How to Successfully and Happily Dye Your Hair for Fun

Dying your hair is a great way to express yourself. It's a wonderful non-permanent form of self-expression that changes with you. I've experimented with different hair dyes both natural and wild, as I dared. I've also used a completely natural color to a bright red. Hair dyes will lighten your hair in the following stages, black, brown, red, orange, yellow blond, light blond.

First and foremost you should always wash your hair before beginning dyeing your hair. A good kind of shampoo to use is one that removes chemical or mineral buildup. Do not condition and do not use a shampoo /conditioner combination. Conditioner will interfere with the dye bonding to your hair. If scalp is sensitive or hair is damaged or dry, wait 12 to 24 hours after washing to bleach or use permanent dye since natural oil in your hair will protect the scalp.

Follow mixing instructions to the exact word. Use gloves and an old towel, dye will go everywhere, even if you have done this numerable times. Clean the dye from your skin with a paper towel dipped in shampoo. If your dyeing part of your hair with permanent or chemical dyes and part with manic panic or another crème semi-permanent, do the chemical dye first. Don't leave chemical dyes or lighteners on for too long because it will harm your scalp and hair. Go to a professional hair stylist if the dye turns the color of a circus clown or much darker than you had expected. Re-bleaching can really mess up you're hair. Don't leave it to chance unless you're prepared going bald. Avoid bleaching chemical dyed hair. Wait for it to grow out, or use a semi-permanent color in the first place.

Red is always in for all hair shades or any tone. If you are blond you may not want to go fire engine red, instead you should use softer tones such as strawberry blonde, light copper, or a dark copper blond. Adding a gold highlight or a golden-blond to the mix will give you a natural, strawberry blond. Although the golden-blond and plum highlights do give a nice warm tone.

If you are a light brunette to a dark blond you might want to try a copper highlights, a dark golden-blond with copper highlights. If you are willing to be more daring you might want to try a nice deep rich copper or fire red. Subtle colors such as light mahogany red color or a deep plum is also very pretty.

If you are dark brown to black, red usually looks the best. Brunettes can try fire engine red, berry red highlights, mahogany, copper, and even plum will greatly enhance the brunette. If you want a natural, subtle approach highlight with red-browns or dark plum colors. If you like dark colors and want them to show, ask your stylist to make them sliced highlights. They are more noticeable in the hair.

If you would like to be more daring with your hair color you can try Manic Panic. Manic Panic is an herbal and protein mix complex, and therefore doesn't hurt your hair, in fact it conditions the hair. The name Manic Panic refers to various brands semi- permanent hair color creams and gels commonly used by punks and Goths. Most natural hair color dyes are chemical and therefore damage hair. Bleaches are the harshest on your hair.

Dark manic panic colors consist of rich greens, reds, and purples, which will add highlights to naturally colored hair of any color though will wash out sooner than most. Do not mix the manic panic with other dye color brands to add to the color. Do not mix chemical dyes. Manic panic comes in both cream and gel forms. You may mix creams with creams and gels to gels. Misuse treatment of hair dyes and bleaches can damage hair. Make sure you follow instructions on your box of hair dye before attempting anything rash and enjoy the new you.