# Recommend a temporary hair dye **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 25, 2007, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-temporary-hair-dye/409378 "2007-06-25T19:31:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pendgwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@pendgwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pendgwen)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-temporary-hair-dye/409378/1 "2007-06-25T19:31:51Z")
I’m stressed at the moment and want to do something outrageous and silly with my appearance. But it has to be strictly temporary so that I can look like a sober, conservative professional in 2 weeks. Manic Panic advertises as semi-permanent but I remember college friends who used those as their permanent color so I’m concerned that it might not wash out in time. Especially since I have light hair and vestiges of dye that might not be noticeable on a brunette would still show on my hair. Anyone have experience with Manic Panic? How long does it really take to fade? Any suggestions for alternate brands? ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-temporary-hair-dye/409378/2 "2007-06-25T19:36:30Z")
I’ve used ICE spiker colors before. It’s a hair glue with color. It washes out the first time you wash your hair. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-temporary-hair-dye/409378/3 "2007-06-25T19:40:45Z")
Kool Aid! ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-temporary-hair-dye/409378/4 "2007-06-25T20:46:36Z")
No no no! Not Kool Aid! I knew a light haired girl that had a blue streak for the entire school year thanks to Kool Aid. Really I can’t think of anything that will last two weeks then go away that is a bright color. You could try the colored hair sprays and reapply as needed. The semi-permanent dyes will last 2-3 weeks, but I’ve never seen any in Manic Panic colors. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-temporary-hair-dye/409378/5 "2007-06-25T20:48:01Z")
If you have light hair you can use a tiny bit of powder bleach in shampoo to remove the remnants of Manic Panic. You might want to consult a stylist before DIY. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-temporary-hair-dye/409378/6 "2007-06-25T21:41:45Z")
Wait until Halloween, and stock up. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-temporary-hair-dye/409378/7 "2007-06-25T21:42:28Z")
There are semipermanent colors out there that work even for dark hair like mine (I dyed it black. No one noticed). The Egyptian Plum by Clairol Natural Instincts is nice, because it doesn’t look natural, but it doesn’t look too wild, either. Here’s a page with a [link](http://www.clairol.com/brand/naturalinstincts/palette.jsp?hf=) to the shades. Scroll down for the more interesting ones. ---
**Author:** ![shamrock227](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@shamrock227](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shamrock227)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-temporary-hair-dye/409378/8 "2007-06-25T22:02:30Z")
Castings (L’Oreal, I believe) washes out in around two weeks (less, if you wash your hair a lot). Most of the colors are rather natural looking so I don’t think you could get really outrageous with it, unless you went striped or just did part of your head or something like that. But, you wouldn’t have to worry about it not coming out in time. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-temporary-hair-dye/409378/9 "2007-06-25T22:15:08Z")
Stay far, far away from Manic Panic if you want it to go away soon. A while ago, I dyed my hair dark, dark, dark brown (black in most lights, but dark brown mostly heh) with bleached in copper stripes. [This](http://a533.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/25/l_d0b60139ee5e50a7d2f607dcd8b178d4.jpg) was the end result of that professionally dyed style. Of course, the copper quickly faded to bright orange and I decided I wanted red, so off to Manic Panic I went. [This is how the MP red came out.](http://a574.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/1/l_f3c61eee2d3aef8ee3e67e8a23b6d07d.jpg) . Lovely, I know. All until I wanted to change my hair color a month later, that is. My hairdresser put lifter on my hair once- the black came up and turned in to a dark brown. The red though- the red was fully intact. So then we lifted again, making a medium brown with dark orange stripes. The red still held. We then bleached the streaks of red, turning them light orange. [This](http://a393.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/57/l_559b20eedb0322960622eafaef23efd0.jpg) was the lightest we could get and it’s still orangish. After three bleachings. So yeah, stay away from MP if you want temporary anything. (FTR- My hair is naturally dark, dark brown). ---
**Author:** ![Carlyjay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Carlyjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carlyjay)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-temporary-hair-dye/409378/10 "2007-06-26T01:08:24Z")
L’Oreal has a lot of good products. If you’re looking for something that will come out in 2 weeks, I suggest their mousse. It adds colour but it washes out relatively quickly. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-temporary-hair-dye/409378/11 "2007-06-26T05:20:54Z")
[QUOTE=shamrock227] Castings (L’Oreal, I believe) washes out in around two weeks (less, if you wash your hair a lot). [/QUOTE] Um, is Castings a different product where you are than where I am? Because that’s what I use, and the package here says it washes out in six weeks, not two. I assume that’s if you’re washing your hair daily, which I don’t; after six weeks the color has faded but is still there, and I usually have enough roots showing that I decide to color it again. There are certainly very-short-term hair coloring products out there, but the European version of Castings at least is not one of them…