Last updated: June 04, 2020
Instagram via @cynthialumzy
4 Tips For Preventing Color Bleeding At The Sink
We’ve all had that “Oh $H*!” moment while rinsing a vibrant hue and watching the color wash right down the drain. Or worse. After spending hours painting a multi-color masterpiece, rinsing only to reveal a muddy brown finish. To ensure you never suffer this face palm moment again, below, we’re sharing four common reasons why color bleeds and Cynthia Lumzy’s (@cynthialumzy)tips for preventing it.
1. The Water Isn’t Cold Enough
One of the biggest reasons why color bleeds is because the water is too warm, which is why thenumber one rule when rinsing vibrant colors is to always, always, always use cold water. Here’s why: Hot water will open the cuticle, letting a huge portion of the color you just applied to rinse right out. Cold water closes the cuticle and basically traps the color, preventing it from washing out.
2. She Isn’t Properly Prepped
Yep, you read that right. Prepping the hair before you rinse can help prevent color bleeding and Matrix is launching a product in February that can do just that.Total Results Keep Me Vivid Color Lamination Spray is designed to lock in haircolor, prevent fading and enhance shine. Simply rinse the hair with cool water, apply Color Lamination Spray, let it sit for 1 minute and then rinse. The result? No color bleeding! Don’t believe us? See for yourself in the video below:
3. Leave Her Hair Alone For A Minute
When your client lays back at the sink, do you turn on the water and then immediately start running your hands through her hair? That’s a major no-no when rinsing fashion colors. Instead, Cynthia says to let the cool water run over the hair before you move it around to help prevent the pigments from transferring.
Pro Tip: If her hair has multiple colors, rinse the darkest one first to prevent transferring any pigment to the lightest shade.
4. There’s No Cool Down
Like we said, heat of any kind is a major culprit if you’re dealing with color bleeding and fast fading. So if you like to use heat to intensify your semi-permanent colors, like Cynthia sometimes does, let the hair have a cool down period of at least 10 minutes. “The longer, the better,” she advises.
Now that you’ve got these tips down, click here to learn how to create this desert rose halo melt!
FAQs
Rinsing with hot water is one of the leading causes of color bleeding. After all, heat opens the hair cuticle, potentially releasing precious color molecules. Embrace cool water throughout the rinsing process to gently close the cuticle and trap the color molecules.
How to keep colors from bleeding? ›
Add 1 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle or one-half cup salt to the wash to help hold in colors. Use color-catcher sheets, which trap extraneous dyes during the wash cycle to prevent bleeding. Don't overstuff your dryer. Clothes will dry faster.
What causes colour bleeding? ›
Color bleeds occur during the laundry process when dyes from one item of clothing transfer to another. This is more likely when hot water loosens the dye's grip on fabric fibers, allowing them to mingle with other garments.
How to remove color bleed? ›
Get rid of color bleed stains by using oxygen bleach to eliminate the dye's chemical bond on the fabric when oxygen is released and mixed with water. Oxygen bleach can be used on all colored materials and washable whites but never on silk, leather, or wool. You can also try chlorine bleach on whites.
How do you prevent hair color? ›
6 Ways to Prevent Hair Color From Fading
- Use Products Formulated for Color-Treated Hair. Not all shampoos and conditioners are created equally. ...
- Keep It Cool. Showering in super-hot water might feel relaxing, but it can actually do a number on your hair, leaving it feeling dry and looking dull. ...
- Make Time for Masking.
Adding a small amount of salt to your wash cycle can help to prevent colour bleeding in laundry. The salt will also help remove stubborn stains, maintain bright colours and reduce pesky yellowing in clothes.
Is color bleeding toxic? ›
In most cases, you will be totally fine. Most dyers use natural or non-toxic types of dyes. For the companies that do use chemicals, the dye is usually only harmful during the dyeing process and not when the dye is bleeding off.
What color bleeds the most? ›
Red colored clothes are more prone to color bleeding than any other color. For the first few washes, consider washing a red garment on it's own in cold water.
How many washes do clothes last? ›
The normal standard for testing apparel items is 50 wash/dry cycles according to the label instructions. But most clothes can handle being washed many more times than that. Often more than 100.
What does full color bleed mean? ›
In basic definitions, full bleed printing is used when a project calls for a printed image or document to have no margins, or in other words, when the printed color & images extend all the way to the edge of the paper.
More often than not, garments color bleed simply due to the type of dye commercial clothing manufacturers oftentimes use when making colored clothes. The dye is called direct dye and it is available in many colors, which are equally as susceptible to color bleeding.
How to remove color run? ›
Take a white cloth and dampen it with a commercial stain remover, rubbing alcohol, hairspray, or any clear solvent that is 90% alcohol. Dab the stain with the white cloth repeatedly, and the dye should keep transferring from your garment onto the white cloth. Afterward, rinse in warm water. Proceed with normal wash.
Will bleach remove color bleed? ›
Most new garments can bleed a bit for the first few laundry cycles, so washing newer items alone or only with like colors is a great way to avoid dye transfer. But to restore items that have picked up fugitive colors in the wash cycle, you can try a bleach soaking solution, as long as the items are safely bleachable.
Why does my hair dye keep bleeding? ›
If your hair dye is bleeding, it's most likely because your hair cuticles are not fully sealed. The cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair, and it's made up of overlapping scales that protect the inner layers of the hair shaft. When these cells are lifted or raised, they allow the dye to seep out.
Does Vaseline stop hair dye bleeding? ›
Sometimes, though, mistakes do happen, and getting hair dye onto your skin can leave some mild staining behind. The easiest way to prevent unwanted stains on your neck, face, and ears is by slathering Vaseline or petroleum jelly on your skin before you color your hair.
Does vinegar seal in hair color? ›
“Sealing the hair's cuticle is what locks in your hair color,” says Anderson. So in short, yes, using apple cider vinegar can help set and preserve your hair color's lifespan. “The more firmly closed your hair cuticle is, the less likely your color is going to fade," says James.
How to stop crazy color from leaking? ›
Anti-Bleed Spray helps to seal your colour, prevent colour bleed after dyeing & can extend the life of your colour for up to ten extra washes! This spray is applied immediately after the hair colour is rinsed out of the hair. Spray evenly over freshly rinsed hair and leave for 1 minute.
