How to Maintain Ash Brown Hair

Co-authored by April Ferri and Amber Crain

Last Updated: August 15, 2024 References

Ash brown is a beautiful, cool-brown color. Like all hair dye, it can fade, especially if you don't take good care of it. It also has a tendency to turn brassy. If you have very light ash brown hair, you may be able to tone it with purple shampoo. In most cases, however, you will need to apply a toner to remove any brassy or yellowish tints. Take proper care of your hair to ensure that it stays healthy and your color lasts as long as possible.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Protecting Your Hair Color

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1
Limit washing your hair to once or twice each week. Every time you wash your hair, a little bit of hair dye comes out in the wash. This means that the more often you wash your hair, the faster the color will fade. In order to preserve your hair color, you should only wash your hair once or twice per week.
- If your hair starts to feel greasy, use some dry shampoo to absorb the excess oils from your hair.
2
Condition your hair every time you wash it. Dry, damaged hair loses color much faster than hydrated hair. Always follow up shampoo with a high quality conditioner to keep your hair moisturized and soft. Condition your hair at least 1-2 times per week.
- Apply a deep conditioner once per week to add shine to damaged locks.
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3
Use products made for color-treated hair. Using the wrong product is a leading factor behind fading hair dye. Because regular shampoos and conditioners contain ingredients that may cause hair dye to fade, you should use shampoos and conditioners made for color-treated hair instead.
- Avoid clarifying shampoos, as they tend to wash out hair dye, and anything that contains sulfates, as they can also remove hair dye.
- Use a blue shampoo to maintain the ash color of your hair.^{[1]
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  Expert Source
  
  April Ferri
  Professional Hair Stylist
  
  Expert Interview. 8 December 2020.}
- You can also use a tinted conditioner once every 1-2 weeks to keep your hair cool-toned.^{[2]
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  Expert Source
  
  April Ferri
  Professional Hair Stylist
  
  Expert Interview. 8 December 2020.}
- Look for natural or organic products. They are less likely to discolor your hair.
Hot water can fade your hair color quickly. Use the coolest water you can stand to wash and rinse your hair. You can switch the water back to warm to finish your shower!
5
Limit your use of heat styling tools. When possible, allow your hair to air dry, and use no-heat styling methods. When you do use heat styling tools, lower the heat setting on them. To prevent damage and color loss, never go beyond 400 °F (204 °C).
- Never straighten or curl your hair while it is wet. Let it dry completely first.
- If you must blow dry or heat style your hair, apply a good heat protectant first.
6
Cover your hair when you step outside into the sunlight. Sunlight is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to fading hair color. If you want to make your color last longer, you must cover your hair before you leave the building. A hat, scarf, or hood are all great options for this, but you can also use a UV protection spray.
- Sunlight can damage your hair, so if you cover it up, you may find your hair growing softer and healthier!
7
Avoid getting your hair wet in the pool. Chlorine can not only cause hair dye to fade, but it can also cause it to change color! If you are going swimming, pull your hair up into a bun so that it doesn't get wet. If you plan on going under the water, wear a swim cap!
- Salt water may also cause hair color to fade. When going out to the beach, be sure to cover and protect your hair as well!

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Correcting Brassiness

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1
Try a purple toning shampoo if you have light ash brown hair. Like ash blonde hair, light ash brown hair often turns a brassy yellow color after a few weeks. Because of how light it is, a simple wash with purple shampoo may rejuvenate your color and cancel out the yellow tones.
- Each brand of purple shampoo is a little different, so follow the instructions on the bottle. Most need to sit on your hair for 2-10 minutes to be effective.
- Since purple and yellow are complementary colors, the purple tones in the shampoo can help neutralize the yellow brassiness in your hair.^{[3]
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2
Try a blue toning shampoo for medium or dark ash brown hair. Blue shampoo cancels out the brassy orange-red tones that occur in darker ash brown shades. You can use blue shampoo 1-2 times weekly to control the brassiness in your medium or dark brown hair.^{[4]
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- There are lots of formulas out there, including blue shampoos made for dark ash shades with highlights. Formulas that work well with highlights are also great for ombres and balayage styles.
- Blue and purple shampoos can be purchased at beauty supply stores, at salons, and online.
3
Use a toner, gloss, or glaze to rejuvenate your cool tones. Toner, gloss, and glaze are different words for the same procedure. Toners and glosses deposit a translucent ashy color on your hair that brings cool tones back to life and restores shine to dull, dry locks. The results aren't permanent and only last for a few weeks.^{[5]
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- You can buy glosses and glazes at beauty supply stores, some drug stores, at salons, and online.
- Be sure to buy a toner shade that matches your hair. Purple toner works best on light shades, while blue toner works better on medium to dark shades.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Toning Ash Brown Hair

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1
Wash and brush your hair, then dry it with a towel. Unless your bottle of toner says otherwise, you should apply it to damp hair. Get your hair wet, then comb out any knots or tangles. Pat your hair with a towel to remove any excess moisture.^{[6]
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- You don't need to step into the shower and wash your hair with shampoo. Simply dampening it in the sink or with a spray bottle will be enough.
Toner acts like dye, so it can stain. Put on a shirt you won't mind ruining, or drape an old towel around your shoulders. Apply some petroleum jelly around your ears, nape, and hairline. Cover your counter with newspaper, then pull on a pair of plastic dyeing gloves.
3
Mix 1 part toner with 2 parts 20 volume developer. How much you use does not matter, as long as you use the right proportions. The key is to use twice as much developer as toner. For example, 1 bottle of toner may be enough for medium-length hair, but if you have longer hair, you'll need 2 bottles.^{[7]
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- Stir the 2 products together in a non-metal bowl with a plastic spoon until the color is consistent.
- Some toners may have different instructions. In this case, follow the instructions on your toner.
- You can use a tinted toner. If you do this, choose an ash brown shade.
4
Apply the mixture to your hair with a tinting brush. Focus on the areas that need toning. For example, if you just need to tone the ends of your hair, apply it to just the ends. If it's the roots, then apply it to the roots.^{[8]
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- Start at the top of your hair and work your way down. Use the handle of your brush to create horizontal parts and lift your hair out of the way to reveal the lower layers.
5
Work the mixture into the rest of your hair. Even though you focused on the areas that need toning, you should still blend the mixture into the rest of your hair. The toner that's already in your hair is already processing, so you need to cover the rest of your hair to blend things out.^{[9]
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- Use your fingers to comb the mixture through your hair.
- Do the lighter areas last.
6
Pull your hair into a bun and wait for the recommended processing time. How long this takes depends on the toner that you are using, so read the instructions. In most cases, this will only take about 10 to 15 minutes.^{[10]
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- Don't worry about being too fancy with the bun. Simply pull your hair up into a ponytail, twist it into a bun, and secure it with a plastic clip.
Toner acts similar to dye, so you don't want to use any shampoo. If you use shampoo, you risk washing the toner out. Simply rinse your hair with cool water, then apply conditioner. Let the conditioner sit in your hair for about 2 to 3 minutes, then rinse it out with cool water.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do you take care of ash colored hair?

April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist
April Ferri is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Co-Owner of Widows Peak Salon, a hair salon based in Los Angeles, California. With over ten years of experience, April specializes in hair coloring and enhancing and transforming natural tones into vibrant shades for beautiful and low maintenance hair. Her work has been featured in Voyage LA Magazine, and she has worked as a stylist for LA Fashion Week.

April Ferri

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Use a blue shampoo to keep your ash brown hair from turning brassy and warm. You can also use a colored conditioner once a week or once every other week. Just put it on at the beginning of your shower, let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse it out.

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How do you keep brown hair from turning brassy?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Be gentle with your hair by using products designed for color treated hair and staying away from harsh, heat-based styling products. You can also use a toner or purple shampoo to help your hair maintain its cool, ashy tone.

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When should you use an ash hair color?

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Ashy tones look best on people with cool undertones to their skin. Ash brown hair also looks great as a springtime color, since the silvery tones really come out in the sunlight.

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Tips

Even if you take care of your new hair color, the dye will eventually fade. Plan on retouching it every 6 to 8 weeks.

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The times listed on bleach, dye, and toner are mostly recommendations. Your own hair may process faster than what is recommended.

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Never let bleach, toner, or dye sit in your hair longer than the recommended time.

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