I’ve been dyeing my hair for over four years now. I just love the new look each time I switch up the colors. Dyeing of hair is one of the fastest-rising trends in the world we live in today. Hair dyes are impressive products that double as beauty enhancers and concealers. Say, for example, you would like to look like the blonde you saw down the street. This is possible with the right hair dye. Have you ever wondered how to dye your hair at home by yourself?
Thanks to hair dye, you can transform your hair into a blonde, brunette, or any other color.
A study by the International Journal of Trichology on hair dye trends in 2013 revealed that most people start coloring their hair at an early age.
However, most of them made use of semi-permanent hair dyes.
Table of Contents
Is It Safe To Dye Your Hair From Home?
Unfortunately, while the process has been a smooth sail for some, others haven’t had so much luck with hair coloring.
About 42% out of 263 participants in the study mentioned above experienced harsh reactions such as redness, itching, headaches, and even hair loss.
The study further revealed that skin tests were never performed on 34% of the volunteers in the study prior to their use of hair dyes.
With numerous hair dyes, techniques, and shade options available, it can be challenging to dye your hair at home.
This is not to say that you cannot transform your hair’s looks at home; however, it would be best to reserve some more complicated hair coloring for the salon.
Nonetheless, you won’t have much problem dyeing your hair from home, provided you adhere to the instructions.
There is no harm in attempting to dye your hair at home. However, you shouldn’t attempt to dye your hair if you have recently permed or relaxed it.
This is because the process can cause significant damage. Instead, wait for several days before you proceed to dye the hair.
It is also unwise to dye your hair if it has been through a lot already or over-dyed your hair.
It is recommended that you dye two shades darker or lighter than the color that you have on you.
Also, be sure to follow the instructions on the product’s package.
While it is okay to have expectations, it won’t do you any good to assume that your hair will turn out as beautiful as the one on the product package.
In most cases, you will end up with a lighter color.
Things To Consider Before Dyeing Your Hair
So, you’ve fallen in love with particular hair color, and you HAVE to have it.
I’ve been there, and I completely get it.
I’ve sat through intense treatments to turn my naturally black hair red.
Somewhere down the line, I tried out burgundy which I completely fell in love with.
Some things to consider with any new color are the upkeep, depending on how long you want it, your hair type, hair color, how thick or thin your hair is, and how light or dark you want your hair to be.
It is also good to know these when choosing your products.
It would be a good idea to identify your skin tone and whether it is cool, neutral, or warm to pick a color that will fit you well.
The best way to do this is to stand in natural light and look at the veins on your wrist.
Blue or purple veins mean a cool skin tone.
Green or green-blue veins mean a warm skin color.
If you can’t tell or have a mix of green and purple or you have a neutral skin tone, then warm and cool colors will work for you.
Here is a video that explains skin tones and complimenting colors well:
How To Dye Your Hair With Professional Products
Even if you’ll be dyeing your hair from home, try to use professional products that a colorist would have used at the salon.
Don’t try and improvise things at home.
Items needed
- Dye kit
- Disposable gloves
- Mirror
- Shower cap (disposable)
- Makeup removing wipes
- Lip balm
- Dye bowl and brush
Wash your hair
Before proceeding with the dyeing, the first thing to do is to wash your hair at least 24 to 48 hours before the process.
Freshly-washed hair will be “too clean” for dyeing. The thing is, very clean hair will be a little harder to dye because it affects the way the color is taking on your hair.
The final results will not be exactly as you had envisioned.
Moreover, hair that has been colored immediately after washing it doesn’t last as long as hair colored after waiting at least two days after washing it.
You should avoid using a conditioner before you dye your hair – this is because it makes the hair too soft for coloring.
Do not attempt to condition it the night before the planned coloring, unless you don’t want your hair color to last a shorter time than you expected.
Dyeing hair that is freshly conditioned will mean that the hair dye won’t penetrate very well into the hair follicles.
In a situation where you have dry hair, it will help if you condition it days before dyeing the hair.
For example, ten minutes of conditioning every night for seven days before you attempt to dye it.
Choose your color
Scan the market for a color that you are comfortable with.
With more products in the market than the users, it can be overwhelming to pick the best shades and colors.
However, if this is your first attempt to dye your hair, buy a dye with a maximum shade of two.
Not just this, make sure either of the shade is lighter or darker than your natural hair color.
You can also use a semi-permanent or temporary dye to get the hang of the result to expect since you are relatively new to dyeing.
In the case that you mess up the process, the result will be temporary.
If you want to use a temporary dye, apply it to damp hair.
Temporary dyes wash out after one or two shampoo washes.
The semi-permanent ones will wash out with 10-26 shampoo washes.
Be careful, though, as permanent dyes won’t fade until after eight weeks or more.
Cover yourself and the environment from stains
The goal of dyeing your hair is to get the hair color on your hair and keep it there.
However, you don’t want the same thing to happen to your carpet, walls, and shirts.
To manage and prevent an occurrence like this, it will help if you cover all the surfaces and items that you don’t want the color to end up on.
Newspapers, for example, are handy accessories that you can tape across floors and walls for protection.
It will also help if you keep paper towels or tissues nearby to handle spills.
You can also opt to wear an old shirt, the type that you won’t mind throwing away if dye ever gets on it.
The next step is to tightly wrap a towel or cloth around your shoulders as a protective cover to catch dye that drips off your hair.
You can use a clip or safety pin to secure the towel to your body. Like your cloth, use a dark-colored cloth or towel to avoid staining it.
Brush your hair and coat the hairlines
Brush your hair until it is smooth and sleek with no tangles.
The presence of tangles in the hair will make the process of applying the dye more stressful.
Instead, straighten it to ensure even distribution of dye.
After this, cast the neck, ears, and hairlines with lip balm or Vaseline.
Although this step is optional, it allows you to wash dye that falls on the skin during application.
Protect your hands
Gloves are handy gear for protecting your hands from the dye.
Although gloves come with most dye kits, you can use vinyl, latex, or rubber gloves.
This instruction is not optional, it’s important to protect the hands.
You must wear a protective glove to prevent getting dye on your hands.
If anything, you will have a hard time washing it off.
Mix the dye
A bowl or the supplied bottle is an excellent place to mix the dye.
Since there are different dye products by different brands, it will be wise to follow the instructions that come with the product that you picked.
Since most kits feature bottles that you can use for mixing, you won’t have a hard time figuring this part out.
Combine all the ingredients in the approved quantity and shake or mix until all the ingredients blend.
If your dye kit does not include a mixing bottle, you might have to make a separate purchase or use a bowl.
The narrative is the same for the paintbrush. You should purchase any item that is needed but is not included in the kit.
For dyes that require using a developer, read the instruction before mixing.
Although the developer comes in the dye kit, you can buy it at a local drugstore if you ever need one.
How To Dye Your Hair At Home By Yourself
We’re now getting to the fun part!
This is where you’re finally going to get that dye that you’ve always admired on your hair strands.
Following these simple instructions:
Separate your hair into sections
Use a functional comb to part your hair into different sections in a way that will allow you to cover the entire hair without missing a section.
You can use a plastic clip to hold the sections in place for even coverage.
Apply the dye in sections
You can break the sections into smaller sub-sections to make your work easier and even.
With your gloved fingers, dispense the dye into your hair and work it with your fingers to absorption.
If this is the first time you are dyeing your hair, apply it 1 inch from the hair roots.
If it is for a touch-up, apply ½-inch from the roots.
Either way, work the dye with your fingers so that it will penetrate beyond the top hair layer.
If you have thicker and fuller hair, it will be best to part your hair into smaller sections for full, quick, and even absorption.
The length, texture, and thickness of your hair determine how long it takes to apply the dye.
But with enough patience, you won’t have a problem waiting.
If you want, you can cut your hair first before dyeing it.
Cutting the hair after coloring is a waste of dye.
Whether you are a boy or a girl, the instruction for dyeing hair is the same for all genders.
Set a timer
Dyeing is about timing.
Hence, it shouldn’t stay too long, or you risk an unlikable consequence.
Likewise, the stay shouldn’t be too short, or you won’t get the results that seek to achieve.
Instead, follow the product’s instructions and leave the dye in for the specified duration of time.
It will help if you set a timer to know when the hair is due for a wash.
You can sit under a heater dryer if you want; however, don’t leave it overnight if you don’t want to risk your hair drying out or severe skin irritation.
Wipe your forehead
Use a wet cloth or paper towel to wipe your forehead and neck.
However, it would help if you did not extend this courtesy to the dye in your hair.
You can put on a shower cap or wrap the hair in a towel to retain the heat and speed up the process.
Rinse your hair
After the set time elapses, rinse your hair in the shower or the sink.
Use warm water and keep up with the rinsing until the running water is clear.
If you notice color in the water while you are rinsing, it does not mean that you have done a terrible job.
Just keep the water running over your hair until it becomes clear.
Condition your hair
Avoid shampooing your hair right away. I’ve touched more on that below.
So, after rinsing out the dye, you should condition the hair.
In most cases, the conditioner comes with the color kit.
Dry your hair
Air dry or blow-dry your air and style it the way you want.
If you are not pleased with your result, you should speak to your stylist for correction.
Safety Tips
This post on how to dye your hair at home by yourself wouldn’t be complete if I don’t share some safety tips to observe when coloring your hair.
Safety tips are handy practices that help to avoid unwanted results.
Read the instructions
Always be sure to read the instructions and directions for use before applying the dye.
The dye kits are manufactured by different manufacturers, and so their instructions on the use of the hair dye may differ.
Protect your eyes
Please, please, please. Do. Not. Let. Hair. Dye. Get. Into. Your. Eyes.
In the unfortunate event that it does, rinse your eyes quickly, with a lot of water.
For extreme cases, see a doctor for treatment.
Watch out for allergic reactions
If there is itching or burning during the coloring process, rinse the dye out of your hair.
Some dyes contain paraphenylenediamine, a chemical that often causes an allergic reaction in some people.
To prevent such a reaction, you should test the dye on a small skin area before using it on your hair.
Leave it on the skin for about 20 minutes and wash it off.
Then wait for a day to check for allergic reactions.
Never dye your eyelashes/eyebrows
Don’t try to dye your eyelashes or eyebrow. You can hurt your eyes or even worse: go blind.
The Food and Drug Administration bans the use of dyes for eyebrow or eyelash dyeing or tinting even in salons.
Wait a while before shampooing
This isn’t really a safety tip but more of a “longevity” tip.
After dyeing your hair, you should wait about three days before you can shampoo the hair.
This will give your hair ample time to absorb the dye into the cuticle.
Washing it so soon will only lead to fading. Who wants that?
Recommended Post: How To Apply Hair Glaze
Conclusion
Even though dyeing hair is predominant in women, we also have guys who like coloring their hair.
DIY hair dyeing is a complicated process since it involves different chemicals and variables.
So much that can produce a scary result if you are not careful.
As a result, you must pay attention to every detail and process from the beginning to the end.
Dyeing your hair at home can be a fun and enjoyable process.
However, avoid taking any shortcuts and be careful not to get too much dye on the surrounding items.
In any case, keep your stylist’s number close should something go wrong.
But with enough attention, you’ll do fine.
Related Post: How To Make Semi-Permanent Hair Dye Last Longer
