Hair dying basics - does heat help?

My opinions 🙂

a) Completely up to you. I am impatient and usually only manage two or three hours but some people here sleep overnight with dye on. The longer you leave it might have an impact on how long the colour lasts but personally I don't find it makes much of a difference.

b) I don't think warmth matters at all with semi-perms. I know Adore says to use heat, but I've never used Adore and have never used heat and have no problems.

c) You don't HAVE to section your hair, but it's the best way to ensure even coverage.

d) Yes. The extent to how much rub-off you get depends on the dye and the colour - most people find Adore and SFX rub off the least, and I've always found that Directions Rose Red's rub off is particularly terrible - but there are ways to minimise it. You can dilute your dye down with conditioner - most dyes will take quite a bit of diluting before they change colour/intensity - and you can do a final vinegar rinse to cut down on rub off. But you should plan for some rub-off occurring on your hands, neck/shoulders, bedding and pale-coloured clothes, at least for the first two or three washes.

e) Pass, I've only ever used it full-strength!

f) Conditioner-only washing is best for keeping your colour vibrant, and also cutting down on how often you wash your hair. Search around the forum for conditioner washing, also known as co-washing; there are plenty of threads about it.

Good luck!

a) I think for a more longer lasting effect, leaving it on for at least 4 hours helps. I've tried leaving it on longer (like 12 hours) and it didn't seem to make much of a difference than when I left it on for 4. Less than that though, and it seems to fade faster.

b) using heat can help. It will help lift your cuticle a bit while the dye is on so it gets in there more. If your hair hasn't been processed much or if it resistant, I would wave a dryer over it for 20 minutes. If your hair is virgin then I definitely would, and you may want to presoften it first too

c)for the most even coverage, it really is best to section it like you would a permanent dye or bleach. Apply it to clarified, non conditioned, product free hair. Some apply it to damp hair, I prefer applying it to dry hair, but it's up to you

d) it does depend on the dye and the hair, really. The things Tabitha suggested really help a lot though. Adding a good squirt of conditioner to it really helps a lot, using cold water, and doing vinegar rinses

e)If you want it more neon looking, you may want to use some flo glow in it and maybe add some blue to it as well so it's not too green. I've never used it so I can't recommend a ratio, sorry <3

f) I also agree about CO washing. It makes a tremendous difference in the time your color lasts as well as the health of your hair. If you do still want to use shampoo though, I would use something that is sulphate free, many of those 'color safe' shampoos still have sulphates in them

A) I typically only keep my dye on 1-2 hours because I don't have a lot of time. I rarely have 2 days off in a row and need to get up at 4 am for work most of the time so I can't sleep in it. I hardly have any fade though, but that's partly due to how I wash and one of the colors I use is really strong.

B) I don't really find a difference with heat applied to dye, even Adore which says to use it. If it's cold in my apartment I'll put a beanie hat over the shower cap but that's it. I have tried with the hair drier and only wound up with a tired arm to show for it.

C) I have hardly any hair so I just slather it on and work it in with my fingers. If you have thick hair definitely section it.

D) Like others have said it depends on the dye. All the dyes I have used so far have had no rub off when dry. Some bleed like crazy when wet so I make sure to not get caught in the rain.

E) Can't recommend a ratio. Add dye little by little to white conditioner until you get a color you like.

F) Break up with shampoo. Washing with conditioner will do wonders to keep your color looking good and keep your hair feeling amazing.

So much good and valuable information, thanks so much! It helped a lot!