Zandberg..you ask there how long a partial will last...well, like any system it just varies with so many `local`factors.... swimming in chlorinated water or salt water is hard on any system-hair so best off to give it a gentle shampoo and plenty leave-in conditioner directly afterwards. Exposure to a lot of sun will also oxidise any hair [even growing hair fades/bleaches from that] so it just depends on how an individual system is treated ....a good care -routine will help combat the `negatives`though..... if the color fades noticeably you can re-color it easily enough. `Back2natural` is helpful to help combat color fading... you can Google it.... it`s also a conditioner and Toplace recommends it...Paul.