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Q&A for How to Dye Your Hair an Unnatural Color

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Question

How do you know what hair color is right for you?

Brianna Bowling
Hair Stylist
Brianna Bowling is a Hair Stylist and the Co-Owner of The CRAFT Salon in Glendora, California. With more than 11 years of experience, she specializes in balayage, blonding, and vivid colors. Brianna has received years of in-depth training on advanced color techniques.

Brianna Bowling

Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Pick a color that lives at the same level of however high your hair is bleached. So, if your hair only gets to a red-orange shade, stick with a purple dye. If your hair is more of a yellow-orange, try greens or blues. If your hair is more of a pale yellow color, do pinks and purples.

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Question

Can you lighten your hair with box color?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Box dye may lighten your hair a level or two if you have never colored it before. Most box dyes have a guide on the back of the box that shows the expected result on different hair colors.

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Question

Can you dye your hair from black to red?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

You can achieve red on black hair, but you will probably need to bleach it first. If your hair is dyed black you could also try a color remover.

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Question

Can you dye dark hair without bleaching it?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

You can dye hair without bleach as long as it hasn't been colored before and you are trying to lighten it more than two levels. You can also always go darker without bleach.

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Question

What color of hair dye lasts the longest?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Warm natural shades like golden blonde and chocolate brown last the longest. Cool colors like platinum blonde and vibrant reds fade fastest.

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Question

I have really dark brown curly hair. I got highlights in my hair a year ago. The color is gone, but the bleach is still there. Can I bleach over it without damaging my hair?

Ashley Adams
Professional Hair Stylist
Ashley Adams is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Stylist in Illinois. She completed her Cosmetology education at John Amico School of Hair Design in 2016.

Ashley Adams

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

You want to be careful when bleaching so that you aren't over-processing your hair. If you want to touch up your highlights, only your new growth will be affected.

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Question

My hair is a kind of darkish brown. I really want to dye one piece in the front bright aqua. I know I need to bleach it. How badly will that damage my moderately healthy hair?

Ashley Adams
Professional Hair Stylist
Ashley Adams is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Stylist in Illinois. She completed her Cosmetology education at John Amico School of Hair Design in 2016.

Ashley Adams

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

You will most likely experience some dryness at the least. As long you keep up with regular conditioning treatments and trims, your "moderately healthy hair" should be able to withstand bleach and dye.

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Question

Can you go swimming with dyed hair? Will it wash off in the pool?

Community Answer

Unless you have temporary or semi-temporary hair dye, going in a swimming pool will not wash the color out. Keep in mind that chlorine and other chemicals in the water may alter the dye color, for instance, blonde hair may turn greenish, or auburn hair may turn red or purplish.

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Question

What do I do if I have a darker shade of blonde hair? I want to dye it red but it's going to end up pink. What should I do?

Community Answer

If you don't mind paying for it, a professional hairdresser could do this for you. Otherwise you should probably bleach it and then dye it to your desired shade of red.

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Question

Why has my hair turned orange after putting purple dye on it?

Community Answer

It is because of the colour of your hair before you dyed it. If you had brown hair and the dye had a bleach substance in it, it just did not talk the colour part.

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Question

How do I make my hair soft after bleaching and dying?

Community Answer

Your hair should be soft after a few days if you're using the right kinds of bleach. If it's not, then try to condition it more often using a conditioner specially formulated for bleached or dyed hair. You can also use coconut oil in your hair to soften it. Refer to this article for more information.

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Question

I'm getting an ombre in a pink, purple, or blue. What should I do to make sure the colors I chose are right for me and then keep the color?

Sadye B

Community Answer

When choosing the colors, consider what colors you wear often along with your natural hair and eye color. The best way to maintain color is to only wash it a maximum of twice a week with color safe shampoo and conditioner and any other products you usually use. You can also but oils, masks, tinted shampoo, etc. to keep the color.

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Question

How badly does bleach damage hair?

Community Answer

It completely depends on how healthy/strong your hair is. One person's hair may be severely damaged from bleaching, another may bleach their hair repeatedly with no damage at all.

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Question

Where can I get the blue dye?

Community Answer

Normally, any drug store/supermarket in the section with the hair dyes.

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Question

Must I bleach my hair before dying it blue if my hair is naturally blond, but not a very light blond?

Community Answer

It depends on the shade of blue you plan to dye your hair. If you're dyeing your hair a darker shade of blue, it's easier to get away with not bleaching your hair than if you want to dye it a pastel blue. If your hair is bleached, though, the blue will be more vibrant and will stay in your hair longer.

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Question

What should I do to dye my hair if it is a darker shade of black?

Community Answer

Bleach your hair! If you have dark black hair, then you need to bleach it with 30 or 40 vol. developer. Your hair will be a medium shade of orange, you can then apply the prefered dye over it (ex: purple), or if you want the purple to be lighter and more vibrant, then you'll need to bleach it twice before applying the purple dye. Some important tips: Don't bleach it twice on the same day. Bleach for first time with 30 vol. developer and then apply conditioner over it. On the next day, shampoo your hair, let it air dry, and then bleach it again with 20 vol. developer. You'll get medium blonde/platinum blonde hair. Then you could apply the purple dye over it.

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Question

I have darkish brown hair, and I want to dye it a dark blue. Do I have to bleach it?

Community Answer

It should work fine without bleaching, unless you want the blue to be very vibrant, in which case it may help to bleach your hair first.

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Question

My hair is bleached, and I want to dye it a dark turquoise color. Will the dye come out very bright?

Community Answer

It depends on how light your hair is bleached and the intensity of your dye. The lighter your hair is, the brighter the dye will be; conditioner will dilute the dye and make it less vibrant. Some dyes will stay in your hair longer than other dyes, but they'll all still fade over time.

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Question

Do I have to bleach my hair if it is gray in order to dye it light pink or blue or purple?

Community Answer

Depends on the shade of gray your hair is. If it's dark, yes. If it's really light, probably not.

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Question

Do I need to wait days to let the color set?

Alois Vencha

Community Answer

No. It should take a few hours for the color to fully set in your hair.

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Question

What if I want my hair in stripes, like pink AND natural blond?

Community Answer

Bleach some stripes, then color them. Wrap the strips of hair in foil as you color them, so the color won't leach into your natural hair. This can be tricky to do on your own, so you might want to consider using a professional.

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Question

I want to dye my hair a purple color: it's blondish right now. There are a few light brown patches, and I want the purple to show up equally. Can I just dye my hair blonde instead of bleaching?

Alois Vencha

Community Answer

You can dye your hair blonde instead, but I think it would be cheaper and easier to bleach it.

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Question

What is a good unnatural color hair dye brand?

Alois Vencha

Community Answer

Arctic Fox is vegan and has a wide selection of colors. Manic Panic is another solid choice.

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Question

Is bleaching your hair permanent?

Hailey

Community Answer

No. Your hair grows, so it will eventually grow out and you will have your normal hair color back.

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Question

How do you decide what color suits you?

Community Answer

Try lots of colors in a similar outfit and send them to a trusted friend. Ask them what they like better and what you like better. Keep in mind what clothes you get more compliments when wearing them. Think about things like weight and eye color.

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Question

Will dying my hair kill it?

Community Answer

No. It may damage your hair and make it dry, but it won't "kill" it.

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