I believe that everyone should dye their hair a fun color at least once in life. It gives people personality, character, and it’s just a fun experience overall. Now, most people never dye their hair because they think it’s too expensive, too much work, and too dangerous. However, it is super simple to dye your hair at home. It doesn’t cost a lot, it’s really not that much work, and if done correctly, it’s not dangerous at all. These are the tools and steps you need if you’re interested in dyeing your hair.

As there is a difference between bleaching and dyeing hair, I’d recommend starting off just dyeing your hair a different color without bleach. Many people hear about bleach fails, which is what drives them away from coloring their hair in general. However, unless you don’t follow directions carefully, there is a very small chance you will burn your hair off with bleach. Of course, bleach can alter the appearance of your hair, so do thorough research before applying any kind of bleach to your hair. 

To get started, make sure you have the proper materials and set up. I recommend going to Sally Beauty and finding a dye color that suits you and your hair. If you have very dark hair, it will be harder for you to find a dye that works, so bleaching is always the best option for the most vibrant results. I recommend using brands like Manic Panic, Arctic Fox, or Iroiro for semi-permanent color. Manic Panic also has very good bleach kits. If you want something more permanent, Splat is your friend. However, beware, trying to get Splat dye out of your hair, especially if you want to be blonde, is an extreme challenge. In my personal experience, I have found that red dye stays the most while purple dye fades the fastest. Blue or black dye will almost always fade to green.

For the materials, I recommend multiple plastic gloves, a bowl you don’t mind staining, a hair dye brush (you can buy one at your local beauty supply store), and a shower cap. To ease the cleaning process, cover the surfaces of your dye area with some old towels you don’t care about. Along with that, apply vaseline around your hairline and forehead, and wear a shirt you don’t wear anymore to prevent dye in places you don’t want. If, by any chance, dye does spill on a counter or any plastic surface, isopropyl alcohol will almost always get it out. [Unless it’s wood, I still don’t know how to get dye out of wood.]

Now, for the dye process, section out the parts of your hair you want to dye. This part’s pretty self-explanatory. Apply the dye and really saturate each section of hair. After you’re done with a section, wrap it up in tinfoil to prevent transfer to parts of your hair you don’t want dyed. If you want to dye your entire head, I honestly just put globs of dye in my hands and apply it like shampoo. This may not be the best method, or the cleanest, but it gets the job done quickly and efficiently. After you get the parts of hair you want dyed fully saturated, wait for the indicated amount of time on the packaging before rinsing your hair. I recommend putting your hair up in a shower cap to reduce the risk of stains while you move around your house. After that, rinse with cold water, shampoo your hair, dry it, and admire the results!