I don't understand why red is so much harder to hold! I guess I could go straight brunette, but I kinda like the red tones and a lot of people have said they think it really suits me. I used to be a natural redhead when I was younger but then it gradually became blonde. I just bought a "red" color protect shampoo and conditionner so I figure I'll give that a try. Doing it at home just scares me so I just let it fade