hey all :]
i've recently dyed my hair a darkish red & i'm just wondering some top tips to keep it lasting as long as it possibly can [i'm aware that red fades the quickest]
i recently got the tresemme colour protect shampoo - i've just been reading up online about it & theres mixed reviews :/ & apparently it's not very good for red hair.
so anyone got any shampoos or anything they'd recommend?
the ones specifically designed for red hair seem a little expensive - but are they worth it?
i've also still got 2 little bottles of the conditioner that came with the actual dye as i needed more than one box to cover my head & they're the ones left over. should i continue using this after everytime i wash it? will it have much effect?

i've also been told to wash my hair with cold water aswel & to not wash it THAT often. but i don't wash my hair excessively anyway. i normally wash it every 2-3 days using dry shampoo inbetween.

so yeah, any tips/experiences would be appreciated muchly ! :]

gosh, i loved it when i used to dye my hair, i would get paul mitchell color protecting - i am aware it is pricey but i knew someone who could get em cheap from the costmetic store... i would recommend it - but dont wash your hair for about two three days let the dye soak.... its really bad for any hair really to wash daily.

I have naturally red hair but I also get it dyed a few times a year to brighten it up, and it's true red does fade fast. Mine tend to last about 6 weeks - 2 months. I use loreal colour care shampoo but I don't really know if it makes a difference or not. The other thing I sometimes use is henna red colour enhancing shampoo. It's pretty good but it seems to make my hair greasy if I use it every day.

RedFraggle is right, henna color is the way to go. If you learn to dye your hair with pure henna, (google it), it lasts literally almost forever. I STILL have red in my hair from using henna 3 years ago, and it stayed bright for a good 4 months.

where do you buy this henna enhancing shampoo from & is it pricey?
i've been told to get some of the john frieda vibrant red shampoo...think i may look into it!

I ordered mine from Amazon, and it wasn't that expensive if I remember rightly but it's a while since I ordered it. And yes, John Frieda vibrant red is good too.

I used to use tigi shampoo for coloured hair, then as I have curly hair a UV filter serum and I didn't use any heat products on my hair, such as straighteners a hot hair dryer etc

The color molecules in red hair color are large, meaning that they can escape easily, thus resulting in fading hair. In order to preserve this you have to keep the cuticle of your hair closed. Shampooing your hair aggravates the cuticle causing it to lift and thus the red color molecules will escape. Also, using hot water will also cause the cuticle to lift. Your best bet is to definitely not shampoo your hair for 48 hours minimum after having your hair colored and then to shampoo it in the coldest water you can tolerate. Also go as long as you can in between shampoos.

Henna hair color is great, but you also cannot get it out of your hair. So this means that if you use henna hair color but decide that you want to get rid of it or do something different, you have to let it all grow out, before you color it. If you try to color hair that has henna color on it, it will not lift so you're pretty much stuck with it. Unless you want to cut it all off.

I had my hair coloured yesterday, and I couldn't not wash it before going to work today. Though actually I went one shade brighter than usual and would quite like it to fade a bit!

The henna shampoo I use though washes out over a few washes. But then since my hair is naturally red, and it's just enhancing that colour, I probably wouldn't notice if it was to hang around for a while.

ALSO, when you shampoo your hair make sure to use a sulfate free shampoo. Sulfates (aka: detergents aka: the stuff that makes your shampoo lather and suds up) will strip the artificial color from your hair. I suggest buying a shampoo from a Salon. Not salon products from Walmart/Target/Walgreens.

i decided to stay away from the henna stuff as i don't think i will want this permanently & don't want it to be a nightmare to get out of my hair.
i recently got the john frieda radiant red shampoo & conditioner. washed my hair in it today in cold water & it didn't run at all!
very happy with it!

thanks for all the info though guys :]!

I've been using henna on my hair for about 10 yrs now... I am a natural redhead, so this may have something to do with it, but like RedFraggle, I use it to enhance my hair color... I tend to not wash my hair for 2-3 days after henna, and the day I do put the henna on, I leave the henna mud on for several hours (mostly cause I forget) since it's not a chemical dye, it doesn't fry your hair....

I get my henna from a middle eastern store down the street from my house...