What To Know Before Dyeing Your Hair Blue

Blue hair, the entry point to living a mermaid lifestyle, but on land. Having blue hair is the dream of many who enjoy incorporating bright colours into their everyday look, but this colour isn’t one for the faint-hearted. Whilst the different shades and tones of this vibrant colour are beautiful to look at and style, there are some things that anyone considering dyeing their hair blue should be aware of. 

Through this blog, we will be exploring what to know before dyeing your hair blue, from how to properly prep your hair, how to clean it, and how to maintain it so you can achieve your blue hair dye ideas. Before we look into the best ways to take care of blue hair dyed with a semi-permanent formula, let's look at the most common problems that we’ve heard of and come across.

Colour Bleeding - Semi-permanent hair dye is not designed to provide users with a permanent hair colour change. Due to this, unfortunately, colour bleeding is a common occurrence that is most prominent when using highly pigmented colours.

Staining - If your hair colour is bleeding, you have likely experienced some staining too. Although only semi-permanent, these hair dyes can stain skin, clothing, furniture and more. Again, this issue often occurs with those deeply pigmented hair colours as they hold much more pigment.

Extended duration - When using a bright blue hair dye, it’s important to note that the colour might last longer than expected. Due to the bold pigmentation, these dyes can last in different hair types for a varying amount of time, so if your goal is to no longer see blue after 6-8 weeks, you might want to consider a different tone.

With this being said, users should note that not all blue semi-permanent hair dyes will act the same. If you are using a pastel blue hair dye, this shade is likely to fade as expected within 2-4 weeks due to its very light pigment. You may also find that your hair type and base colour make a difference to how your blue hair colour lasts. Those who pre-lightened hair levels are likely to see a long-lasting effect from their new tone; as recommended, our dyes work best on this type of base as it provides a clean and light canvas for the colour to thrive. Those that apply their blue hair colour to a natural dark base are likely to achieve a colour tint; this result is much less bright and more visible in certain lights, however, this can still last well due to the high pigment of your chosen blue and with proper maintenance.

Now that you’re aware of the possible difficulties you might come across when using blue hair dye, here are our tips and tricks to achieve a blue experience that doesn’t leave you terrified of using this colour again. 

Prepping your hair before application

How you choose to prep your hair before applying a blue-coloured hair dye will make a difference to both your colour result and how long it lasts. Most of the Manic Panic blue hair dyes can produce some sort of visible result on nearly all base colours, except Blue Angel, which requires a level 10 blonde base. 

The lighter the hair, the brighter your blue result. Pre-lightening your hair will create a porous base. This porous surface is much more susceptible to the hair dye and is likely to hold the colour for longer, whereas a natural dark base might be less porous, allowing the blue tone to fade faster.

Maintaining your colour

To look after your vibrant blue hair dye application and make the most of its colour, you’ll want to establish a colour-safe hair care routine. Using sulphate-free and paraben-free shampoo and conditioner for semi-permanent dyed hair; these are kind to both your hair and the colour and don't contain ingredients that will strip the pigment. The Manic Panic Not Fade Away Shampoo and Keep Color Alive Conditioner are designed exclusively for hair with semi-permanent dye to protect and allow your colour to thrive for longer. 

It might not be the nicest experience, but washing your hair in cold water is highly beneficial for your colour. Cold water keeps the pores of your hair closed, allowing the colour to be locked in for longer, whereas warm or hot water has the opposite effect. Water of a higher temperature will open the pores and allow the colour to be released; this assists a quicker fade and also makes colour bleeding more likely.

How best to remove your blue hair dye

Removing blue hair dye can be a stubborn experience, but it is possible to reach a faded finish ready for your new colour application. At Manic Panic, we love a clarifying shampoo! Clarifying shampoo is a safe and gentle option for gradually removing your hair colour. Prepare To Dye by Manic Panic is a vegan and cruelty-free clarifying shampoo, designed to break down pigment and gradually fade the colour. Used with warm water, this is an effective way to remove your blue hair dye, however, it isn’t immediate. 

If you are looking for a much quicker option, we recommend reaching out and visiting a professional. With their experience, a professional hair stylist will know how to safely remove your existing blue hair colour, usually using a colour remover or even bleach. 

With this information, you should now have a better idea of what your experience might look like using a vibrant blue hair dye. At Manic Panic, you’ll find a variety of blue semi-permanent hair dyes to choose from to achieve your aquamarine dream, as well as the tools to help maintain it! If you have any other questions about our blue formulas or your experience having blue hair, we’d love to help however we can. Contact us on social media or via our customer services for more help!