I touched on this briefly when I talked about dying my hair purple a few months back but, I am notoriously opposed to doing anything drastic to my hair. I have a particular aversion to getting it cut but in general it takes me a very, very long time to get on board with hair change.
A million years ago I was using henna and was a quite content redhead for a while and since then I've briefly dabbled in an ombre attempt and a light tint of purple...
...but like anyone the urge to leap into something new struck at a moment of self reflection and change. First the purple happened and now I've just been on this excited roll of picking new colors and playing with the look.**
I've learned some things along the way and after three months of playing with it thought it might be time to share.
1.) If you are unprepared to deal with the consequences of fucking it up, go to a pro.
-This one is pretty self explanatory. If you are frightened of irreparable damage, let a pro take care of it. There is no shame in this. In fact it's probably smart advice but, for those more DIY inclined keep reading.
2.) If you are bleaching your hair at home use real bleach.
-The first round I used a Revlon Frost and Glow kit (Hello 2002) because I was a little nervous and, while it did work, it took much longer and ended up requiring two applications. For take two (about 4 weeks later) I opted for the Clairol Kalidecolors and some pure white 20 volume developer. It took a single application and about half as much time to lift the color as the Revlon. When it comes to bleach the less time your hair is exposed to it, the better off you are. Be smart and check the hair regularly for progress but some basic knowledge and a little research should make you pretty comfortable with some small areas of lightening.
3.) Bleach only what you are prepared to lose.
-This way if something does go wrong you don't have to worry about anything too drastic being removed or needing to hide under a beanie in May. I opted to do the ends; a good friend of mine does small sections behind the ears etc. Somewhere discreet is nice in case it does go tits up then you can easily chalk it up to experience and move on. For more all over color or lightening maybe revisit tip number one.
4.) Wait 24 hours before applying additional color after bleach.
- This is one I learned the hard way. If you attempt to dye over freshly bleached hair the bleach will continue to lift color for the next 12-24 hours and will fade your crazy addition much more quickly. This is the kind of know how a pro is good for but ultimately I just needed to touch up a little sooner than I was anticipating.
5.) Wash less.
-Now a solid break between washes isn't a bad thing for your hair in the first place but when playing with nutty colors washing less often will mean fewer touch ups. I also opt to use a cleansing conditioner in place of shampoo which I find extremely helpful both for color preservation and damage control. Less washing = cooler color for longer.
6.) Have fun! (Cheese!)
-The whole point is to exit your comfort zone a little bit. I polled my friends and family when I was picking out my most recent color choice and despite some mixed reactions (in my case mostly from family) people came back with things I wouldn't have previously considered. This shade, the Manic Panic Enchanted Forrest, was a killer recommendation from a friend who had once used it for years. It wasn't even on my radar and now I'm loving it.
Sometimes it's not easy to make big changes and it's even easier to get discouraged when they take a long time to come. I've found that working at them is always a little more rewarding when you can stop and make stupid, superficial changes along the way like dying your hair green in the unsupervised privacy of your bathroom.
**This advice is not necessarily intended for post break up use. Bleach at your own risk. Also wear clothes you don't mind ruining.
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