Ask the Stylist: Ross Bartolomei, Salon Hype

Q.  I've been having my hair colored  brown for the past 5 years, and no matter what it seems to fade.  And when it does fade I see red in my hair.  What can I do or my stylist do? Help me Ross!

A.  Well, I have to tell you that unfortunately, hair color does fade, and usually it does tend to fade to red or warmer colors. This is one of the subjects that clients typically are not educated about.  Here's a quick primer -- warmer colors tend to be more natural, and cooler, meaning towards the blue or green tones.  You might hear your colorist or stylist use the word "ashy."  This refers to colors that will not cover grey.  Not only will they not cover grey well, but ashy colors tend to be muddy and look unnatural.  They are great, for instance, for someone with really dark or no more than 20 percent grey to create lighter brunettes.  And, even then, if your natural, underlying pigment in your hair is warm it will always fade warmer.  The results right after you color will be warmer, and that's not such a bad thing because warm is also more reflective.  Sulfate-free shampoos can be a huge help.  As a matter of fact, I'm getting ready to launch my own line of shampoos called Hype Solutions and they are all sulfate free.  To help reduce color fading you might want to also check with your colorist/stylist to see if you are coming in frequently enough to maintain the results you are looking for.