Having a freshly dyed ‘do can make the world of difference when it comes to your confidence, but maintaining your colour can be awfully expensive - especially as a student. Having not seen my natural hair colour in over three years, I daren’t add up how much money I have spent getting my hair dyed in the hairdresser. It was in my first year that I took the plunge into dyeing my own hair. One thing nobody told me about purple hair was just how difficult it was to maintain, but thanks to a £6 tube of dye that had more than one use in it I kept my colour looking fresh. I may have slightly ruined my bathroom in halls in the process, but it was a huge learning curve and meant that I’ve accumulated a list of tips and tricks to remember before you reach for the dye.
Preferably you want to be topless with a trusty carrier bag/bin liner acting as your barrier cape between the dye and your skin, but if you don’t have the luxury of wandering around topless then something old does the trick. Even if you are wearing an old t-shirt I would recommend still using your plastic bag cape, just to avoid any rogue dye from soaking through the fabric. Ideally you’re going to want something like a shirt where you can unbutton or unzip it down the front, as the motion of pulling your t-shirt over your head runs the risk of rubbing dye all over your face – purple splodges on your cheek are SO not sexy…
Honestly, this stuff works wonders. If you’ve had your hair dyed at the hairdresser you’ll know of the special wipes they have for when they accidentally get a bit on your skin, or if they’re like my hair dresser all over the salon. However, they aren’t the easiest thing to come by unless you happen to know a hairdresser and their supplier, so my cheap alternative is nail varnish remover. It’s safe to use on your sink, in your shower, on your tiles and even on your skin (as long as you remember to moisturise afterwards, otherwise it can leave your skin a little tight and dry).
I know this one may seem a little obvious to some, but you have to resist the urge to just slap the dye all over your head if you’re wanting it to last. If you’re like me and have bleach hiding underneath the dye, your roots will be noticeably darker, but even if you don’t the hair that forms your roots is virgin hair and as such requires more time for the dye to develop.
The best way to do this is to invest in a brush, they only cost a few quid and as long as you remember to wash it once you’re done they’ll last for quite some time. Brush the dye onto your roots by sectioning it off and putting it to the side once you’ve dyed the roots before slathering the rest of the dye on the ends.
Again, a very obvious one but one that even I have forgotten before. Gloves are vital unless you want funky coloured hands for the next week, not only when applying the dye but when you jump in the shower to wash it off at the end. The dye is coming out of your hair and will stain your hands until the dye still sitting on top has washed off.
