A Lovely Lie: Hair Dying Tutorial For Bright Colours

I get asked about my hair a lot. Especially since it is blue. For people who have dyed their hair funky colours before and have tried blue you know it does not fade well. It fades faster and not as gracefully as other colours You end up looking gross and splotchy like you went swimming in a porta potty. I get asked so often now that I've decided this post is necessary. This past week everyone seems to be thinking about their hair and wanting to change it and so many people keep asking me how I dye my hair and how I get it to stay so bright. Must be that fall is upon us, maybe because the leaves are changing their colours? I know the feeling though. I am dying for a new colour and cut right now too!

Since I have been dying my hair for 12 years now I have had plenty of time to research and experiment with different methods and different dyes and here is what I have come up with. This is my favorite method, albeit ridiculous and extensive.

Step 1: Bleach (aka : Lightener) 

 These are my best bleach friends. You can go for the Quick Blue tub if you are ready to make a habit out of it. If you are still not sure just grab the packet or 2 or more depending on what you are doing. Whole head you may as well go for the tub and find a buddy to split the cost with you. Nobody wants to dye alone!  Don't forget a bottle of the matching Oreor Creme developer! I think 20 volume is a good one to stick with, it is less damaging to the hair and better for those who are doing this at home and may not have the super speedily skilled hands of a professional. This lightener really is blue! It has a built in toner to help get rid of those brassy tones as it lightens. I still needed a toner the time I went blonde but for dying fun colours this is the stuff!

Follow the instructions on the back for applying. Don't forget gloves! Rinse as much of the bleach as you can out and then for shampoo go to step 2!



 Step 2: Baking Soda











Baking soda has been known to neutralize bleach. It has a low ph and lessens the acidity of chemical substances like bleach easily.  Using an alkaline substance like baking soda before dying your hair will also open the cuticle of your hair allowing the dye to penetrate deeply into the shaft (...hahaha... penetrate... shaft... *snicker snicker*). Neutralize that horrible bleach and prep your hair to absorb that awesome colour!

Mix 1-2Tbsp of baking soda with a mild shampoo (I sometimes just use my kids baby shampoo or my Dr. Bronner's it will still be fine if you only have your regular shampoo) rinse and then on to the next step.

Step 3: Dye

My #1 favorite dye of all times is Punky Colour by Jerome Russell it smells grapey fantastic. Second best of all the many dyes I have tried would have to be Special Effects. It is actually probably just as good as Punky, I am just very loyal to the wonderful smelling dye that has seen me through dark and otherwise dreary times.

Your hair has to be dry to apply either of these dyes so go ahead and dry it or if you have no plans sit down and take a break and let your hair dry on it's own, you have much more work ahead of you! I must add now since I just received a text from my sister while working on this post that YES dry hair really is necessary. It doesn't have to be bone dry but try to get it as dry as possible. Think of your hair like a sponge. A super wet sponge isn't going to help you clean up a spill very well. If it is already pretty soaked with water it will only be able to absorb a little of the mess. Just like your hair, if your hair is already wet it wont' be able to absorb as much of the dye.

Try to ignore the fact that your hair feels gross like straw because you just traumatized it with bleach and you didn't even get to condition it!!! When your hair is dry put on your gloves and start applying your dye! Make sure you are totally covered and don't forget the baby hairs!

Step 4: Bag Lady in Heat

 

Cover your head with a shower cap... or if you are me a Target shopping bag (really that should be added to the list of ways to recycle your bag)! I find Target bags are slightly more durable and less likely to have holes in them or to melt to your head when you apply heat... which is what you do after you have wrapped your dye saturated head in your bag Aunt Jemima style. Take your hair dryer, or if you are super awesome like I wish I were sit under a hooded dryer and apply heat to your hair for 15-20 minutes.

Step 5: Go to Sleep (this step is entirely optional)
These dyes are like putting a conditioning mask on your hair. They really help your hair feel better after the bleach and they don't have any harsh chemicals in them so you can leave them in as long as you want... which is why I sleep in mine! I usually start this whole process a little before dinner (cook while bleach is working it's magic, eat while hair is drying) that way by the time I am done with the heat processing I just throw a towel over my pillow just in case the bag slides up a bit or something and go to sleep! If you are like Stitches and the thought of sleeping with dye in your hair freaks you out then just try to start the process earlier so you can leave the dye on as long as possible. Seriously though, for a LONG time. I mean I am getting around 8 hours of sleep and then in the morning I still have to get my boys breakfast and stuff before I can jump in the shower... which brings us to step 6!

Step 6: Vinegar Rinse




You know how on the package of Easter egg dye it tells you to use vinegar for more vibrant colours? Well I don't really know why this one works but I feel like it is the same deal. Okay so I really do know why it works but I like to think it is for the same reason as the Easter egg dye but I really don't know why they tell you to do that... and why doesn't it work for the pink dye?! Anyways! Why this works! Remember the whole ph thing with the alkeline baking soda? The baking soda opens the hair's cuticle so what do you think the acidic vinegar does!? Yup! You got it! It closes the cuticle sealing in the colour!

Rinse out as much of the dye as you can using just water. If you slept in it you may have to use shampoo if you have been standing there for 20 minutes and the water running off of you is still super bright. When the water runs clear rinse your hair in white vinegar. Watch out for cuts and stuff! It burns! I had a cold the last time I did it and it got up my nose and burned soooooo bad!!!! Keep your eyes squeezed shut as if your life depends on it! I don't even want to know what that would feel like! So! Get your hair saturated in that business and then rinse it out!

Step 7: Clear Coat (optional)


This is the only brand we have tried but there are lots of different clear coats you can buy at Sally's Beauty Supply. I've only done this a couple of times I'm actually still not sure about it but Buttons and I have both tried it and she says it really helps her with staining things purple after she has dyed her hair. She has to have a black pillow case and only wear dark shirts after we dye her hair or she leaves purple stains on everything! I don't have as much of a problem with that with my blue unless I put my black people hair stuff on and it is all greasy and even then this stuff doesn't help. I started using this the same time I started doing the baking soda and vinegar thing so I'm not sure how much it really changes things but for Buttons and her white girl hair it really does seem to help keep her from turning the world into a more purply place.

Follow the directions on the back of the bottle and that's it! Condition, dry, style. You have super fun hair now!  Go show it off! Unless you did a really shitty job.... then shame on you! You should have really fun hair now!!!

PS: If I didn't cover something you have a question about please leave a comment! I'll tell you what I can!