absorb into the strands. Another important hair care tip for dyed hair or natural hair is to use heat protection products before using heat tools such as blow-dryers or hot irons.
More tips for keeping your fiery copper hue from fading out:
Use Shampoos That Are Safe for Color-Treated Hair
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The initial salon visit is the tip of a costly iceberg. The special shampoos and conditioners you will need to keep your hair a vibrant copper shade are expensive, but essential. When buying shampoos, conditioners or any hair product, check the labels to make sure the products are meant to be used with dyed hair.
Most regular shampoos contain sulfates and parabens, ingredients that cause color to fade or change the shade of your hair to an unwanted brassy shade – a warmer shade than intended.
Products designed specifically for dyed hair often say “safe for color-treated hair” on the label and those are the products you should use.
Touch-up Roots Only
Photo Credit: Rootflage
Along with the pricier shampoos, you’ll also need to visit the salon regularly for touch-ups to your copper hair. If you routinely change hair colors, switching to copper hair could have some unintended consequences. Overly-processed hair can sometimes have uneven, darker results.
Routine touch-ups are one way to prevent the new, regrown hair from overlapping with the older strands of hair. The best way to prevent that is by applying the touch-up to the roots only.
Red hair fades faster. Therefore, hair dyed with red pigments requires more touch-ups than those dyed blonde or brunette. Lighter shades, such as blonde, often need a gloss applied during the root touch-up. If you’re naturally a brunette, the touch-up only requires one process.
Protect Your Hair from the Elements
Fading color isn’t the only thing you have to consider when maintaining your new copper shade. The sun and chlorinated water can both cause red pigments to fade from the hair. If you have naturally red hair, then you know all about staying out of the sun to protect your hair and skin.
Even if your hair is naturally brown or blonde, your dyed red hair can still fall victim to fading from sun exposure. Wearing a hat or scarf when exposed to the UV rays emitted by the sun can help keep the color from fading. Some leave-in conditioners have SPF ingredients included. The products are basically sunscreen for your hair.
The chlorine used to clean swimming pools can cause hair to dry out and even change the color. A trick to keep the chlorine at bay is to rinse your hair in tap water before entering the pool. Your hair absorbs the tap water, leaving less room for it to absorb the chlorinated water.
Of course, SOME chlorine is bound to get through, even if you use the tap water method. If you swim daily, a swim cap might be your best option to keep pool chemicals from invading your hair and stripping it of its color.
Don’t Wash Your Hair So Much
The earth might be 71 percent water, but you don’t need that much in your hair. Too much water dulls the hair’s color and that is especially true for red hair. Washing your hair every day does more damage than good.
Hair really only needs to be washed every other day, maybe even less if you can tolerate it. There are dry shampoos if you really cannot go a day without washing your hair. Look for one that has vitamin E to help retain moisture in your hair and prevent it from drying out.
It’s not just the water, either. Shampoos and conditioners can strip color from the hair. Red pigments are especially vulnerable to fading from the strands quickly. Get your copper hair off on the right step by letting the pigments absorb into your locks for a few days before the first wash.
Rinse with Cool Water
Heat is bad for your hair. Not just from the sun and heat styling tools. Hot water causes the cuticle of the hair (the protective outer layer) to break and release the color pigments. You don’t have to take ice baths to keep your copper color.
Instead of turning the water on as hot as you can stand it, turn it as cool as you can stand it. Or wash your hair in warm water while in the shower and then rinse over the drain with cooler water. Whatever method you use, the cool water will help keep the color from fading.
Copper hair is a warm tone that is perfect for cozy, warm autumn days and nights. You can go with darker copper or a lighter, almost strawberry blond shade. Copper hair is the go-to trend after summer ends.
References
https://www.popsugar.com/beauty/What-Know-Before-Trying-Copper-Hair-Color-Trend-46147841
https://www.esalon.com/hair-color-mastery/colorist-tips/brilliant-red-color
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/hair/a15722/how-to-pull-off-red-hair/