Red hair gives you spunk with a heavy dose of class at the same time. It’s a Hollywood dream color. But if you dye your hair this color, it doesn’t like to stick. And if you had red hair as a youth, it fades to brown as you gain years. You’ll be lucky to have an auburn color at 30. Why is that?

Why Does Red Hair Fade?

Red hair starts to fade in the 20s then fades intensely during the 30s and 40s as part of the prelude to getting gray hairs. As you age, the hair follicles stop producing the same level of pheomelanin that gives you bright red hair. Without so much pheomelanin and more of something called eumelanin, your hair eventually fades to a brownish color.

For those who have colored hair, the story is different. Red hair dye molecules are bigger than those of other colors. It’s hard for them to penetrate into the hair shaft, and even more difficult for them to stick once they are there. So the red color molecules in color-treated hair wash out easily. That means your red will only last about half the time of a different color dye job.

How to Keep Red Hair from Fading

Luckily, there are a host of hair products that have red hair dye deposits in them to keep your hair color fresh. There are shampoos and conditioners for both warm-toned and cool-toned redheads. Take advantage of them, as they will help keep your color-treatment fresh. Glosses and hair masks for redheads can help too.

If you’re naturally red, you can choose the same options. But you also need products with UV blockers, as the sun can fade you quickly. If you’re looking for something natural to keep your red hair bright, try henna treatments. They’re a little messy to apply but can give you beautifully warm red highlights-and it’s the abundance of highlights that make red hair so beautiful, right?