If you have ever had your hair dyed a fun color before, you probably know it's no walk in the park to keep it looking great. I've had my hair dyed for a year and a half and it's definitely been a journey. Here are a few things nobody told me before dyeing my hair.
1. It's expensive.
If you aren't comfortable with bleaching your entire head yourself, you'll probably find yourself in a hair salon. The first time I dyed my hair, I went to a hair stylist that had done my hair for prom in the past and wow did I get lucky. I paid about $200 for the bleaching process (two times), dye, styling plus a tip, and my stylists gave me a discounted rate. Even buying box dyes from the drug store can get pricey!
2. It's time consuming.
It took two days of three hour sessions to get my hair from a natural brown to a beautiful waterfall of pink, purple and blue. Because my natural hair is so dark, my hair had to be bleached twice, so we had to let in rest in between so as not to fry my hair off! Now when I dye my hair at home it takes a minimum of two hours.
3. You can't wash your hair everyday.
As someone with an oily scalp, this was an unfortunate surprise. Of course you can wash your hair everyday, but that means your hair color won't last as long.
4. Your body may or may not turn a different color.
If you are using professional hair dye, you won't have to worry about this. However, if you use dye from the store, you may notice that your body has a slight tint to it in the washes just after you dye your hair...especially when you look at the toilet seat.
5. You can see your hair EVERYWHERE.
We all know how much hair we shed, but when your hair is a neon color you notice just how much hair gets left behind around the house. Your housemates will also know it was you who left a strand in the kitchen sink.
6. It fades way too quickly.
For the amount of work it takes to get your hair a beautiful color, it doesn't last nearly as long as it should. I'd say my hair is usually at its best for about a month, until it begins to really fade.
7. Your hair probably won't fade into beautiful pastel colors.
If you thought your deep violet hair would fade into a beautiful pastel purple, well, you're in for a bad time. Since different sections of hair are exposed to different elements, hair color fades in a variety of different ways. The back of my head and the front strands usually fade the worst, while the under sections remain more vibrant.
8. Instagram hair colors are all lies.
No matter how hard you try, your hair just can't get quite as nice as what we see on Instagram. #thanksfilters
9. You have to be careful about what hair dye you buy.
As I mentioned, I went to a professional the first time I had my hair dyed, so she used professional grade dye. Afterwards, I decided to re-dye my hair on my own and made the unfortunate mistake of using Splat from the drug store. Now my hair is permanently stained pink.
10. Your hair may change texture.
After some intense chemical warfare, my hair is much more susceptible to drying into a frizzy mess. The sections of hair that have been bleached the most tangle the easiest and a new type of dye I've been using leaves my hair crunchy for a few days.
11. Everyone will want to touch your hair.
There's something about bright hair that literally attracts people. While the compliments are nice, the fingers can get a little old. Like I said, you can't wash your hair everyday, so you want to keep it as clean as possible!
12. Your friends can spot you from a mile away.
Luckily, or maybe not, you can't be missed! You'll probably become a marker for meeting up with friends and you'll never be the one to get lost.
13. You'll never want to go back to your natural hair color.
I love having my hair different colors. I've decided to let my natural hair grow out, but I'm cherishing the purple that I have left and will probably end up dyeing it all again.
Every time someone tells me "I wish I could dye my hair" I always tell them to go for it! If you are contemplating a dye job, just do it. You won't regret it and now you have some tips to help you along the way.
