A Complete Guide To Copper Hair Colour

What’s up with the copper hair colour?

So you probably have seen the copper hair colour that made most people go obsessed for it, In the world of hair colour, copper is a new and exciting trend these days. This golden red shade is just as beautiful as it is bold and a real attention grabber (in a good way of course). Copper is one of this year’s most popular red hair shades right now because of its strong, fiery and attractive look. It’s a perfect mix of red, gold and orange or bronze and red colour tones that perfectly mix to create a cute, delicate colour with a pop of brightness. Copper is a fantastic colour base for all kinds of styles. From balisage to ombre, dark roots, colour melts, hair streaks and highlights. For all kinds of hair lengths and textures too, but be careful as copper has a lot of shades that I’ll get into it later.

Will the copper hair colour suit you?

Copper as a colour is really extremely versatile as it suits on most people but whether or not it really suits you, that mostly do depend on the natural colour of your skin, your eyes and your base colour to begin with. Copper colours can easily glow on people with a brighter base colour and those with fairer skin tones will glow in the contrast it makes with your base colour. With tanned and olive skin, it’ll add richness and bring out your warm undertones. Although copper hair colour is a really warm colour that will suit people with much warmer tones, there are various ways to cool it down to make it suit you. If your undertones are much cooler, go for a darker red-brown copper shades and stay away from colours that are too light or vibrant like mango or pumpkin. You can also blend highlights and hair streaks into copper to cool it down with ashy blonde or brown colours. These will add beautiful dimension and texture too. Always try to pick a tone that’s opposite from your skin’s undertones. For instance, those with warm undertones might opt for a cooler colour, and vice versa. If you have neutral skin, you’re lucky because almost everything will probably look good on you. You should make sure that the depth of the colour is at least two shades darker or lighter than your skin to avoid looking washed out. If you determined that your skin undertones are cool, look for cool hair colours to complement it, on the other hand, Warm skin tones tend to look great when paired with warm hair colour.

How to know your skin undertone?

Try to take a look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. Do they appear more blue or green? If your veins appear more blue, you’re cool-toned but if you see more green, you’re warm-toned. If you see a fair amount of both Green and Blue, you have a neutral undertone. This is easier to see on paler skin tones and isn’t the best test for those with deeper skin. Also if Your skin tone is pink or pale or if you find your skin blushing easily that means that you have cooler undertones. Also if Jewel and pastel colours are so your thing and if the colour yellow washes you out and does not look good on you and pearls and silver jewellery look awesome on you that is a sign of a cooler undertone. But if you have red or golden tones in your natural hair, your skin tone is golden, tan or olive. You notice that you have freckles. You find that bright or rich shades suit you even better. Gold jewellery looks awesome on you then you most probably have a warmer undertone.

Does the copper hair colour fade quickly?

Because copper is part of the red colour gang, it means, just like any red hair dye, copper hair dye will unfortunately fade quicker than other hair dye colours.

This is due to the fact that the copper colour molecule is larger than most other colours. Due to its size, the molecule is unable to penetrate the cortex deep enough. As a result, the molecule sits on the surface and fades away with each wash. To avoid this, you have to consider colouring your hair a shade or two darker than what you actually want in order to prolong the appearance of your dyed hair. Here is some tips that’ll help you to have your hair colour as long as possible as nothing is worse than spending big bucks at your hair care salon or have a messy bathroom for the newest trending colour and then having it fade after a week due to not taking care of your locks.

1. Stay on schedule

Figuring out how frequently you do want to colour your hair, and staying on top of it, is a good way to avoid hot roots. Be sure to frequently refresh your roots when regrowth is around an inch long, to help having an even colour and to prevent something called “banding” overlapping (or extending) new root colour down over an old colour. This may make your hair appear darker than the colour solely applied to new hair growth, creating a “band” of a lighter colour at your roots.

2. Avoid shampoo for at least 72 hours after dying your hair.

When you dye your hair, your cuticle layer is opened, making it more easy for hair dyes to penetrate your hair shaft. When you wash your hair too early after your hair dying process, the cuticle layer will probably still be open which then can lead your colour to be washed away easily down the drain making it fade easily. It takes up to three days for the cuticle layer to fully close, so the longer you wait to shampoo your hair after you colour your hair, the more time the colour pigment will have to soak into the hair cuticle, which will help your colour last longer in between salon visits.

3. Use products that are safe for colour treated hair.

When you do wash your strands, reach for a shampoo and conditioner that has been created for colour-treated hair, especially ones that are formulated with an antioxidant and UV filter and ceramides to help protect the hair fiber to preserve colour and mend damaged, processed fibers. Gently massage the shampoo onto wet hair, then rinse it with water. Follow up by slathering on the conditioner and leave it on for one to three minutes, then rinse again. You should use a sulfate free shampoo and conditioner, Sodium laureth sulfate, also known as sodium laureth ether sulfate, is a type of anionic detergent that is found in many personal care products. This ingredient is used to help produce a foaming effect to your shampoos and conditioners. By using sulfates, you have the risk of stripping your hair of its natural oils and moisture, which can then lead to stripping your beautiful colour treated hair (which you just spent hours and dollars at the hair salon to achieve). Try using a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to keep your hair colour from fading. There is plenty of great options for all hair types, so whether you have frizzy, curly, straight, or even thin hair, there is a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner option for all.

4. Buy a colour depositing shampoo.

Another way to evade away of faded copper hair is to add a colour depositing conditioner to your routine. Formulated with colour pigments, it’ll revive your mane between colour touch-ups. Use when you feel like your strands could use a refresh. Using colour depositing conditioners will do wonders to keep your colour vibrant at home as this will slightly re-dye your hair every time you wash to keep it looking fresh until your roots grow out.

5. Avoid high-temperature water when shampooing.

Yes! Hot water is able to fade your hair dye in no time. Though hot showers feel amazing to some, it isn’t so great for your hair colour. When washing hair with hot water, your hair’s cuticle is opened, allowing your colour to wash out while shampooing and conditioning. In fact, anything hot will fade your hue. From the sun to styling tools to hot water, heat damages your strands and raises the cuticle, giving colour an escape route. The best way to prevent fading is to keep your hair out of hot water as much as possible. If you love hot showers, start your shower in very warm water, and then slowly adjust the temp down until it’s lukewarm. Once you’ve gotten warm in that first minute, you won’t really notice a tiny drop in temperature. Beyond just using cooler water, it’s important to wash your hair as little as possible. While greasy hair is gross, you can do a lot to prevent oily build-up.

Whatever it takes never try to apply conditioner on your hair roots or you will be adding a heavy layer to your hair that makes it look greasier sooner which is unpleasant. Focus all of the conditioners on your ends. To banish oil altogether, try using a dry shampoo.

PRO TIP: Dry shampoo isn’t just for oily hair! Put dry shampoo in your hair before bed to prevent greasy build-up. The powder will absorb oil before it travels down your locks. You can also add dry shampoo anytime just to give a boost of volume.

6. Try washing your hair less often.

you want to avoid washing your hair every day, if you want your hair colour to last significantly longer, especially if you have a vibrant colour. Not only are you washing away the natural oils that moisturize and keep your hair colour looking fresh, you also wash away a little bit of your hair dye every time you wash your hair. Try washing your hair every other day or even 2-3 times a week to keep your colour on lock. You shouldn’t wash more than that unless you’re working out a lot, the chemicals in hair dye make your hair more vulnerable to water’s effects. This doesn’t mean you need to stop taking showers just make simple tweaks to your routine, like avoiding excessive rinsing.

7. Apply conditioner.

As dyed hair is more likely to become dry and brittle, so you must treat it with conditioners specifically formulated for colour-treated hair. It helps create a protective barrier, which can prevent your dye from quickly washing out.

Always make sure to condition your hair almost every time you shampoo, even if you have perfect hair. You really want to make sure that you condition the longest part of your hair. Your hair tips can be years old and have the most damage, whereas the roots are only a couple of months old. Try using a leave-in conditioner for even more of a moisture boost as coloured and chemically treated hair needs extra hydration and protection from the sun to prevent damage and loss of nutrients to the hair. Leave in products will help you keep your hair fresh and hydrated, and it’s important to find one with UV protection so that the sun won’t fade your hair colour. I even recommended adding a sunscreen spray over your hair if you don’t want to purchase another product.

8. Avoid drying your hair roughly with a towel.

Scrubbing too hard can fade colour and make the ends look dry. Instead, gently blow your hair and let it air dry as much as possible.

9. Throw away the heat tools as much as possible and use heat protectants.

Heat will fade away colour and hydration and lead to damaged hair. To help prevent these problems from happening while using hot tools, try using a heat protectant spray before blow-drying or styling. Heat protectant sprays will help reduce moisture loss from inside the hair, smooth the outside of the hair, and protect your hair from humidity after heat styling which, in all, will help maintain your colour. I recommend starting any of your irons with the lowest temperature possible as well to avoid the high heat from pulling the colour from your hair.

The steps you’ll do to dye your hair

1. Prep Your Tools, Clothing, and Area.

Always apply your hair colour in your bathroom. The surfaces are pretty resistant and any spills can be quickly cleaned up with a Clorox wipe.

You will also need to put on an old button-down shirt that you don’t care about staining, and cover the floor with some old towels. Gather all of your tools on the bathroom counter, including the home hair colour boxes, clips to section your hair, a comb, a jar of Vaseline, and makeup remover wipes.

2. Do a patch test.

A patch test is a test you carry out to check that you’re not going to have any unwanted allergic reactions to a product. It’s typically done 48 hours before you want to dye your hair. This gives it enough time for your skin to react if it’s going to. Certain chemicals and ingredients in your hair dye can cause adverse allergic reactions and patch test is a safe way of making sure your hair dye is not going to swell up your head and put you in hospital. Patch tests are not just for hair dye products either.

It’s wise to test for allergens if you have sensitive skin and are trying a new cosmetic, moisturizers, soap, or topical creams.

Why should I even bother doing a patch test?

when it comes to home hair dyeing, even if you’re used to certain brands, others may cause a reaction.

And in fact, the more you are exposed to chemicals in your hair and even products like fake tan, the more and more is the chance you have of having a reaction. So it’s best to find out how to do a patch test for hair dye, be safe and check rather than rush into something that could have nasty results.

How do I do this test?

To test your hair dye, you will have to open it and mix a small amount of the developer and the colourant as if you were going to dye your hair. It only needs to be a pea-sized amount of each substance. Don’t mix the whole activator and dye together as it won’t last for 48 hours until you dye your hair.  Apply the dye using a cotton bud or Q-tip, dab a small amount of dye on a clean area of skin. Because the hair dye is going to go on your head, the best place to put it is behind your ear on your neck. If you do have a reaction, it won’t be too obvious or unsightly. Once the dye is dry, leave it on for 48 hours to do its thing.

If it starts to itch, burn or a rash, swelling or redness begins to develop, it’s safe to say your skin is not happy with this hair dye and you can wash it off. Allergic reactions can be very serious. If your symptoms are getting worse, you may need to call emergency services for help.

What should I do if I am allergic to the hair dye?

The ingredient in hair dyes most often responsible for a reaction is para-phenylenediamine (PPD), which is used in many permanent hair dyes sold today.

There are safe and natural hair dyes you can try, but you will need to read the ingredients on the box very carefully to make sure they are truly PPD free.

As (PPD) is the most common allergen out there, but you should visit your doctor if you have had a reaction so they can pinpoint the cause and make recommendations that are right for you. No one should be harmed for colouring their hair, so always try to play it safe and make sure you do a patch test!

Conclusion:

• Do conduct the test 48 hours before you are due to dye your hair. Any time is fine but we prefer the morning so we have all day to watch and wash it off if we need to.
• Do mix up only a small amount of hair dye for test, not the whole bottle (unless you have bought an extra box especially for the test).
• Do apply it to the back of your ear on your neck. It is ok to apply it elsewhere to test its contact of it on your skin. But since this is hair dye, we’d opt for your head.
• Do wash it off immediately if you are experiencing any adverse reactions.
• Don’t skip the patch test! Even if you are a hair dyeing pro, you can still react badly to the chemicals. In fact, the more you have been exposed to hair dye, the more likely you are to have a reaction.
• Don’t leave it on if you start to feel any itching, burning or swelling or if you notice a rash developing. Wash it off immediately. That hair dye is not for you!
• Don’t just try another hair dye brand if you do have a reaction. The chances are it will contain the same ingredients you are reacting to. See your doctor get to the root of the problem.

3. Protect your hairline.

Prevent any staining by applying Vaseline or a barrier cream all along your hairline. This creates a barrier that hair colour can’t penetrate. If you happen to get any hair dye on your skin, you can erase it instantly with your makeup remover wipes. You can also use an exfoliating face wash like this one to get rid of any colour that makes its way past your Vaseline barrier.

4. Divide and section your hair to apply colour.

Use the supplied bottle or a bowl to mix the dye. Follow the directions provided on the box. Most box kits include bottles that you use for mixing the dye. Follow the instructions to combine the dye ingredients into the bottle provided. Then, shake the solution until the ingredients are well combined. If your dye does not include these items, then you will need to purchase a bowl to mix the dye in.

If your hair dye does not come with a paintbrush, you can buy one at your local beauty supply store or just use your gloved fingers to apply the dye.

Starting at the front of your head and working your way back, create small sections of your hair about a quarter of an inch each apart. They do not need to be perfectly spaced, as you want your highlights to feel natural and asymmetrical.

Using either a toothbrush or mascara wand (both can be more precise than the included brush), paint the colour onto your hair, starting with the roots. You want to mimic where the sun would naturally hit so get to work lightening your hairline area (especially the sections closest to your face) and the top of your head, near your part. Remember, less is more, so start slowly and gradually build your way up as you see fit.

5. Set a timer for how long you need to leave the dye in your hair.

Strictly follow the instructions on your dye box. Do not rinse the dye out before the minimum time recommended or leave the dye in past the maximum time. Make sure to follow the directions exactly. If you have a lot of grey hair, it’s best to leave the dye in for the maximum amount of time. It may help to sit under a heated dryer, as well.

6. Wait until the processing time is up to rinse your hair.

After the time that is recommended on the dye, the box is up, either get into the shower or use a sink to rinse your hair out. Use warm water to rinse the dye out of your hair. Rinse your hair until the water runs clear.

Don’t panic if you see the colour run in the shower this is completely normal and does not mean that you have messed up the dyeing process. Keep in mind that if the copper dye is temporary, the dye will continue to run each time you wash it until it is completely gone.

I hope that I helped you achieve your desired hair colour!