How to Color Damaged Hair

Chemicals and high temperatures can cause serious hair damage. Dying your hair exposes it to additional harsh chemicals, making it a risky process for already damaged hair. There are precautions you can take for a successful dye, but these will only reduce damage, not prevent it completely. Follow instructions carefully, and wait as long as you can between dying.

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Trim damaged ends. If you have split ends or other damage at the ends of your hair, trim away as much as you can. Split ends won't repair themselves, and damaging them further may spread the damage.
Wait at least two weeks between coloring. After multiple dying sessions or chemical damage, your hair may not accept color anymore. Give your hair a break for at least two weeks, to allow it to develop natural oils. These keep your hair healthy, and allow the dye to stick.
- During this time, wear your hair up or put on a hat to protect your hair from exposure.
- Two weeks is the absolute minimum to avoid severe damage. The longer you wait, the better off your hair will be.
Visit a professional to color bleach-damaged hair. If your hair has already been bleached or lightened, visiting a salon is highly recommended. Damaged hair of this kind has many possible complications that require expert attention to recolor.
- Severe chemical or heat damage may require professional attention as well.
Avoid additional bleach and peroxide treatments. These can cause major damage, and should be avoided completely if your hair is already damaged. Try a darker color instead, that will combine well with your current shade.
- If you really can't bring yourself to dye your hair a darker color, go to a specialist to have your hair lightened as gently as possible. Use deep conditioning treatments or non-water-soluble hair products to minimize damage from the lightening process.
Select a demi-permanent color base. A demi-permanent color base with no ammonia is less likely to damage your hair, as it only stains the outer cuticle. Ammonia color bases will penetrate to the hair cortex for a fuller, longer-lasting color, but can make hair even more brittle and weak. Use an ammonia base only if your damage is minor, or if you have already trimmed off damaged ends.
- Semi-permanent dyes are even more gentle and shorter-lasting.
Mix with a low-volume developer. Mix the color base with a low-volume developer (such as 10 or 20 vol) according to label instructions. Higher volume developers contain more peroxide or similar substances, which can cause damage.
Perform a patch test. Many demi-permanent dyes still contain many of the chemicals that can cause allergic reactions. Conduct a patch test according to the instructions on the dye, to ensure it's safe to use. Typically, you should wait at least 24 hours for the results of the test.
- Even if you have used the dye before, you may have developed an allergic reaction since your last exposure. It can be extremely dangerous to proceed without a patch test.
Apply porosity equalizing hair filler. Gently massage the filler into dry hair, just before coloring. Work from the top of your tresses on down, all the way to the ends. Wait twenty minutes, then continue on to dying without rinsing this out. The filler should help your hair accept the dye, and may reduce damage.
- Choose a color that matches your dye. When in doubt, choose a colorless filler.
- Colored hair fillers tend to darken the dye color.
- You can also apply hair filler occasionally in the weeks leading up to the dying. This may speed up your hair's recovery.
Dye your hair according to the instructions on the packet. Most demi-permanent dyes come with a conditioner. If yours did, use this after dyeing your hair.
Keep your hair well conditioned. Damaged hair needs to be kept well conditioned to minimise any further damage. Condition your hair every time you wash it, leaving the conditioner on as long as possible each time. Depending on the extent of the damage, it may be worth investing in conditioning treatments designed specifically for damaged hair.
- Conditioner is water-soluble, so rinsing your hair will wash most of it away. For best results, use leave-in conditioner, or let a deep conditioner or hot oil treatment sit in your hair for at least an hour. Non-water-soluble products are also available.