A Foolproof Guide to Dying Your Hair a Fashion Color: How to Avoid Disaster in 7 parts
So you want to dye your hair a fashion color: something unnatural and wild like bright blue, or something enchanting and elegant like a cool lavender. A fashion color is hair dye color that is considered an unnatural shade, and they usually require a bleach process to show vibrantly. They are almost never permanent, because the dyes are physically different than other permanent natural colors.
There is quite a road ahead of you, one I started nearly two summers ago, without a clue in the world as to what I was doing. I’m going to share with you my advice; which is based on hundreds of hours of research, and thousands of hours of youtube videos, and my own experience just going for it. I’m not here to interest you in anything other than exactly what you want; thus I present my no-bullshit guide to dying your hair a fashion color.
1) What am I Getting Myself Into?
There are few things you need to know before proceeding. These are warnings, not deterrents.
People with stare at you. It’s just a fact, with such a visible distinction, people will look. Silver lining: at least you know what they’re looking at, and that you rock it. And when little kids stare, their wide-eyed wonder is adorable.
It’s a complete change and will require commitment and maintenance. There is no half-assing this. There is no point in doing the undoable damage to let your hard work fall by the wayside.
You’ll get a lot of compliments. I’ve noticed that certain hair colors get me more compliments that others too.
You’ll always look like a badass.
People will assume they know you. They judge. They think they know what kind of person you are based on the fact that you have green hair, or pink hair. But they don’t. It’s not your job to prove yourself to anyone, either.
Some people will touch you without permission. Shout out to all the curly haired girls who already face this everyday. Same goes for vibrantly colored hair.
Getting your hair done in a fashion color is very different than a natural color, especially with the bleaching process. Forget everything you know, it’s time for the opposite. For example, with box dyes and natural colors, you’ll want to start at your roots, because porous ends of the hair shaft with absorb color more quickly. However, when bleaching you start from the ends and work your way up the shaft to the roots, because the heat from your heat processes roots more quickly than ends.
A fashion color DIY is a bit easier than doing a different process, because at least we all know one thing - it is going to damage your hair. While the jury is still out on how often you should wash your hair, if at all, when dying your hair a fashion color you should know that minimizing and repairing are the name of the game, and it’s pretty simple.
Companies that sell fashion colors, like Manic Panic which started in the 70s, and Arctic Fox which was stated in 2014, are typically consistent with the standard method of using the colors. Dying with fashion colors is not as innovative as other fields in hair care, like the “no poo” movement or the new formulas that come with simply dying hair a natural color.
Here, I’ll lay out all all the processes behind transforming your hair into a rainbow, with helpful tips and things to avoid, based on my personal experience. You don’t need to do everything perfectly: find what works for you! Experimentation is your key to success.
2) Go Pro or Go Home?
Benefits of the Salon...
There are plenty of valid reasons to go to a professional. If you are a beginner, you’ll have a more uniform color with less work. There’s no beating around the bush, beginners won’t be perfect. It’s more likely that someone will know what they are doing at a salon. That being said, you need to look for a salon that is familiar with fashion colors. So while there is this element of research involved, it is overall easier to go to a salon than trying to do it at home.
Going to a salon also means that it will be easier to get rainbow or unicorn hair in a salon than at home. Unless you have a helpful parent or friend, multicolored or rainbow hair is hard to do on your own without coming up with a patchy mess with one color bleeding into the others.
It is also okay to be scared to do it on your own. There is a certain level of “will I go bald?” that everyone feels when dyeing their hair. It’s okay to not want to deal with the hassle.
When Considering Salons...
Always look up reviews of salons beforehand, and call to ask about fashion color experience. Make sure your stylist knows what you want. Not everyone is Guy Tang.
It is also important to know your dye history and communicate honestly about it with your stylist. They need to know if you’ve been using a black box dye since you were 12. It will effect the bleaching process, and the outcome of your final color.
Resources in the Ithaca area include: Hair Color Art at (http://www.haircolorart.com/pricing/) and Changes (http://changescuttingstudio.com/). Both have experience with fashion colors, and good online reviews.
Benefits of the Home...
It will be cheaper to dye your hair at home. Even if you buy products in bulk, the initial cost will be substantially less than going through a salon. Plus, a parent or friend can help for freeeeee.
It’s also not that hard to dye your own hair. While it’s not easy, once you get the hang of it, with enough experience and research, you’ll be fine. Dyeing your hair at home is also fun! It’s one big experiment and you never really know how it will turn out! Once you manage to pull it off, you’ll feel so proud that you’ve done your hair yourself.
If you are willing to take your life into your own hands, than go for it at home; at least if it’s fucked up it’s your fault. You’re cool with the shaved head look, anyway.
3) How to choose your color
Clearly you don’t have to pick just one, but there are things to consider nonetheless. A multicolor mane is harder to maintain, especially if you don’t go to salon.
· But when choosing your color you should know your undertone so you know how to pick a color. Are you warm toned, cool toned, or neutral? If you wear foundation, you will probably already know the answer. There are many ways to find out the undertone of your skin
Being cool toned means your skin has more pink and red pigments, whereas a warmed tone has more yellow or olive pigments. Burning easily in the sun and looking best in silver jewelry are indicators of a cool undertone. If you tan easily and look best in gold, you are probably warm toned. Then there is the trusty vien test: in natural sunlight do the veins in your arms and wrists look more blue or green? Blue indicates a cool tone, and green indicated a warm tone.
An undertone is not the same thing as a cool color or a warm color: reds can be cool and blues can be warm. When picking a hair dye you’ll want to pay attention to the base color of your dye. If you are cool toned you’ll want a more blue based purple, whereas warm tones will want a more red based purple.
I have had blonde hair, purple hair, pink, orange, green, and blue hair. But by far the cool blue I have now, which suits my cool undertones, is the best fit. I get more compliments now that I have with any other color.
Consider your skin tone and eye color, as well. Orange hair will make you blue eyes pop, or red for green eyes.
As always, if this isn’t your first time playing with hair color there are some that won’t play well together. Blue is the hardest color to remove from bleached hair. If you want to go blue, I don’t advise switching to yellow anytime soon. It’s the basic principle of the color wheel: some colors cancel out, but trying to apply a lighter color might just make a mess.
Consider the research into which brand is best for you (manic panic, splat, privana, arctic fox). There are so many color selections, so don’t feel like you have to settle for any one color. You can always dilute a color with conditioner or a lighter shade. You can mix and match to find the exact color that you want. And depending on your hair type, some brands will hold better - it’s just a matter of experimentation.
4) How to remove color
Before we get into the dying, let’s talk about everything you need to know about fixing mistakes. There are a few different ways to fade or remove fashion colors. Harsher shampoos, like those with detergents, those claiming to “clarify,” and dandruff shampoos will all strip the color from your hair. Avoid these if you want to maintain your color. But if you want to transition to another, this is a healthy way of fading colors.
There a few different color removers on the market. I have tried the Ion Hair Color Remover and it made no difference in my hair. I’ve also tried the Beyond the Zone Radical Color Remover and it was pretty effective at stripping the unwanted color. Like I said, experimentation, trial and error.
If you’ve piddled around on the internet long enough you might come across something known as the vitamin c method. The idea is that it will open your follicle so the color can bleed out, similar to a detergent shampoo. It is very drying, but perfect for a low budget color remover.
Depending on your hair type, some of these methods won’t mix well. The vitamin C method aso may not work when mixed with certain shampoos, or with color remover.
Additionally, back to the basics of the color wheel, using opposite colors to cancelling out unwanted dye is pretty effective when you want to change a color. If your hair is too yellow, add a light wash of purple. If it’s too green, add red.
5) Let’s Talk about the B Word: Bleach
Yes you need to bleach you hair. Some blondes might be able to get away with it, depending on the color and how permanent they want the dye to be. But the bleaching process strips out the color molecules and opens the follicle. Some dyes won’t strip and fill in the follicle, and thus won’t last very long.
You will need a few things:
Coconut Oil
Toner
Bleach
Developer
Bowl
A mixing brush
Towels and an old shirt
Follow the directions on the package to mix the bleach. First, always do a patch test on a strand of hair at the back of your head to make sure you aren’t allergic to the bleach or dyes. Most brands, like Manic Panic recommend this. Keep in mind that a level 10 blonde, or platinum, will take several rounds of bleach, with rest and recovery periods, and some hair types will not be able to go so white blonde.
In preparation for the bleaching process, slather your head in coconut oil to 1) create a barrier between your scalp and the bleach (otherwise it might burn) and 2) to nourish your hair. This is a preventative step.
After you’ve spent at least 30 minutes in the oil - although preferably it’s applied overnight - you can begin the process. Always start that the bottom of your hair shaft. The roots will process faster, because of the heat from your head. NEVER comb or brush hair that had bleach in it. Brush or comb your hair thoroughly beforehand to make sure all the tangles are gone.
Bleach can be applied from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the hair condition and type. Watch youtube videos if you are still unsure of the process or techniques. If your hair feels mushy, rinse the bleach immediately and never bleach it again. The hair is too weak, lacks protein, and will break off. After an initial bleaching you hair will feel different in the shower: straw-like and harder to comb or run your fingers through. This effect will fade with conditioning treatments that rebuild the proteins and moisture of the hair. Luckily fashion color dyes are often very conditioning.
The bleaching process strips the hair of two vital components: moisture and protein. There are three main parts to the hair: the cuticle, follicle, and medulla. Bleaching opens the follicle, pulls pigment molecules from the cuticle, and the proteins and moisture are lost.
Warning to girls with natural hair, the bleaching process means a high risk of losing your curl pattern. It takes a great amount of conditioner to restore it if damaged. Each hair type will require a different number of rounds of bleach. Asian hair, which is the thickest in terms of the medulla, will require more rounds than other type.
After a certain point the hair will be a pale yellow, like duckling feathers, and toner should be applied to neutralize. The toner will burn if coconut oil is not applied, because it is another harsh process. Toners will bring a white or sliver quality to the hair, and will neutralize those tones in virgin, or unprocessed, hair as well. Pair coconut oil, bleach, and toner in every round. Let the hair rest for about a week between rounds, with constant oil and conditioning treatments.
6) Let’s Talk about the C Word: Color
You’ll need similar materials for the color process:
Bowl
Gloves and brushes – optional
A cap or plastic bag
Color
Conditioner
First you need to pick a brand. Different brands work for different people, and there is no wrong answer. Arctic Fox, Manic Panic, Splat, and even more mainstream hair-dye brands offer a wide range of colors. Some last longer than others, depending on your shampoo, shower routine, and hair type.
When using box dye for a natural color, the general rule is to get more than you think you need to cover all your hair. For fashion colors this is not necessarily the case. If you want a dark shade, then continue to buy twice what you think you’ll need. But more commonly people dilute the dyes with conditioner. Many brands also sell diluters, but the effect is the same, and conditioner is cheaper. This can achieve a lighter color, but also makes the dye last longer. Pour the conditioner into a bowl, then slowly add dye and mix for your desired color. The color is harder to control if conditioner is added to bleach instead of the other way around.
Lay down old towels or paper towels to prevent staining in the bathroom, and to make clean-up a breeze. Colors will stain countertops and bathtubs if left for any lingering amount of time.
Washing your hair afterwards is a no-no! Only rinse out the dye with cold water, and refrain from washing for as long as you can. Two days is recommended. DO NOT under any circumstances, condition your hair before applying the fashion color dye – it won’t stick. You’ll end up with a blotchy and uneven color. Before dying, shampoo only and apply to completely dry hair for rich, even color. Gloves are optional - they prevent staining, but you might feel more control without them. If you’re feeling unconfident, watching other people dye their hair on YouTube can familiarize you with the process.
7) Maintenance and Rehab
There are some key lifestyle changes that will help maintain your colored hair. The golden rule of fashion color dye is to wash your hair way less. Every shampoo will wash away more color. Fashion colors can never be permanent. Always avoid stripping ingredients like sulfates and detergents in your shampoos. Along the same vein avoid citrus extracts or fragrances. Do opt for protein and reparative shampoos and conditioners.
Avoid heat styling. Look into heatless styles like braids to give hair body and curl. If you must, blow dry your hair on the coolest setting. Using a T-shirt to pat dry your hair will also prevent breakage.
You need to get the dead stuff chopped. Fragile ends look terrible, but will also cause splits up the hair shaft, which will end in even more unhealthy hair.
Most dyes will stain. Bathrooms, tubs, hands and backs, clothes, pillows, the list is endless. Take steps to account for these things. Buy a loofa for your back so scrub off the color. Buy dark pillow cases or sleep with a dye towel over the pillow. Where dark clothes a week after dyeing, until the bleeding has slowed significantly.
Although sometimes I’ve regretted bleaching and dying my hair, I wouldn’t give up my blue color for the world. It is my calling card. It is me. My crazy colored hair genuinely makes my feel more like myself. I had even dyed my hair dark brown before diving into fashion colors and although it looked good, nothing fits me as perfectly as my hair now. Every moment was worth it - every embarrassing mistake, every split end, every surprise outcome. I’ve learned more about myself and my hair trying to fix and maintain my color myself than I would have otherwise, and it has been a colorful experience, to say the least.
