Home » How Long Does Beard Dye Last? Less Than You Think

How Long Does Beard Dye Last? Less Than You Think

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The short answer to the question of how long does beard dye last is, that it depends. It totally depends on the type of beard dye you are using and other factors. 
If you have read other articles on our blog about beard dyeing you already know there are 3 types of beard dye:

  • Permanent (4 weeks)
  • Semi-permanent (2 weeks)
  • Temporary (24 hours or so)

And these 3 different types of beard dye don’t last the same. There are other factors that can affect how a beard dye lasts. Some of them are your beard type and texture, the climate of your area, how often you wash your beard, and a lot more. 

Let’s talk about each of the 3 different types of dyes and see how long they do last.

How long does permanent Beard dye last? 

Permanent beard dyes are being marketed as products that last for a couple of months. But this is not the truth. Yes, the color will last for a couple of months but after 4 weeks or so, it will start fading and the roots of your hair will start showing. 

So when it comes to permanent beard dyes I think that around 4 weeks is when you should re-dye your beard.

You should always judge yourself, as different beards grow at different rates, and how fast the color fades depends on your hair quality and other factors we mentioned above.

How long does semi-permanent Beard dye last? 

Semi-permanent beard dyes use the same technique as permanent beard dyes do but they contain fewer chemicals like ammonia and they last less. 

If you check the manufacturers’ website they usually claim that semi-permanent beard dyes last for about 6 weeks. 

Again, I don’t think this is the case. Anyone that has dyed their beard with a semi-permanent color knows that after 2 weeks it starts fading and you need to re-dye your beard. So, semi-permanent beard dye lasts for about 2 weeks.

How long does semi-permanent dye last

How long do temporary Beard dyes last? 

Temporary beard dyes work in a different way than permanent and semi-permanent dyes. They do not penetrate your hair, instead, they just coat it with a layer of color. This is the reason they don’t last long and they fade after you wash your beard. 

Temporary beard dyes are a good choice to experiment with and try something new, but if you want to cover grey spots, having to dye your beard daily can be a bit tiresome. If you are battling with gray spots you can read our how to stop greying of your beard article.

To conclude, temporary dye lasts a few hours or a day tops and will wash out when you rinse your beard. The same surely applies to natural dyes you have made at home.

Are there any natural dyes that will last more than a few hours?

There is a natural solution that lasts longer and it is the henna-based beard dye. 

Henna beard dyes are getting a lot of traction lately and are a good solution if you don’t want to use a permanent or semi-permanent beard dye.

Henna beard dye is considered a permanent dye and it will last for about 4 weeks. But it doesn’t work like the rest of the permanent beard dyes. Meaning it won’t penetrate your hair.

Henna’s dyeing properties are based on an active molecule called lawsone. Lawsone dyes your hair by moving on to the outer layer of your hair and binding with your hair proteins creating a stain.

Since henna does not penetrate your hair it can last way less than 4 weeks if you overwash your beard.

Why did The beard dye I used fade too soon?

A lot of guys have contacted us asking why their temporary and semi-temporary beard dyes don’t even last for a few weeks.

There are 2 main reasons for this:

  1. They wash their beard very often: After you dye your beard you don’t want to wash your beard that often as it will make the color fade earlier. You should wash your beard twice a week and always use beard shampoo and not the regular shampoo you use on your hair.
  1. When they dyed their beard they didn’t let the dye sit on their beard for the suggested time and they washed it early. So if you want the dye to last you should avoid washing your beard very often and make sure to let the dye sit on your hair long enough to penetrate the hair.

I want to dye my beard more often than recommended is that ok? 

You should not dye your beard more often than once a month if you are using permanent or semi-permanent dyes, and I will explain why. I mentioned above how permanent dyes work, but I didn’t talk about the ingredients they contain.

In order to penetrate the hair, these dyes contain 2 chemical ingredients: ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. These 2 chemicals work together when it comes to dyeing your hair. Ammonia is an alkaline chemical that changes the PH of your hair and as a result, the hair cuticle is getting lifted from the hair fiber and the color pigment enters your hair. At the same time hydrogen peroxide, a bleaching agent removes the natural color pigment of your hair allowing the new color to replace it.

As you can understand these two chemicals change the PH of your skin and its natural balance. As a result, they can irritate your skin and cause allergies if you use them often, especially if you have sensitive skin. You can read our best beard dye for sensitive skin article if you plan to dye your beard soon.

Ok, so what should I do when the dye starts to fade?

If you use henna beard dye or temporary beard dye, don’t worry you can dye your beard as often as you like. These kinds of dyes don’t contain harsh chemicals and won’t cause allergic reactions or skin irritation.

On the other hand, if you are using a dye that contains ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, you can use a temporary dye to refresh it till you apply the dye again.

You should not use henna dye to refresh the color. Lawsone the main ingredient in henna dyes reacts in a weird way with ammonia and will burn your hair, so make sure not to use it.

Conclusion

Now you know everything about when you should refresh your beard dye depending on the type of beard dye you are using. 
Knowing when to dye your facial hair is a crucial part of a healthy grooming routine that you should pay special attention to. 
Know your skin type, your hair type, and your goals and now you have read our article you know exactly when you should dye it.

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