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How to dye your hair at home?

Think of dyeing my hair… How to do this at home?

When searching for instructions on how to dye your hair all by yourself, you need to consider your current color, desired results, and other factors. Let us make it easier for you by giving a fast overview of all the options you have.

How to Achieve Various Effects on Hair

Before reading tips on how to dye your own hair, you need to focus on what you want to get in the end. Do you want to go lighter or darker? To switch to a new color completely or just add some fresh touches? To create a stunning contrast or a smooth transition? Let’s explore your options here.

– How to dye your hair with professional products

When you want to dye all the head, get a box dye with a permanent or semi-permanent formula. The first one contains hydrogen peroxide to remove your natural pigment out of the hair cortex and replace it with other shade. The second type covers only the surface of the hair without penetrating deep into the structure. Thus, it’s less harsh, but it lasts just about 15 shampoos. Whichever way you choose, apply the product following the manufacturer’s instructions. Moreover, you can contact your hairstylist by phone, order a custom hair color kit online (in your favorite hair salon or any other that delivers personalized hair color kits), and even get direct instructions from a pro via Zoom.

– How to dye your hair blonde

To strip the hair of its natural pigment with bleach, you need a bleach powder and a developer. They can be bought as a kit or separately, but you need to choose a suitable developer volume based on your current base color and the lift you want to get. Mix the ingredients (most often it’s 1 part of bleach powder and 2 parts of developer) and apply the mixture to the sectioned hair, starting 1 inch away from the roots. When you are finished with the bottom, go back to the roots and then wait 30-45 minutes until washing the bleach off. Once more, the best option will be to consult with your hairstylist before bleaching.

– How to dye the tips of your hair

The easiest way to color hair at home is to dye only the ends. Choose the product that is supposed to work best towards your hair goal and follow the instructions. The key tip on how to dip-dye your hair perfectly would be planning the placement of the color and trying to achieve a softer transition unless you want a harsh demarcation line. So, mark the length from where your color would start. Then, dip your ends into the product or work through them with a toothbrush, moving upward and distributing the product evenly. In some cases, you need to blech the ends before dyeing them.

– How to dye your hair ombre

Ombre coloring is similar to the previous technique but with a smoother transition. To succeed with ombre, it is recommended to slightly backcomb your locks in the area where you want the fade to start. You can also divide your hair into the top and bottom sections and color the upper section more intensively for a softer contrast.

– How to highlight your hair

You can do it with an at-home highlight kit, a bleach powder and developer bought separately, or even some natural products like lemon juice or honey. The main idea behind highlighting is to get a sun-kissed effect. Paint tiny pieces of hair around your parting and face and get them separated from the other strands with foil or cotton squares.

– How to dye the underlayer of your hair

Here, you will need plenty of hair clips or elastics to keep the upper part of your mane away from the section you’ll work on. Make sure to get your hair evenly separated into two horizontal sections. The rule of thumb is to part the hair along the line connecting the tops of your ears, but you can adjust the scheme as you want, even by making a semicircle. Protect the skin on the neck by applying petroleum jelly and then paint the lower section starting from the roots.

– How to dye your hair at home when embracing natural hair

Commonly, natural coils are more porous and fragile, which helps them retain color better but also makes the hair more susceptible to dryness. Besides, when going blonde from black, you risk getting yellow or red color. So, opt for a box dye with a formula specifically designed for natural texture and don’t try to lift your color more than 3 levels.

How to Dye Your Hair Without Hair Dye

Keeping in mind all the chemicals the most boxed dyes are stuffed with, the question is how to color hair without damaging it. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to dye your hair naturally, and we are going to explore several popular methods.

– How to dye your hair with Kool Aid

Get some funky color with Kool Aid and conditioner mixed: heat a few spoonfuls of the latter in a microwave and add a packet of drink to get a creamy blend of the desired intensity. Apply it to your hair and wear a shower cap to help the color work.

– How to dye your hair with food coloring

It’s an alternative to the previous method that requires mixing some creamy base and a liquid or gel food color. You can exploit your regular conditioner or aloe vera gel as the base while adding a sufficient amount of dye as it will turn out lighter on the hair.

– How to dye your hair with peroxide

Though hydrogen peroxide is not that gentle to our tresses, you can use it without bleach powder to lift your existing color cheaply and with reduced stress. Get a 3% HP solution from a drugstore, dilute it with water (1:1), protect your skin with petroleum jelly and soak the strands in the mixture or apply it with a brush to have a sun-kissed effect.

– How to darken your hair with coffee

When having a light brown base, you can get it 1-2 tones lower by doing the next simple steps. Brew several cups of strong coffee, let it cool until it’s lukewarm, dip your mane into the brew, and put a cap on for an hour or so.

– How to lighten your hair with lemon juice

It’s a safe way to lift the hair color a bit whether you want to dye the whole mane or just make highlights. Squeeze some lemon juice and spritz it onto the locks either locally or around the whole head. Then go to sit in the sun for at least an hour to let the chemistry kick in.

– How to dye your hair with baking soda

Being an alkaline, baking soda actually works similar to bleach powder, opening the hair cuticle. Besides, it helps in breaking the hair pigment, thus enhancing the effects of hydrogen peroxide or lemon juice. But you can just blend it with water to create a paste and let it sit on the tresses for twenty minutes.

How to Color Your Roots

Actually, there is no need to go crazy over the slightest peep of roots or grays through your main color. If the contrast is pretty subtle, opt for temporary root cover-up products like sprays, powders, sticks, or mascara. If the problem is bigger, take advantage of root touch up kits. Make sure to pick a matching tone (choose a lighter option if you have some doubts) and apply the product only to the roots instead of blending it with the existing color. Below you will find a great tutorial how to dye your roots at home.

Now, you know how to dye your hair without going to a hairdresser and with a nice chance to enjoy salon-like results. Anyway, don’t forget to take care of your colored locks by deep conditioning.

Featured Image: brush – www.freepik.com

by Donna Sullivan
Donna is a hairstylist with 8 years of experience. Ask her about any hair-related problem (haircuts, hairstyles, colorings, hair care) and get a pro advice!