If your hair isn’t fully bleached (meaning you got a balayage or highlights) and you can see your roots already, no need to wait! You can match your hair color to hair dye right away.
The color you choose is based on the undertones that you want in your hair. If you have warm undertones in your natural color, go for gold dye. If you have cool or neutral undertones in your natural hair, go for red dye. If you’ve had some experience dyeing hair, you can also use a tinted protein filler to add undertones back into your hair. However, this product is a little trickier to use, and you may want to ask a professional to apply it.
Box dye is slightly cheaper, but it’s a little harsher and can dry out your hair. If you’re worried about damage, go for a professional dye. Try to find a demi-permanent hair color. This color lasts longer than semi-permanent, so you won’t have to re-dye your hair as often.
Many box dyes come with a pair of disposable gloves that you can use.
Once your products are combined, they should be smooth and have a creamy consistency.
If you have very thick hair, do 6 sections instead: 2 in the front, 2 on the sides, and 2 in the back.
Focus the dye mainly on your bleached ends, but get some on your natural roots, too. That way, all of your hair will look the same color when you’re done.
If you’re worried about getting hair dye on furniture in your home, cover your hair with a plastic bag while you wait.
Since you used a filler dye first, your hair is not going to be your natural color yet, and that’s okay! The next dye that you use will cover up the unnatural filler color.
If your hair is very damaged or dry, wait a few days before coloring your hair again. However, if your hair is pretty healthy, you can move directly onto the next step.
Bleached hair tends to lose dye faster than naturally-colored hair, so you may have to re-dye your hair every few months.
Wait at least 24 hours before washing your hair after you dye it. This will keep your color lasting longer, and it also won’t dry out your hair as much. Remember that even though you dyed your hair back to its natural color, it’s still bleached underneath. You need to keep caring for your hair as if it was bleached to make sure it doesn’t get too dry or damaged.
When you shampoo your hair, concentrate the shampoo on your scalp instead of bringing it down the length of your hair. Shampoo can dry out your ends, and your hair is rarely dirty enough to need shampoo all over.
You can also use a leave-in conditioner to keep your hair hydrated all day long.
When you do use heat styling tools, turn them down to the lowest heat setting, and use a heat protectant on your hair beforehand.
