I’ve never not had a job or been enrolled in a school with a rule against non-natural hair color. It’s never been much of a sacrifice because I’ve never had the guts to do anything crazy anyway. But now I’m taking a weeklong solo dive trip and I had this impulse to turn my hair green or purple or maybe several colors. I bought a sampler box of Lime Crime 7-day assorted colors and was thinking I’d put in some streaks below the scrunchie line (so I can still hide it in a bun if necessary). I have minimal experience with this sort of thing; I have naturally dark blonde hair and get medium blonde highlights done professionally, and sometimes I paint a subtle 30-day blonde color on my roots to stretch the time between appointments. I have an appointment with my stylist after I get back from my trip and before I have to go back to work.
But I’m getting cold feet. It’s probably going to look terrible, right? It might not all wash out after a week, right? Let me have it: am I being an idiot or a coward?
What’s the worst that could happen with regard to work/school if it doesn’t all wash out (mind you - you could always die it back to approximately your natural color if your needed to). Ask your self that, and then do it anyway!
You’ll love it and hate it and probably never do it again.
It’s not an easy process, certainly not compared to the basic home color in a box. First, you have to bleach the hair you want to dye as light as possible. Then you add the color product (my experience with teenage daughters was with the brand Manic Panic), carefully separating the strands. It’s a freaking mess and takes forever. My #1 daughter kept her natural blonde hair cotton candy pink for years, while daughter #3 experimented with almost all of the colors at some point. She is half Native Alaskan, so growing it out was a pain for her. I am very fond of the mermaid hair, but my hair is too long and process free to try and mess with dyes, and there is too much natural silver in it now to try to color it at home anymore. If you want to do it, do it! I would, but I would have it done professionally. Just my not so humble opinion, backed by some experience, lol!
Your medium blond highlights should take the color no problem. Your dark blond hair may or may not, depending on how dark it is. But I say, warm up the cold feet and GO FOR IT!!!
Thanks! I’m not going to bleach it; if I do dye it, it’ll just have to be whatever color medium blonde turns into (certainly not cotton candy pink). I know I’d get better results if I went all-in, but I’m just not prepared to make that kind of investment. I have until tomorrow evening to decide, then I’d better do it, or not. I’d welcome any other tips.
Experience says that doing the back of your head without a helper is a bad idea. I’ve tried it multiple times. It ends up muddy with all the colors higgledy-piggledy.
Also, I can almost guarantee that the colors will still be in your hair. In fact, they will probably linger until you bleach the last bits out (or cut them out).
I would suggest something like hair chalk, which is a lot more temporary.
I’m a guy and have zero experience with this, but I’ve seen women with colored hair spend a lot of time in the ocean and have it react poorly. So be prepared for that, or research how to keep the color correct after long saltwater immersion.
Professional hair coloring is supposed to be permanent: first the outer cuticle layer is chemically opened up so that the color can penetrate, the old color is bleached out and the new color is deposited/developed, and the cuticle is finally closed. It should not simply wash out. However, what the process does do is reduce the strength of the hair, so that afterwards it might be 75-80% of what it was originally. This should not be a problem, but obviously you would not want to dye all your hair a new color each week, just touch up the new hair every however many weeks.
ETA pay them to do it rather than risk screwing it up
What’s the worst that could happen? I don’t know of many professions in 2020 where slightly colored hair will destroy career prospects. It will grow out soon enough, either way.
Be like the color reef fish: brightly colored and proud of it!
“Let me have it: am I being an idiot or a coward?”
Are you asking us to pick which? Or are you asking in general if your indecisiveness is a character flaw? Never mind, it’s neither. Practically, there are a few things that can go ‘wrong’, like you don’t like the color you end up with; or you do, but it quickly fades into something blah; or your hair feels dry and brittle.
Like tattoos, colored hair isn’t the symbol of rebellion it once was. Now it’s just a fashion statement. My youngest prefers bright colors–pink, red, acid green. I’ve only seen her mix them once, she definitely prefers monochrome. The one thing you think when you see her is, “This girl don’t give a F*** what anyone thinks of her.” and you’d be right. She doesn’t want you, she doesn’t need you, and she’s glad to have communicated that before you try and talk to her about your mundane petty bullshit. BUT if you’re open minded enough to get past the warning on top of her head, you’ll have a loyal companion who will have your back no matter what…because she don’t give a F*** what anyone thinks of her.
Further down the scale, there are more subtle things you can do with color that are probably better done at a salon. Colored streaks, especially colors that complement your natural hair, can be breathtakingly beautiful even in a professional setting. It is still a fashion statement indicative of self-confidence, but it’s not in your face.
In the end, whatever you do is going to look different and may take some getting used to. People will treat you subtly differently, and not necessarily in a bad way–it really does project self-confidence (unless you normally act kind of ditzy, in which case your hair is the least of your problems). But it won’t look ‘terrible’ unless you’re really ham handed about it. Spend a couple bucks and have a pro do it, and you’ll probably love it after a day or two.
?? What is Mermaid hair? Google “mermaid”, check out the images. Common theme is brightly colored (sometimes red, sometimes rainbow) hair. Although the hair usually reaches, the boobs generally are covered by starfish (think about that) or seashells (because B shells are too small).
Sorry, I assumed that term was widely understood. I’m talking about doing something like this https://www.pinterest.com/pin/526921225128649880/
or this https://www.pinterest.com/pin/457467274645230840/
Obviously mine is not going to look as good as anything on Pinterest, but if my stylist can fix it before I go back to work, I think I’ll live. I’m not worried what people will think of me on the dive boat, but I do feel that unnatural hair colors are not appropriate for a lawyer appearing in court. I guess the worst-case scenario is that I’d have to cut it off, and I don’t like having short hair.
First, check what effect sea water is going to have on the color.
Second, I would make sure “whatever color medium blonde turns into” is a color you can live with.
Because “whatever color medium brown turns into when one loses a bet with one’s son” is not a color one can necessarily live with for more than a week before one’s son lets one off the hook. Unless “roughly matching an orange that has been left in the sun for a month” is your favorite color.
My 80-year old mother gets blue streaks in her hair every appointment. Not old-lady blue; this is bright punk-rock blue. She loves the attention it gets.
You’ve got at least as much guts as an 80-year old, right? I say go for it. If it looks bad or changes color in the ocean, you’ve got a good story for a few weeks, and then it’s gone. But unless money is a serious concern, I’d get it professionally done.
Definitely not a forum for not giving a F*** what others think of you. Have you considered colored hair extensions? That would be a look you could dial in and sport any time you want, even if you’ve got a trial tomorrow, and they won’t force you to deal with a hunk of fading/dried out hair.
My daughters have played with hair dye. They never bleach it first, just dyed right over. They have hair color about what you describe yourself having. They’ve played with the chalk and it seems to get good results and doesn’t wash out immediately. It’ll last a week or so, but fading the whole time.
