Color not sticking

[TheyCallMeMom]

I have this almost white poodle.. I tried two different products to make her pink and they both seemed to was right out.. one didnt stick at all the other faded after a week

what could cause that?

[catgroomer]

What brands of color are you using?

The Petedge color fades out of poodle hair very quickly, especially if the hair gets wet at all, either in the rain or from bathing. It lasts longer in cat hair but the colors are less true, in case you're interested.

Manic Panic works better on both cat hair and poodle hair imo, but also fades out fairly quickly.

If you want some great vibrant color that lasts awhile try Avatar. Pet esthe has a line of color out now but I have yet to try it.

[pinkgroomer]

try doing a baking soda rinse before you color it. It helps a lot of times

[kputman]

It sounds like either the hair is so healthy that the color can't get through the cortex or it is so damaged that it doesn't stay there once it's in.

Anything that will open the cortex layer of the hair will help it penetrate the hairshaft and color the middle layer. This could include anything from a clarifying shampoo to a 10% peroxide, with a number of options in between, including the baking soda rinse mentioned above. Then a conditioner will help seal the cortex so the color lasts longer.

If the hair is damaged, you can try to begin a conditioning program to help the hair get healthier before you try to color it again. Then use a clarifying shampoo just before you apply the color and condition afterwards.

[TheyCallMeMom]

the hair is in great condition.. what mixture should I use and do I do it with the color or in the wash before?

[Maltese_mama]

I used pink (hot hot pink?) on my Maltese with great success. (too much success, as it stayed in longer than I wanted, lol.) I know Maltese have different hair, but it may be worth a try if it's not one of the brands you've tried. Also it says somewhere on the Manic Panic website, maybe even the jar, that you should try to "dry out" the hair a bit. Use a more drying shampoo and no conditioner before coloring.