How To Dye Hair Light Red Under Black Hair - smartesthairstyles.com - Jet black hair with bright red color underneath is a very popular look. If you want to do a multi-color dye job at home, take five or six hours to complete the whole process. First the black top layer is colored and then the red layer. Dyeing your hair black is pretty easy even if you've never done it before. However, the red layer requires a bit more work as you need to bleach your hair before adding the red color. Make sure you are well prepared for this process before you begin.
1. Figuring out the logistics
Avoid washing your hair 24 to 48 hours before coloring. Your hair may feel a little greasy beforehand, but try to cure it. The natural oils in unwashed hair help protect your scalp and hair roots from hair color, especially when you reach the red layer. The hair dye will also penetrate your hair better and the results will be more vibrant if your hair isn't squeaky clean when dyed.
If you must wash your hair before coloring, only use shampoo and skip conditioner. Hair dye has a hard time attaching itself to freshly conditioned hair.
Use a good quality semi-permanent or permanent black dye. Skip the grocery store aisle and pick up your dyes at a beauty store. These dyes are usually salon quality products and produce better results. Opt for liquid formulas over mousse formulas - liquid black dye results in a darker and more opaque black than a mousse formula.
If you've never colored your hair before, use a semi-permanent black color the first time. If you are more experienced you can also use permanent paint.
If you are naturally blonde, you may want to dye your hair dark brown first and then black. Sometimes black coloring on naturally blonde hair can result in a green tint.
Decide how thick you want the black top coat to be. How much black and how much red you want is a personal choice - there is no "right" way to create this look. As a general rule of thumb, you can start by tying your hair in a half ponytail. Pick everything up, starting at your ears, and hold it back in the same place you would put a ponytail.
For a slightly more subtle result, pick up some more hair after having it in a half ponytail. For example, you can part your hair at the nape of your neck. This way you have a lot more hair to dye black than to dye red.
Be sure to check out the different thickness options before you start coloring. It's best not to make impulse decisions when you're in the middle of the process.
Separate the top layer from the bottom with staples. Use a hand mirror or have a friend help you make everything look even after separating the top layer from the bottom layer. Secure your hair tightly to avoid straggly pieces falling off while dyeing.
Make sure to clip back all face-framing parts of your hair. These pieces need to be colored black so that the red layer appears "under" the black layer.
Use aluminum foil to protect the bottom layer of your hair from black dye. Place a foil just below the top layer of your hair. It should hang down over the bottom layer. Make sure the foil covers at least half of your hair. Wrap the edges of the foil over the sides of your hair. Clamp the foil on each side to keep the foil in place.
The foil should be directly under the top layer and protect the top part of the bottom layer.
If you are confident that you can apply the black color without getting it on the bottom layer of your hair, you can skip the foil.
2. Coloring the black layer
Prepare the dye and your work area. Follow the directions that came with the dye to mix and develop it. Wear gloves at all times and hold a towel around your shoulders to protect your skin. Apply a thick lotion or a layer of petroleum jelly around your hairline before you begin to prevent the color from staining your face.
You can also use a barber cape instead of a towel if you have one.
Pull a section of hair out of the clips and apply color. Start at the front of your hair and work one strand of hair at a time. Pull a section of your hair out of the clip and apply the black color to the section. Make sure to drench your hair with the color from root to tip. Use bobby pins or barrettes to tuck the finished sections out of the way for easy access to the rest.
If you have thick hair, you may need to break the sections into smaller sections that are about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick.
You can twist each finished section into a mini bun and pin the sections that way if you like.
Finish applying the black dye to your top layer. Pin the strands up as you finish them so they are kept away from the bottom layer of your hair. Follow the directions that come with the dye box and leave it on your hair for the recommended amount of time. Keep a towel wrapped around your shoulders in case the paint drips onto your skin.
Once you're done applying the color, set a timer for the amount of time the product recommends.
Rinse out the black paint. Before rinsing out the color, gather the bottom layer of your hair and secure it in a low ponytail. This will keep it out of the way when you're done with the top section. You'll need to lean forward and hold your head under the stream of water to flush out the paint. Leaning forward, remove the clips and bobby pins and start rinsing your hair.
Don't let the bottom layer of your hair get wet and keep it out of the way.
It may be easier if you have a friend help you with this part.
Rinse your hair until the water runs clear.
Dry your top layer of freshly dyed black hair. Squeeze out the excess water, then place a towel between the top layer and the bottom layer. Flip your hair and it falls onto the towel without touching the bottom layer of your hair. Squeeze out as much water as possible and gently dry with a towel. Blow dry the top layer of your hair as usual.
Keep the bottom section of your hair in the low ponytail during this process.
After your black layer is completely dry, clip the hair back up so you can continue coloring the bottom layer.
3. Bleaching and coloring of the red layer
Prepare the bleach. Most of the light, unnatural dyes that are available are semi-permanent dyes. Unless you have naturally light blonde hair, you must bleach the bottom layer of your hair before dying it red in order for the color to show. If you apply a red semi-permanent color to your hair without bleaching it first, the color will be almost imperceptible. Consider seeing a professional for bleaching, especially if you've never done it before.
Bleaching is not as easy as coloring hair. There are many more chemicals involved, and those chemicals can burn your skin and severely damage your hair.
Bleach the bottom layer of your hair. Start with completely dry hair - never bleach damp or wet hair. Carefully read the instructions that came with your bleaching product. Follow them closely. Wear the provided gloves and be extremely careful while applying and rinsing the bleach. Rinse the bleach out with lukewarm water until the water runs clear.
Make sure you're working in a well-ventilated area, as bleach fumes are quite strong.
Dry the bottom layer gently with a towel. Run a wide-toothed comb through your hair to remove tangles. Allow your hair to air dry about halfway before proceeding with the red coloring. You shouldn't apply the red to completely dry hair, but it shouldn't be soaking wet either.
Color the bottom layer with red semi-permanent paint. Read and follow the application instructions. Wrap an old towel around your shoulders before you start protecting your body. Once you have the red color on your hair, leave it on for the time recommended in the instructions.
Semi-permanent dyes do not harm hair and the longer you leave them on, the brighter the red becomes.
Rinse the red dye out with cold water. You should still have your top layer securely fastened to your head. Follow the instructions that came with the paint to rinse it out. You may need to rinse it out under the faucet with your head turned sideways to avoid getting the rest of your hair wet. Continue rinsing until the water runs clear.
Dry your hair gently with a towel. Allow to air dry or remove the top layer and style your hair as usual.
You may not want to sleep on a light-colored pillowcase for a few days to avoid staining.
Be sure to use cool water as it will seal your cuticles and lock in the color.
4. Preserving your hair color
Protect your hair color from fading. Luminous hair dye fades easily. Do everything you can to preserve your color for as long as possible. Use sulfate-free hair products. Look for shampoos and conditioners that advertise "color protection." Wash your hair less often and always with cold water.
You can use dry shampoo between your regular washes if needed.
Avoid getting your hair wet in a swimming pool, as chlorine can wreak havoc on bright colors.
Use a deep conditioner once or twice a week. Bleach dries out the hair and if you're not careful it can damage it and cause significant breakage. Once you start bleaching your hair, you need to take very good care of it to keep it healthy. Get a good deep conditioner and use it once or twice a week.
Use a deep-acting mask once a week. Hair masks are similar to deep conditioners because they're heavily moisturizing, but they usually contain proteins and other ingredients formulated to strengthen your hair. A weekly deep conditioning mask can help rehydrate dry hair and restore hair cuticles damaged by the bleaching process.
Look for products that contain ingredients like glycerin, vitamin E, shea butter, proteins, argan oil, keratin, avocado oil, Moroccan oil, and coconut oil.
Avoid heat styling your hair as much as possible. Heat opens the hair cuticle and brings out the color, so limit the use of blow-dryers, flat irons and curling irons. When using these tools, be sure to apply a heat protectant spray to your hair first. It forms a barrier between your hair and the heat.
After bleaching, your hair will be much drier than before. This makes it easier to burn. Use heated tools carefully.
Reapply the red semi-permanent color when the color starts to fade. Unfortunately, vibrant colors begin to fade within a few weeks. To revive the red color, however, you don't have to repeat the bleaching process — at least not for a while. Simply apply the red color to your faded hair and rinse out like you did the first time. Depending on how well your hair initially took the red color, you may need to refresh your color every two weeks.
After coloring your hair for the first time, all you need to do is color your new growth. You can also touch up the previously colored hair if you wish.
Don't bleach your hair every time you need to touch up the color. This will severely damage your hair. You only need to apply bleach when staining new growth.
Pay attention to the condition of your hair and only repeat the bleaching process if it is healthy and strong enough to withstand the harsh chemicals.
