Home hair dying tricks you need to know
Show of hands: Who hasn't dyed their hair and lived to regret it? Here are our tips for getting the colour you want – and making it last. Y'know – practical time- and money-saving hacks that go beyond using the expensive purple-tinged shampoo your salon stylist recommends.
1. Condiments for colour correcting
Don't mind us! Just dumping tomato sauce on our heads. If you're platinum blonde and end up with a blue-green tinge whenever you dye your hair or come into contact with chlorine, counteract it with tomato sauce. Massage it into hair and cover with Glad Wrap, then leave for 30 minutes before rinsing away. The condiment is said to neutralise those unwanted undertones as green and red are opposites on the colour wheel.
2. Stay away from sulfate
Stick to sulfate-free shampoos to extend the life of your dye job. Sulfates contain detergent, which strips the hair of everything, including natural moisture.
3. Get filtering
Invest in a shower filter. Yes, they're exxy, but a shower filter will prevent fading and discolouration from the build-up of minerals, chlorine and other impurities that's present in water, leaving you with clean, shiny hair.
4. Sponging for strobing
Want a cool #strobing effect? Buy yourself a Beautyblender. Cut it in half and use the round side to gently press on brightly coloured dye for a painterly effect.
5. Use conditioner for subtler colour
Want a pastel-hued dye job worthy of Grimes? Squirt some Manic Panic into the bowl and mix it in with white conditioner (always white!) until you achieve your desired shade. As a general rule of thumb, the colour you see in the bowl is the colour your hair gets dyed. Work it into your hair and then cover it with a shower cap, waiting 30 to 40 minutes before rinsing out.
6. Buy two boxes
If your hair is shoulder length or longer, buy two boxes of hair dye to ensure you can colour your whole head one consistent shade. If you end up with an extra box, simply save it for next time.
7. Metal is not your friend
For the most even results, always mix colour in a bowl and paint it on with a colour brush. When mixing the colour, do so in a glass or plastic bowl, as metal oxidises the dye and causes it to change colour.
8. Highlighter hacks
If you choose to do your own highlights, use a dye two shades lighter than your primary hair colour, then paint it on using a clean toothbrush or mascara wand, using it sparingly where the sun would be naturally.
9. Coconut oil protectant
Going for a swim? Before you dive into a chlorinated pool or saltwater, slather your locks with coconut oil to act as a conditioning barrier and protectant.
10. Conditioner first, shampoo second
Once you've soaked your hair, run conditioner through it and put the shampoo directly on top of the conditioner. This protects your hair, creating a natural barrier between your colour and the shampoo, while still removing excess oil. Do what you'd usually do, but in reverse.
11. Touch up your roots – and only your roots
The ends of your hair are more porous, and therefore soak up more colour. When touching up your roots, protect the ends of your hair with conditioner or add a teaspoon of cornstarch into the dye to stop it from dripping down to the rest of your hair.
12. Colour-fast conditioner
Want to keep your dye job looking salon fresh? Mix some of the dye into your normal conditioner to stop it from fading.
13. Chapstick to save your skin
Got pesky dye stains on your skin? Glide on Chapstick around the hairline. If you've already made a mess of yourself, mix a tablespoon of olive oil with a blob of whitening toothpaste, and then apply to cotton buds and rub away.
14. Eye shadow on your roots
Cover your roots with makeup. Take a powder shadow the same shade as your roots and buff in using a fluffy, medium-sized eye shadow brush.
15. Don't touch those eyebrows!
Don't ever attempt to dye your own brows. Leave it to the professionals. Trust us on this one. We're speaking from experience.
16. A natural whitening mask
Want bright blonde hair without the brassy undertones? Blend together chamomile tea, lemon juice and a potato until it becomes a paste, and then use it as a mask on your hair and leave for three minutes. They're natural whiteners.
17. Know when to go lighter – and darker
There are two types of dye – permanent and semi-permanent. For permanent, err on the side of darker because the developer is strong. With semipermanent, err on the side of lighter because there's no developer. This means they get darker and darker the longer you leave it in your hair.
18. Two-ingredient colour eraser
Want to remove semi-permanent dye? All you need is one part vitamin C power (crushed tablets) to two parts shampoo (preferably a clarifying or anti-dandruff variety for extra strong removal power). Mix it into a paste, then massage onto wet hair. You'll see the colour start to bleed out immediately. Once your whole head is lathered, put on a shower cap, drape a towel around your neck and leave for an hour before washing out.
19. Six-pack for shine
A beer rinse gives freshly dyed locks extra shine, lightening them up if you want a luminous ombre dye.
20. The healthy strand test
To test if your hair is thick and healthy enough to bleach, try this simple test: Pull a section straight and taut between your fingers. Add a drop of water onto the surface, counting how long it takes to disappear. If the water is absorbed by the hair in less than 10 seconds, the cuticle is compromised and strands are too damaged to be dyed properly. Use a deep conditioning treatment a couple times a week and stay away from heat styling tools, letting the hair repair itself before you attempt the test again.
Written by Kathleen Lee-Jone. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
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