How to Dye Red Hair Blond

Redheads who want to dye their hair blond face a particular set of challenges. Red is the dominant pigment in most hair colors, including black, brown, auburn and red. The only hair color that does not possess red pigment is pale yellow blond. To get to this stage, hair has to pass through all the red and gold lightening stages. If you do not lift the color properly, your hair can get stuck in the red/gold stage, which results in brassy, orange hair. Beautiful blond color is possible, but you have to follow the instructions carefully.

Things You'll Need

• High-lift blond hair color
• 40 volume developer
• Color bottle
• Hair clips
• Gloves
• Plastic cap

Instructions

1. Pour the hair color into the color bottle. Measure the hair color using the measurements on the color bottle. Pour 40-volume developer into the bottle until there is twice as much developer as there is color. Screw on the lid of the bottle, place your finger over the tip, and shake vigorously to mix.

2. Section off your clean, dry hair into four segments. Clip each section into place using hair clips. Put on plastic gloves, and wrap your shoulders with a towel.

3. Apply the color one section at a time, using ½-inch cross sections. Apply the color to the entire length of the hair shaft, starting ½ inch from the scalp. Leave the hair next to the scalp free of color at this time. Continue applying the color until all of the sections have been saturated with color.

4. Return to the first section, and begin applying color to the hair closest to the scalp. Continue with on the rest of the head, following the same pattern as previously.

5. Put on the plastic cap, and wait 30 minutes. Test a strand of hair by wiping the color away with a damp towel. If the color is correct, go to the next step. If not, wait 10 more minutes and perform a second test. Hair color can remain on the head for up to 60 minutes.

6. Rinse the hair thoroughly with warm water until the water runs clear. Shampoo and condition the hair. Style if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• High-lift hair color will only lift your natural color four shades.It will not lift hair that has already been dyed. If you want to lighten your hair more than four shades or if you have previously colored your hair, you will have to us a prelightener to lift the color and follow it up with an application of the desired color.

• The above instructions are intended for natural redheads who have not previously colored their hair. If your hair is already colored, following these instructions may result in an uneven, splotchy color.

References

• Mylady's Standard Textbook of Cosmetology; 2008