Hair Dye Techniques You Can Do Yourself

By Janey Dike on August 15, 2014

Style doesn’t just include what’s in your closet. Your hair can be an expression of who you are and a fashion statement.

Hair dye is the perfect way to add a vibrant spark to your everyday hairstyle, whether it’s a few strands, just the ends, or your entire mane.

image via heywanderer.com

Dip-Dyeing: Dip-dyeing can give your locks a unique look with bursts of color on the ends. It’s perfect for the person that wants to take a risk with their hair, but not get too daring.

Dyeing the ends of your hair is a more subtle way to add color than dyeing larger sections of hair. And, if you outgrow the look, you can always simply get a trim and have a head of natural hair once again.

Before you begin dip-dyeing your hair, you’ll need to lighten the ends using either bleach or a pre-lightening kit. If your hair is blonde, your hair is already light enough to add dye, so you can skip this step.

After bleaching the ends of your hair, you need to decide what kind of color you want. If you want, you can add several colors. This can be done by dyeing different strands different colors, or by adding several layers of color in horizontal sections on the ends of the hair.

Before opening up the color, make sure that you put on an old shirt or cover what you are wearing with plastic or a smock. You can also wear gloves to protect your hands from the dye color.

Divide your hair into sections and secure them with clips (the same process you would use to bleach hair). Depending on the type of dye being used, use a brush, your hands, or the dispenser on the hair dye bottle to add color to the bleached sections as you work on one strand at a time.

To achieve an ombre look, use a clean hand to twist hair at the intersection of dyed and natural hair. Twisting will cause the color to blend upward. Wrap each section of hair with aluminum foil when you have added all of the desired color. Leave your hair in foil for 15-60 minutes, depending on how vibrant you want the color to be.

image via wikihow.com

Hair Chalking: Hair-chalking is a wonderful way to add temporary color and whimsy to your hair. With enough layers, the chalk can add rainbows of bold color to hair.

For those looking for a short commitment, hair chalk offers a wonderful opportunity. Hair will go back to its natural color after only one or two washes.

While the chalk will show up more clearly and with more brightness in lighter colored hair, such as blonde or light brown, it can still be seen in darker hair. The colors may appear more pastel than in light hair, but with a few extra layers of chalk, the color will appear bolder.

Hair chalk comes in a variety of colors, from blues to pinks to purples. The chalk allows for more control than regular liquid dye, so you can be more precise when choosing which strands get which colors.

If you purchase several colors, you can try adding different hues to different sections. Wet your hair before applying the chalk in a downward motion. You can start the color at the top of your head or go for a colored ombre look on the ends. If you want the color to last longer, consider using a hairdryer or flatiron on the chalked pieces of hair after application.

There are a few downsides that come to chalking. Since chalk dries out your hair, it can cause hair to be brittle and more breakable. Use a conditioner when washing your hair after a chalk treatment.

In addition, since the chalk is temporary and can come out easily, don’t use chalk when it’s raining out or when you are going to go for a swim. You also won’t want to wear light-colored, nice clothing or sleep on a good pillowcase until after washing out the chalk.

image via durhamteen.blogspot.com

Dyeing Large Sections: Since you will be applying hair dye to all of your tresses, think long and hard about the color you choose before making the big change.

Since dip-dye and hair chalk are less permanent and less bold than dyeing your entire head, consider choosing a color just a few tints or shades away from your natural hair color. You could also try temporary or semi-permanent dyes as a trial round.

Before dyeing your hair, line your ears, hairline, and neck with the hair dye kit’s conditioner or Vaseline to keep the dye from sticking to your skin. You’ll also want to cover your clothing, hands and work space.

Divide your hair into a few sections and use clips to hold them back. Consider asking a friend to be your assistant in dyeing your hair to make sure that the dye goes on evenly and that you don’t miss a spot.

Work the dye into your hair using a brush. Start from the roots and work down the strands of hair until you reach the ends. Be sure to leave the dye in for the amount of time designated on the instructions. Too little time won’t allow hair to reach maximum color and too much will dry out hair.

While you wait, you can wrap your hair in a shower cap to keep the hair dye centralized. Rinse out your hair with cool water when the time is up. Wait until the water runs clear to finish rinsing.

Many hair dye kits contain a conditioner for you to put on your hair to finish the process. Try not to wash hair for at least a full day after dyeing to help the color last longer.

image via wittyandpretty.com

Hair dye can be a fun form of creative expression. If you’re a beginner to coloring your locks, consider trying out hair chalk or temporary dip-dyeing techniques at first. This will give you the feel for what no-so-natural hair feels and looks like.

If you like the color, feel free to use more permanent dyes and apply it to more sections of hair. You’ll have an original accessory to boost your fashion sense everywhere you go.

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