How do I dye my hair?
Do I have to bleach it first?
How long will it last?
What exactly does semi-permenant mean?
How should I wash my hair?
Whats the best way to clean up afterwards?

How do I dye my hair?

1. Plan your attack: Make sure that you have rubber gloves and an area to color your hair. I prefer to use bathrooms at businesses I don't like so that I don't have to clean up afterwards. Although Special Effects is not a permanent hair dye, it will still stain most surfaces. If you're using your own house, make sure to have a moist washcloth standing by to catch any drips that might fall on your face, floor, or cat. hair dye

2. Gee, your hair smells terrible! This is very important: Your hair must be as clean as possible, but not conditioned. Make sure your shampoo doesn't have any softening agents or conditioners built in as they will form a layer preventing the dye from sticking. Bleached and damaged hair always gets better results, especially on light colors like blue, yellow, or pink. Let your hair dry completely before putting any Special Effects in it.hair

3. Lube your face: If you're concerned about ring-around-the-forehead, then smear a thin layer of petroleum jelly on any skin that may get unwanted dye on it. If you want to feel fresh at the same time, use some Vicks Vapo-Rub. It'll make you feel terrific and breath easier too! hair dye

4. Squirt it on your head: Many people use a tint-brush (there's one included in our Special Effects bleach kits), but I'm impatient and always end up squishing it with my hands. This makes your scalp colorful, but unless you're going bald, no one will notice and it washes off in a couple of days. Leave dye on hair for 45 minutes then rinse out. If you're going for multiple colors be very careful. Rinsing one color over another will stain the second color. Wow, all this info. is on every Special Effects bottle.hair dye

Do I have to bleach it first?

If you want your hair to be bright as hell and last a good long while, YES you should definately bleach it. Bleach does damage your hair. But the more damaged or pourus it is, the better the color will take to it. If you do not bleach your hair, the dye will give you colored highlights. Remember this dye does not contain any lightening agents. If you put blue on to brown hair, you should not expect it to come out as a vibrant blue. It will be darker and have subtle blue tints. If you want the flashy vibrant colors, you need to bleach your hair first.

How long will it last?

Special Effects says the dye lasts for 3-6 weeks. But I have been able to make acceptable color brilliance last up to 6 months with without having to re-dye it, by keeping shampoo to a minimum.

What exactly does semi-permenant mean?

The dye does fade over time, but never fully goes away. It stains your hair. For instance, if you have natural baby blonde hair, don't exect to dye it purple and have it completely wash out in 6 weeks. It will still have a hint of purple until you treat it with another color or lightening agent. Darker hair hides the staining better than lighter hair. Brunettes could add, say purple, highlights to their hair (without bleach) and it woud pretty much fade to an invisible state in 6 weeks with regular shampooing.

How should I wash my hair?

The less you wash your hair with standard shampoo, the longer the color will last. Here are some tips keeping your hair clean, while only shampooing once or twice a month:

1. Don't use gels or other styling products Hair spray and gels just by themselves make the dye fade faster. But you also have to wash your hair more often if you use the stuff.

2. Cornstarch this stuff is great for colored hair! It soaks up all the grease without taking color with it. Just dump the cornstarch on your head and rub it into your dry hair like a shampoo. Let it sit for like 20 minutes. Then brush it out really well, and rinse. Some people say you can just brush it out without rinsing, but I can never get it all out that way.

3. Vinegar Adding vinegar to your shampoo, or rinsing with a vinegar/water mix will help maintain brilliant color. Vinegar is an acid comonly used in setting dyes. It also lowers the pH balance of the shampoo, which hair care pros say closes the cuticle of the hair and locks in color. All I know is that it works.

4. Special Shampoo You can find "color safe" shampoos also. Personally, I just throw some vinegar into my suave or whatever. But buying a color friendly low pH shampoo would be just as well.

5. Keep It Clean Okay this might be obvious, but it helps to keep it away from your face, keep your hands out of it as much as possible, keep your pillow cases clean, and don't roll around in dirt.

Whats the best way to clean up afterwards?

Toothpaste is a great product to use to clean dye stains from bathroom porcelain and skin. It works surprisingly well if applied right away. Softscrub with bleach is always what I used after a hardcore dye party that had somehow slipped my mind until the next day when my mom freaked out. Rubbing Alcohol is what I used a month later when mom finally found that stain under the hamper that had soaked into the tile grout.