How to Dye Your Hair Rainbow Colors

Adding a variety of colored clip-in extensions to your hair can give you the rainbow look for a day, but to keep the look for longer, you'll need to use hair dye. Dyeing your hair in colors all at once leaves you with a garbled mess. The proper technique is to dye the hair in clear sections of vibrant colors. Block out plenty of time to dye your hair in rainbow colors; it could take more than one day.

Things You'll Need

• Hair lightener
• Colored hair dye
• Clothing drape
• Old towel
• Hair clips
• Comb
• Petroleum jelly

Instructions

1. Lighten your hair using an all-over lightening hair color kit according to package instructions if your hair is medium brown or darker. Colored hair dye shows up better on lightened hair. Wait 3 to 4 days after lightening your hair before applying rainbow color.

2. Wash and towel-dry or completely dry hair, depending on the manufacturer's instructions. Wear a drape to protect your clothing. Mix a single color of hair dye. Apply petroleum jelly to your forehead, ears and neck to protect skin from staining.

3. Section your hair into the pieces desired for each color. You will dye your hair one section at a time, so use a hair clip to secure all sections out of the way except the one you are currently dyeing. Begin with the section you are dyeing the lightest or faintest color, and end with the section that will be the darkest or most vibrant color.

4. Apply the dye to the isolated section of hair, and allow it to process for the time recommended by the manufacturer. Dark hair needs to process longer to obtain a vibrant color result.

5. Rinse out the dye, avoiding mixing the color throughout the rest of the hair. Dry or towel-dry the hair before dyeing the next section, depending on the manufacturer's instructions. Repeat the steps to dye the divided sections of hair the subsequent colors, ending with the darkest color.

6. Wait 1 or 2 days to wash your hair after dyeing it, and use pH-balanced shampoos and hair products to maintain color for as long as possible.

Tips & Warnings

• The rainbow contains the following colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Use those colors in that order to get an authentic rainbow result. Perform a strand test, using a small amount of your hair mixed with the hair dye, to discover your ideal processing time. When the hair in your strand test becomes the color you want, check the time. Process the hair on your head for that amount of time.

• Never mix hair bleach or peroxide with other colors. Always perform an allergy test before using hair dye or bleach, even if you have used the identical process in the past. Apply a small amount of the hair product to the underside of your forearm and allow it to process for 30 minutes. Wait 24 hours to see if a skin reaction develops in that spot. If you notice any redness, burning or itching, do not use that product.

References

• How To Use Manic Panic Hair Color
• Applying Splat

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• About Rainbows