Coloring your hair can be overwhelming, so I’ve put together this comprehensive guide on how to dye your hair.
In the 90s and 2000s, dyeing your hair was a surefire sign of rebellion. Nowadays, so many people are doing it that it’s become as normal as blue jeans.
There are all kinds of reasons for wanting to dye your hair. Most guys reach for the dye whenever they want to really change up their look or when they want to hide some greys.
But dyeing isn’t as simple as it might seem. There are many factors to take into consideration, such as what kind of hair dye is right for you, how long you want dyed hair, and which kind of dye/process you want to use.
If you just rush out, grab a random box dye, and go to town, you could end up with a seriously catastrophic result. And that’s especially true if you’ve never dyed your hair before.
You owe it to yourself to figure out a few things before you make the jump, and that’s what this guide is for. While I can’t make the decisions for you, I can tell you what your options are and what different types of dyeing are like.
Let’s get started!
Is It Weird for Guys To Dye Their Hair?
First off, let’s address the possible elephant in the room.
You might be feeling some insecurity about dyeing your hair. Maybe you want to go for a bold color and don’t know other guys who have done that, or maybe you’re self-conscious about wanting to hide some grey hairs.
Well, the short answer to this question is no.
More guys dye their hair than you might think, and often you can’t even tell. Many guys are unhappy with their natural hair color or don’t want to rock grey hair, so they opt for coloring it.
Even though it’s not weird, dyeing isn’t for everybody. It’s a big commitment, especially if you use permanent hair dye, so you’ll want to spend time thinking about it.
Types of Hair Dye
Now let’s look at the different types of hair dye out there.
Permanent
Permanent hair dye is pretty much what it says on the tin. With permanent dye, your hair will remain the same color until you re-dye it or cut off the colored hair after it grows out.
Permanent dye affects your hair the most because it enters the hair shaft and chemically changes the color from the inside out. Because of this, it won’t fade, so the color will stay vibrant.
However, this type of dye requires fairly strong chemicals like ammonia that must be mixed with a developer.
Semi-permanent
Semi-permanent hair dye only changes the color of the hair on the outside. Since it lacks ammonia and doesn’t require a developer, it cannot enter the hair shaft and instead deposits the color on the surface.
It usually lasts around 6-8 shampoos before fading. This makes it a safer choice for at-home dyeing or for those concerned about chemicals.
Perhaps the biggest downside is that you can’t lighten (or “lift”) your hair. You can only darken it or cover greys.
Demi-Permanent
This type of dye is a middle ground between permanent and semi-permanent. It lacks ammonia but does require a developer, which means it penetrates the hair shaft without fundamentally altering the color. This means you can’t really lift the hair or mask greys with most demi-permanent formulas.
Demi-permanent dye lasts about 24-28 shampoos before fading. Essentially, you get almost all of the benefits of permanent and semi-permanent. It’s also less damaging than permanent dye because of the gentler formula.
Temporary
Temporary hair dye lightly coats the outside of the hair and usually washes out after a single shampoo. It doesn’t actually change the color of your hair at all — it just puts a temporary color on top of your existing one.
It’s the gentlest non-natural form of dyeing your hair, and it’s great for testing out colors. However, its applications are pretty limited. You can usually find temporary hair dye in spray form.
Natural Hair Dyes
There are many natural methods of dyeing hair that involve making dye out of organic ingredients.
There’s no beating around the bush here. Most of these natural methods just suck. Lemon juice, coffee, carrot juice, beet juice — all of these produce little to no color. The strongest effect you’ll usually get is a mild, almost imperceptible tint.
If you have lighter hair, you might find some success with natural methods, but unfortunately, most of these won’t produce noticeable results.
Henna Dye
However, there is one natural method that actually works quite well: henna dye.
Henna is a dye made from the crushed leaves of the henna tree. It’s been used for thousands of years, and it can even be combined with other natural dyes like indigo to achieve different colors.
Unlike other natural methods, henna can create vivid colors, especially if you want a darker hair color.
That said, henna has its limitations.
First of all, it can only deposit color, so you can’t lift the hair.
Second, henna dye is hard to remove. It’s a permanent dye that’s naturally long-lasting — that’s why it’s also used for tattoos. To completely remove the color, you have to grow your hair out and essentially start all over again.
Third, it’s an extremely messy process with a steep learning curve. Henna stains any skin it comes into contact with and can be tricky to apply.
The one big drawback of typical hair dye is that it can be toxic and damaging, so if that’s something you really want to avoid, consider using henna. Just make sure you do your research before diving in.
Choosing a Hair Dye Color
Selecting a color is one of the most important parts of dyeing your hair no matter which method or type of dye you go for.
Generally, if you’re going darker, don’t go more than two shades darker than your natural hair color. If you’re going lighter, stick to one shade lighter.
This is especially crucial if you want a natural look. Assuming you’re going to be dyeing your hair a fairly “normal” color, this is the formula you’ll want to stick to. If you go too light or too dark, you’ll get harsh results.
In addition, if you want to go from dark to light or dye your hair a bright color, you’ll probably have to bleach it first. Bleaching is a time-intensive process that requires some time to settle.
You can’t go from dark brown to platinum blonde just like that. At-home bleaching kits do exist, but it’s really best to visit a professional for this.
As long as you keep that range in mind — two shades darker, one shade lighter — you’ll set yourself up for optimum results. When in doubt, go for the lighter color.
If you’re trying to cover up grey hair, then you’ll want to match your natural hair color as closely as possible.
One of the best ways to achieve this is to use a technique called grey blending where you use semi- or demi-permanent dye on the parts of the head where grey hairs show up. You’re not dyeing all your hair — you’re just focusing on grey spots.
Of course, if you have a headful of grey hair and want to dye it completely, then dyeing the whole head of hair is a better solution.
Okay, so you’ve got a hair color in mind, and you understand the types of dye. Now you need to figure out whether you want to dye your hair yourself or have a professional do it.
How To Dye Your Hair at Home
Let’s explore at-home dyeing first.
Dyeing your hair at home can be overwhelming if you’ve never done it before, and it can also be easy to mess up. If you want to go this route, make sure you do your homework and prepare yourself. Watching videos from professional colorists is a good way to get the hang of it.
That said, dyeing your hair at home is easier than it’s ever been. For years, at-home dyeing meant using drugstore box dyes, but now you can get high-quality and even customized dye solutions with easy-to-follow instructions.
The exact dyeing process will depend on the particular dye you’re using, both in terms of type and brand. You’ll either get a small kit (with tools like an application brush and mixing bowl) or apply the product directly from the bottle.
Here’s a general overview of the process:
Don’t shampoo your hair for 1-2 days before applying the dye. This is to allow for the secretion of natural oils, which can protect the hair against damage.
Before you dye, apply petroleum jelly to your hairline to create a barrier that will mitigate skin staining and dye dripping.
Next, apply the dye to your hair in sections. Usually, you’ll want to start in the front and work your way back. Make sure you apply the dye as evenly as possible, focusing on tricky spots like your roots and the back of your head. (A mirror will come in handy here.)
You’ll usually need to leave the dye to sit for a prescribed amount of time, so check your instructions.
From there, you should rinse your hair and possibly shampoo it. For permanent dye and bleach jobs, you’ll want to shampoo. For semi and demi-permanent dyes, you can skip the shampoo and go right to conditioner. Finish up with a thorough rinse.
Keep in mind that these guidelines only describe the general process of dyeing your hair at home. It’s vital to follow your product’s instructions to the letter, and you should consult a professional colorist if you have any questions.
Getting Your Hair Professionally Dyed
Going to a professional colorist to get your hair dyed is always the safest route to take, period.
And really, unless budget is a huge concern, this is the option I recommend.
A trained colorist will be able to walk you through the process, and you can rest assured that the dye will be expertly applied.
Dyeing hair is a long and tricky process, and as you saw above, it comes with a bit of a learning curve. By going to a colorist, you save yourself all of that hassle and risk.
The downside is, of course, the price. Getting your hair colored at a salon can be expensive, but it depends on where you go.
A chain salon will usually run you about $35 to $50 while a high-end salon can cost over $200 just for a single color. On average, you can usually get an outstanding color job in the $75-$150 range.
Keep in mind that those prices are just for simple, single-color jobs. For hair bleaching and dye application, the fees can get eye-watering.
But if it’s excellent results you’re after, there’s really no other option. If you have the means, find a local colorist who knows their stuff.
The only situations in which you might not want to go with a pro are if you’re budget-constrained or if you want to use a natural dye like henna. In most cases, a pro colorist is the way to go.
Final Thoughts
Dyeing your hair involves a lot of factors, but hopefully, I made it easy with this guide.
When in doubt, consult a professional colorist. There are many services that allow you to video chat with a colorist to get questions answered or have them walk you through the at-home dyeing process.
But regardless of which approach you take, now you know what to look for.
Planning to dye your hair soon? Any questions about the process? Let me know in the comments!
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