Pre-lightening Your Hair
If the plan is to achieve something vibrant and bold, pre-lightening the hair is essential when using semi-permanent hair dyes. These formulas do not contain harmful or damaging ingredients; due to this they cannot lift or lighten the hair so we rely heavily on a light base to apply the creative colour to. Bleaching your hair can be a risky process and, if not done correctly, can alter the end result of your new hair colour. Kitti Clarke (@kitti_at_the_art_house) tells us about a time a client in the salon had an at-home bleach job. “Now we all know we don’t have eyes in the back of our heads…this was more than apparent in this situation! Imagine a painting of a leopard that has been smeared….a bit patchy and a whole variety of lift (or not so much). Let’s aim for a clean, even lift to showcase our vivid dreams!”
Emma Pullen (@emdoeshair232) also takes us through her own experience with bleaching in the salon and what she learnt from the experience for future clients and appointments. “Lightening a client's hair for hours and spending so much time on it for the colours to come out looking muddy or dull!” Emma explains what precautions and tests she has put in place to ensure that this does not happen again “Make sure your client’s hair is suitable for what you're trying to achieve; good consultation is key. Strand testing is a massive part of my routine in hair because doing this will then let you know what is in store for you. You know how it's going to lift, and also if there is anything on the hair that will resist your attempts or make it harder, like box dye!” Emma explains how important it is to lift to a clean base to ensure you do not compromise the colour that is applied on top.
By Emma Pullen
Longevity Expectations
We all know that semi-permanent hair dyes are designed to eventually fade out, however, before you apply your chosen hair colour you should take into consideration just how long your colour is expected to last. Shades that are very light in pigmentation, such as pastels, are going to be the first to fade, usually lasting 2-4 weeks tops! Whereas, colours that hold a deeper pigment may stay in the hair for even longer than expected. Gunel Kelly from Manic Panic Sponsored Salon, Harness & Mane (@harnessandmane) took us through her experience of clients not considering the longevity of semi-permanent hair colour “When people try to get out of green and you do an all day colour correction. The next time they come in they say they’ve used up the leftover colour they had at home and turned their hair green again and are surprised it’s not washing out fast enough.”
By Harness & Mane
Colour Bleed
The bleeding of your colour is inevitable with a lot of semi-permanent hair colours. Their non-permanent properties mean it is always possible for the colour to bleed, especially when the hair is wet or exposed to heat. Kitti speaks from experience and provides some top tier advice should you be entering the world of vivid hair colour “After taking your new rainbows home, be aware that the first time you wash your hair the bathroom may look like you’ve just murdered a unicorn! White, light pillow cases? Just don’t! Keep it dark. Especially if you’re one to get a bit toasty at night there is a good chance there might be some transfer from your freshly coloured hair.”
Emma has also had her own experiences with colour bleeding and shares that she still has apprehensions when rinsing certain colours “When rinsing certain shades I am still nervous, especially if I am wanting bright pops of yellows or greens in my colour. Being careful about placement and not being afraid to ask your client to do awkward positions for rinsing too is beneficial.”
The Colour Wheel Theory
At home, it can be easy to think throwing on a new colour will improve your boredom or need to try out a new hair colour, however, it can result in a completely different opinion on your hair. The colour wheel theory is often used by professionals to figure out the end result of an application. It isn’t always as simple as applying a new shade straight from the pot, it can take combining colours together or using a shade completely different to your intended result in order to achieve what you had imagined. Kitti explains just how this theory works “When you’re using direct dyes and like to change up your colour it’s important to know your colour wheel! Think you can go from red to green by just putting said green over your current red? Absolutely not! You’ll end up muddy! Instead, work your way around the colour wheel to get to the desired results!”
By Kitti Clarke
Dark Brown to Pastel
Pastels, we all know them and a lot of us love them, but you know what doesn’t love a pastel tone? Unbleached, dark hair. Pastel hair dyes hold a very small amount of pigment, this is to ensure that your result creates a subtle colour change rather than something vibrant and bold! Pastels aren’t for everyone as achieving this hair colour requires a lot of preparation. “Pastel Pink on a base level 6? Unfortunately, it’s just not going to happen. Not being mean but just managing expectations! If you dream of those pastel tones then realistically you need to have a clean level 9 base.” Kitti offers some tough yet vital advice should you be considering a pastel transformation.
So, are you ready to take the plunge into our creative world of vivid hair colouring? The process is fun and vibrant, however, it is important you are aware of how to get there and adaptations you might need to make once you reach your end goal. Semi-permanent hair dye is a safe option for those looking to add a unique element to their own personal style and with the experience and advice of our own Manic Panic professionals, you can easily create a spellbinding result!
