Labels can be complicated, especially when it comes to hair color. If you crave the freedom to customize your color and the flexibility to change it again, semi-permanent hair color might be your best pick. It's a temporary change, not a long-term commitment. At its root, the word "semi-permanent" means something that lasts a long time, but not permanently. This article will explore the ins and outs of semi-permanent hair color, helping you understand how it works, why it works, and when to use it.
Semi-permanent hair dyes offer a way to experiment with new, trending colors and decide what suits you best. They are a gentle alternative to permanent coloring treatments because they require neither ammonia nor alcohol.
Most semi-permanent hair dyes are diluted and thickened with a conditioner base, so they last about 4-6 weeks before washing out. However, some brands, like Splat, formulate their semi-permanent dyes differently, resulting in stronger vibrancy and longer-lasting color. Splat's Original Color kits, Midnight kits, and Ombre kits use pigment-concentrated dyes that haven't been diluted, so the bold color can last a few months before requiring a touch-up. For a less concentrated and more conditioning semi-permanent dye, consider Splat Naturals collection.
Semi-permanent and temporary hair colors penetrate your hair’s cuticle (protective outer layer) to gain access to the cortex (inner layer) where your hair’s pigment is contained. Therefore, they can cause moisture loss from your hair, and subsequent dryness.
When it comes to the technical aspect of semi-permanent hair color, the most important thing to know is that it coats the surface of your hair. Semi-permanents are called direct dyes because they don't use ammonia or peroxide to fundamentally change your natural color the way permanent dyes do.
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To illustrate, imagine you have two sheets of construction paper: one white and one yellow. If you use a blue crayon to color on both sheets of paper, you're layering the color on top of each sheet. Blue will show up much more vibrantly on the white paper than on the yellow since the white paper is a 'blank canvas' that lets the 'true' blue color show through. Blue crayon on a yellow sheet of paper is going to look more muddled, and possibly even green, since the yellow in the paper is showing through the blue. With semi-permanent hair color, you're only coating the surface of your hair, and the color will eventually wash out.
Your hair texture and porosity also play a part in determining the longevity of your hair color. Porosity determines how your hair can retain and absorb moisture and can be broken down into three categories: low, normal, and high. Low porosity hair has cuticles that are bound very close together, normal porosity hair has cuticles that are slightly less bound, and high porosity hair has cuticles that are more widely spread out. Porosity level is based both on your natural hair chemistry and texture as well as through processing methods such as pre-lightening with bleach.
When it comes to choosing at-home hair dye, it’s not just about the shade. You need to find the perfect formula to match up with your hair goals too. That means the coverage, how long the dye lasts and how it cares for your hair are all important things to think about.
Generally speaking, there are two primary categories: Temporary hair color, which comes in many forms, from gels to conditioning masks, and semi-permanent hair dyes. "Temporary colors are your quick wash-in, wash-out colors that fade after a couple of shampoos," explains Brownsell. "Semi-permanent dyes are less high maintenance, lasting around 6-8 weeks depending on the vibrancy of the color you choose, how frequently you wash your hair, as well as the condition and porosity of your hair." For beginners, direct dyes are easier to comprehend because typically "what is in your bowl will look like what’s going to be in your hair," says Cornwall, adding that another advantage is that they often are formulated with conditioning and shine agents built in, as well as a base color that adds a "smokey or dusty element" to give it a more lived-in feel.
If you want to take a more low-risk approach, consider henna hair dyes or softer, pre-diluted tones and color kits. You can also spike your conditioner. "Adding a drop of whatever direct dye you choose into a bowl of plain conditioner is a great way to put a toe in the water," says Cornwall. "It will dilute the intensity and will give a soft hint of the tone." For those that are a little gun-shy, Brownsell recommends trying a pastel semi-permanent dye (Bleach London's Rosé and Awkward Peach are the most popular) or a color-toning shampoo for more subtle results.
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As a rule of thumb, typically the lighter your hair, the brighter and more vivid a color will be. Achieving bolder color is easier for blondes versus those who are brunette, redhead, or raven-haired. "For semi-permanent bright and pastel shades, you'll need to apply to a light, bleached blonde," explains Brownsell. "If you have dark or virgin hair, these colors won’t develop true to color or show at all. First you need to lift the hair with bleach, and follow with a toner to create the perfect canvas for color."
If you don't want to bleach your hair, there are a slew of products that can help you work with what you've got. "For so long only bleached heads or natural blondes could play in the realm of fantasy colors, but some brands like Overtone offer colors specifically formulated to show up on brown and dark hair," explains Cornwall. "Deep purple for brown hair and the orange for brown hair are two epic shades to give a shot for those nervous to let bleach touch their hair."
Think of your base color as the foundation of your final result. "It’s like a fabulous canvas on which to enhance with whatever you please, akin to makeup over gorgeous skin," says Cornwall. When selecting a color for a client, he considers what colors and tones will be most flattering to their skin and eye tones. "A shade of pink with lavender will create an alluring draw for blue eyes, while a sunset pink adds a wash of warmth to skin like your own personal golden hour filter," explains Cornwall. For a more natural-looking effect, a go-to trick at the Bleach London salon is using a hint of golden color, like that from Bleach London's Just Like Honey Super Cool Color with a dye to add a more diffused, filter-like effect. "If you use it by itself, Just Like Honey creates a soft golden color on blondes, but you can try mixing one part Awkward Peach with three parts of it for a subtle peachy filter on blonde hair," Brownsell says. Another thing to consider when choosing a shade is that warm colors (pink, red, orange, yellow) fade better and quicker, while cool colors (blue, green, violet) will stick around longer.
First determine your own natural hair color. Exposure to the sun, seawater, or a harsh environment may have damaged your hair. If this is the case then you should opt for the shorter leave-in times. Note the hair color classification on the packages: Class 1 means that the hair color can be washed out. Such color treatments last about six to eight shampoos and can be applied without pre-treatments. However, class 1 color treatments cannot bleach hair. The pigments only coat the outer hair shaft. By comparison, class 2 hair colors contain hydrogen peroxide as a bleaching agent and a separate pigment solution, which need to be mixed before the application.
For first-time dyers, Bleach London offers comprehensive at-home application guides to help decode the process as well as keep the hair protected from damage. This is especially important for curly and coil-y hair, which is more delicate and thus more vulnerable to the drying effects of bleach.
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Vivid colors - like teal, blue, pink, red, orange, and violet - layer best on pre-lightened hair.
After using a semi-permanent dye, you're going to want to keep your color as bright and saturated as possible. The most effective way to do so is using color-safe hair products. "As with all delicate hair colors, the detergents in your shampoo are the culprits for fading pigments," explains Cornwall, who recommends his clients avoid harsher sudsy products and opt for a natural hair cleanser, like Act & Acre's Hair Cleanse shampoo, which effectively banishes dirt and grime and keeps gentle tones in tact. Another thing to keep in mind is that water can interfere with hair color, too, and reducing washes will help prolong color. "You would be amazed at what a simple chlorine filter on your shower would do for your hair and skin," says Cornwall. "I recommend that especially for older buildings or anywhere with heavy minerals in the water." For Brownsell, another important step is toning your hair color to get rid of brassiness-especially for naturally blonde or bleached hair. "Even if you’re already a light or bleached blonde, toning will remove brassy or yellow hues to create a clean blonde for your color," she explains. "If there’s a lot of warmth in your blonde, the undertones will turn pinks to peach, or add a green hue to blues and purples."
With moderate to low use of shampoo, as well as limited exposure to the sun and swimming pools (due to the chlorine), semi-permanent hair color should last around six weeks (eight washes). The color will fade naturally over the weeks, but you’ll experience the best version of the temporary dye within the first two weeks.
It's important to understand how semi-permanent hair color differs from other types of hair color, such as temporary, demi-permanent, and permanent.
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