Confession time: When I was in my mid-teens, I spent every morning straightening my hair in oblivion. (Don?t judge: The early-aughts were a hard time for anyone with naturally curly hair living in New Jersey.) And in an effort to disguise my dead ends, I dyed it?often. Like, twice-a-month often. I?d grab a couple boxes of the at-home stuff and let my best friend go HAM, making me a shade or two darker until my brown hair was Morticia Addams-level black. Eventually, I went to a professional to fix the dual-toned mess, and her best advice was for me to chill with the dye for a while lest I wanted my hair to fall out. Instead of asking any questions, I just sort of sheepishly bowed my head in shame and left with my tail between my legs.
MORE: This Quick Trick Will Reveal If Your Hair Is Healthy or Not While I know now that it was a mix of heat-styling with a cheap straightener and my reckless usage of at-home hair dye that caused all the breakage, I have to wonder: How often should you dye your hair if you want it to be healthy"
Before we get to that, first, a quick breakdown on the types of hair-coloring processes available: temporary lasts for just a couple shampoos; semi-permanent, which is recommended for going lighter, lasts a couple weeks; demi-permanent, which is great for going darker or boosting shine, can last up to six weeks; and permanent stays put till you cut it off. If you?re going darker, which means depositing color rather than stripping it, you can real...