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How To Choose Hair Dye

Beauty : Haircare

Dying your own hair rather than going to a hairdresser can be a risky business as there is always the danger it will not turn out how you expected. If you want to do something drastic, like go from brown to blonde, or blonde to black, or if you are unsure at all, then seek advice from a stylist beforehand. If you have tried dying your hair and you have made a mistake, then you will have to go and get it fixed.

How to add colour to your hair

There are a few ways of adding colour to your hair. Highlights are good for adding a texture and subtle colouring to your hair, but are very time consuming as you have to pull the hairs through a cap with tiny holes. The more hair you pull through, the more dramatic the final effect.

Permanent Hair Dye

A permanent colour cannot be washed out, so if you don't like the final shade you will have to wait for it to grow out or have it dyed over which is a job for the professionals. You have to be careful with this kind of dye as the final results may be different to the model on the box as it works with your original hair colour too. If you do not want to take this risk, then you could try a semi permanent colour which stains the hair and washes out after a certain number of washes.

Skin tones and hair dye

People with gold or red skin tones should choose colours that are similar to this, like gold and red and auburn. If you have hair that has no shades of gold in it then the cooler colours might be more suitable. But when you are totally unsure you really have to get advice on your skin tones and see what colours would suit you. Sometimes you can find out your skin tones and colours at a beauty counter for nothing.

how to dye hair

When it comes to the actual dying part, then you have to follow the instructions to the letter. Just make sure that you do a patch test beforehand to check the dye will not irritate your scalp. Try it on the inside of your elbow once you have mixed up the ingredients you will use on your hair and leave it for 48 hours - you can cover up where you spread it on your skin when you wash. If nothing adverse happens then it should be fine. You also have to test out some on a small lock of hair to check that the colour does come out as you imagine and doesn't bleach your hair or do anything else drastic to it!

During the colouring process, make sure you wear old clothes as the dye can get on them, and also try not to let it touch the skin round your face and neck too much, apart from where it has to go. Use an old towel as well and make sure you watch the time very carefully ? you have to be rigorous about this.


By: Bev Woolfson on Mon, Apr 15th 2002

More hair dye advice

Most people are fearful to dye their own hair at home thinking if they make a mistake it cannot be fixed! I have been doing my own hair for years now and I had a major disaster with permanent hair colour! I was going from a light dirty blonde to a dark chocloate brown! Unknown to me the bottles have been changed in the store and I had got a deep black blue colour in my box. I was crying and upset and a friend of mine who is a hair dresser told me a little secrect I found to be pure genius! If your hair comes out way darker then you wished just wash it with Liquid Tide every other day untill it is light enough that you either like it or are able to fix it back up to the way you wanted it to be!

Happy Hair Dying!.

Never try the fuschia-purple toned ones, because they usually come out nasty purple or blood red, and look quite discusting..

Hi! I'm new to this most handy website :-) You will come to learn that I like to remind people about the impact things have on your health.

Scientific research has found that women regularly using permanent hair dyes are 3 times more likely to develop bladder cancer. Even when buying semi permanents you should be careful about which brand you go for (especially if it's a red, dark brown or black dye). It's PPDs, amonia, hyrdrogen peroxide and resorcinol that I've seen crop up allot in reports about the bad effects of hair dyes.

That's not to say that you cant have fun and try different colours! My hair is a lovely warm and vibrant shade of bottled red ;-)

I've been dying my hair for years. I used to use whatever was on special offer until I discovered the risks. At first I switched to Naturtint, who are good, but then I discovered Manic Panic who rock (and dont test on animals)! I love the colour I get from the Manic Panic reds (I've tried them all!) and it gives my hair a lovely subtle opalescent shimmer. I get mine from www.manic-panic.co.uk because they dispatch it straight away and I get it the next day.
Manic Panic suggest that you bleach your hair for a bolder more daring colour but I get a nice effect without the bleach. If you insist on pre-lightening your hair go for a lightener without amonia. I'm not sure whether Manic Panic have amonia in their bleach kits but I do know that Herbatint dont.

So, to surmise ... I recommend gentle Semi Permanents - Manic Panic (www.manic-panic.co.uk) But if you insist on a permanent or a lightener - Herbatint (www.herbatint.co.uk)

Nag over LOL - I hope it helps :-) x

Ppl out there if u want 2 dye your hair dont use permanent as it knacks your hair eg)mine lol the best are wash in wash outs as they are best hope it helps u

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