No, hair color is not truly permanent in the sense that it lasts forever. While permanent hair dye is designed to alter the hair shaft's structure for lasting color, it only affects the hair that already exists. New hair growth will retain your natural color.
Understanding Permanent Hair Dye
Permanent hair color penetrates the hair cuticle, altering the hair shaft's structure to lock in the color. This is in contrast to semi-permanent dyes which only coat the hair shaft's exterior. The color change from permanent dye is thus significantly more durable, but not eternal.
- How Long Does It Last? The vibrancy of the color fades over time and eventually needs reapplication, particularly at the roots as your natural hair grows.
- What Happens to the Dyed Hair? The dyed portion of your hair will maintain its color until it is cut off or the color fades considerably through repeated washing and exposure to environmental factors.
- Myth of Permanence: The term "permanent" refers to the dye's ability to penetrate the hair shaft, not the indefinite retention of color.
Several reputable brands offer permanent hair dyes, such as Sally Beauty, Garnier, Madison Reed, IGK Hair, Dark & Lovely, Redken, and others. These products range from at-home kits to salon-professional options.
Many sources confirm that permanent hair dye results are only temporary in relation to hair growth. The dyed color remains until the hair is cut or new hair replaces it. (See references below for supporting evidence.)
The references confirm that while permanent hair dye deeply penetrates the hair shaft, lasting longer than semi-permanent options, it's only permanent until the hair grows out. The color is not inherently lasting for the lifetime of each strand.
References:
- Reference 1: Permanent hair colour penetrates the hair cuticle, altering the structure of the hair shaft in order for the colour to be locked in permanently. Semi-permanent colour, however, is deposited on the outside of the hair shaft. Without anything locking it into place, the colour is temporary.14-Nov-2022
- Reference 2 (Reddit): But hair dye does Not change the color your hair grows out. Roots come out your natural color.
- Reference 3 (Quora): Yes permanent hair dye is permanent until it grows out and is cut out of your hair.
- Additional References: Numerous other references (links provided in the prompt) confirm the same information concerning the longevity of permanent hair dye.
