Happy, happy National Love Your Red Hair Day! With its fiery and unique standout beauty, red hair was part of the inspiration behind our name (not to mention, our Founder is also a natural redhead), so you know this is a day we are ALL about commemorating. And since obviously we can’t all have red hair by nature, today we wanted to break down what goes into creating a red hair color that is sure to have us feeling aaaall the love.
From consultation to maintenance to wash routine, Jacob is here to help us get and maintain the red of our dreams.
After all, what better way to celebrate a day dedicated to red hair than by talking about… red hair? (Trick question, there is no better way.)
Start with a consultation.
If you’re interested in dabbling in the field of red, the first step is setting up a consultation. Talk with your stylist about your goals and how bright you’re picturing it. I like to ask my clients, “Do you want your red to whisper, talk, or scream?” and that usually helps us both get an idea of how loud that red tone is going to be.
Red hair is for everyone.
Something I think it’s important for folks to know is that ANYONE can be a redhead. Any shade, any range, any undertone can be red. It’s about finding the red that’s right for you. This is all really dependent on what your undertone is (think cool, warm, spring, summer, etc.) and what is going to complement that, so bring in lots of different pictures of different people with different types of red you love. We’ll look at them and figure out a vibe that goes with your inspiration and your natural tones as well.
Created red hair is a commitment.
To keep the vibrancy of your red, you’re going to be coming in about every 4-6 weeks. We’ll be doing a Root Touch-up, and we’ll be doing a Gloss, and we’ll be running that color all the way through the mid-lengths and ends every time. Maintaining that same red you loved so much in the beginning really is a delicate art; often it requires doing something a little different every time because you’re coming in with a different red every time. Maybe at one appointment, your hair color has kept really well, and then at the next, you’ve been out in the sun more so it’s a bit more faded. Coming in for those appointments ensures we keep it nice, and shiny, and healthy.
And on that note…
Red hair is finicky in that it’s the first to fade and the last to leave. It likes to stick around, so if you’re done having red hair, let’s talk about what that process looks like. Depending on how long you’ve been a redhead and what your next goal is—whether it’s going back to your natural color or going blonde or brunette, etc.—it may take a couple of sessions. This is also impacted by how many times you’ve had red applied to your hair. Think of it like coats of paint on a wall; the more you’ve added, the more you’ll need to break through to get back to the original. Just be patient. We’ll work together to figure out a plan for short-term and long-term to get you where you want to go.
Wash routine matters.
Because created red hair is more susceptible to fading, in general, you want to aim for washing less often and in cooler water. Hot water tends to bring out hair color a lot faster than cold water does, and the same goes for washing really frequently. Using something like EVERLASTING.COLOUR Wash and Rinse by KEVIN.MURPHY is also a great option for helping the color stay vibrant in your hair.
But most importantly, remember to love your red hair (whether natural or created), ESPECIALLY on National Love Your Red Hair Day. We sure do. 👩🦰