Cutting and stripping

So I recently had a bit of my hair cut off. Not a whole lot, maybe like 2 inches. My friend Cate did an excellent job last time she cut my hair so she's now officially one of the only people I will let come anywhere near my noggin with scissors. She put in layers last time and maintained it again. I've noticed it's much more flowy that way as opposed to the straight along the bottom blunt cut.

Before, left. After, right.

As you can tell, she didn't take much off. Just enough to go from below my waist to at my waist. It wasn't really frayed at the ends, I just wanted to clean it up a bit since I want to dye it soon.

Speaking of dyeing! I needed to strip what was remaining of the green out of my hair. The cut got the moldy green colored tips off, but the rest of my hair still had kind of an olive hue to it.

A couple before stripping (but after cutting!) pics:

And as a better indicator of just how green the underside of my hair still was, check out my braids the day after getting it cut:

I used the same color remover as I had when I went from red to green: One 'n Only Colorfix. I liked how well it removed my permanent red and so decided to give it a shot on my semi-permanent green. It warns on the instructions it is designed mostly to remove oxidative dyes (permanent) and not direct dyes (semi-permanent). So I knew going into this that it might not work at all. What I like is that it doesn't bleach or lift, it just removes color. I don't ever want to bleach my hair again.

Here's me just before applying the stripper. One side of my hair is just un-braided. The other side is unbraided and brushed for hilarious effect:

I followed the directions for the most part just as they tell you to for what they call "partial" color correction. Meaning I used One part of the Color Reducer + One part Conditioning Catalyst + 4 parts shampoo. In a normal haircolor applicator bottle, that came to 1 oz each of the color reducer & catalyst, 4 oz of shampoo (I used my Biolage Normalizing shampoo) for a total of 6 oz out of the 8 that the applicator holds. Because I washed my hair and towel dried it before applying this concoction, it saturated pretty quickly. I had 2 oz of each of the color reducer & catalyst left, so I mixed the rest of those alone in the applicator bottle and applied the rest of that to my head. I kneaded, combed, and pretended to wash my hair (well I guess technically I was) there at the sink.

Here I am with it all fully worked into my hair and with a processing cap on:

I let this sit in my hair for about an hour. Let me mention here that this stuff reeks. Not a normal chemical reeking either, it's a very unique ass-smell. And it does not go away for the first few washes. One downside I guess. I just washed my hair for the second time and its still pretty dang stinky. All I can recommend is to use some leave in hair conditioner that smells nice to try to cover up the smell. I'm using Josie Maran Argan Oil right now (more on that in another post).

After letting it set, I washed it out very thoroughly in warm water. I used my normalizing shampoo that I love for exactly such applications. Then conditioned liberally with my moisturizing conditioner. I don't feel like this stuff is as harsh as a bleach is but it doesn't seem like a bad idea to really baby your hair after processing it with this.

Here I am the next day with my hair all dried.

As you can tell, it did dramatically lighten the green in my hair. It didn't bleach my roots either. Those are light enough - that weird border between blonde and brown. However, it did not completely get rid of the green. Also however though, it got rid of enough that when I apply my red permanent hair dye, there should be absolutely no issue. I think the last time I did this, I did a different ratio of shampoo to the stripping chemicals. The key point in both instructions (for both full and partial color correction) was that you use equal parts color reducer & catalyst. As long as you do that, you can cut in as much or little shampoo as needed depending on how much or how little color you want to remove. I perhaps should have done a 1:1 ratio of chemicals to shampoo rather than a 1:2. For those of you confused about the math there, I should have used 2 oz color reducer, 2 oz color catalyst, 4 oz shampoo rather than the 1 oz, 1 oz, 4 oz I did use this time around. Also, it says to put on dry hair for more color reduction. That part sounds a bit harsh though.

More to come on dyeing it red very very soon.

Green Hair

 The day after dying my hair green. January 2013:

I used all Manic Panic colors. On the top I used Electric Lizard. On the sides near my ears I used Electric Banana. Underneath was Enchanted forest

Also January 2013!

















 So, how do you get ridiculously awesome green (or other un-natural colors) yourself? Well, you first need to start of with pretty light hair. If you're not naturally blonde, your color will still stick, it just won't be as brilliant. I only use permanent color that lifts my color maybe 3-4 times a year.  The rest of the year, I use hair color that only deposits color. Brands like Manic Panic, N Rage, ChromaSilk, Beyond the Zone Color Jamz, Clairol Jazzing. Those are the ones I have experience with. You will want to experiment with what works best for your hair type. I know a lot of my friends don't like Manic Panic because they found it'd just wash out in a couple washings. But my hair is very thick, very porous, and already chemically treated.

When I went green, I first had to consider that my hair was already a redish orange. To get the last of the permanent and temporary color out, I used a color stripper for the first time. I don't have a photo of it, but I used One 'n Only Colorfix. The clerk at Sally's Beauty Supply warned me that this stuff is VERY effective and can actually bleach your hair if you aren't careful. There are two sets of directions with this stuff, one for Full Color Correction and one for Slight Color Correction. I followed the instructions for Slight since all I wanted to do was basically speed up the color fading process that normal washing would have done.

 I actually also got my hair cut before using the ColorFix so I wouldn't need as much. I only used one box. To the left here is my hair before getting it cut. It was a straight across cut that had been growing for probably the last 6 mos. I only cut my hair once or twice a year.

 To the right here is what my hair looked like after cutting a couple inches off and also getting it layered. It was immediately a lot lighter and had more movement to it.

 Okay, here's me in my bathroom with the regular lighting from my vanity. It looks pretty orangey/gold. But if you compare it to the red red orange above, a lot lighter.

I was a bit worried that this gold would interact with the green. Then I realized... whatever, green has yellow in it and I'm not willing to do another round of the ColorFix. It is incredibly harsh and I didn't want to end up with straw hair that would fall out.

 ProTip:  I waited a week after using the ColorFix before going to dye it green. That allowed the chemicals from the ColorFix time to neutralize and wash out over a couple washes before attempting to put the Manic Panic green on.







I also used this excellent Neutralizing Shampoo by Silk Elements a few times after using the ColorFix and before dying the it green:

 

So before you dye your hair a weird color, you have a few things to consider. Is your hair light enough? If it is naturally, AWESOME. If not, you need to lighten it. Is your hair already colored? If it is, you'll either have to wait til its all washed out, bleach it or use a stripper. If your hair is already chemically treated, be very cautious to not stress it out more by going crazy bleaching it.

I learned my lesson the hard way about hair bleach when I was a teenager. I went and got the most lightest platinum blonde bottle color and used 50 Volume Cream Developer. My hair fell out in chunks when I combed it. Do not go overkill. If your hair is dark, a orangey color should suffice if you're just going to put another color over it. Lightening your hair to gray/silver is a whole different situation, so... I'll save that for another time.

Once you are ready to dye your hair a fun color (we're talking color only products that don't use Developer), start with DRY hair to dye. Yes, I know a lot of their instructions indicate your hair can be wet/towel dried but in my experience, that just dilutes the color. Your hair is like a sponge. If it is filled with water, it can't absorb the color. Section your hair if it is even shoulder length. I like to do either 4 or 6 sections. Top part with a left and right side. Bottom part with a left and right side. And the parts on the sides of your head, just above and behind your ears. Butterfly Clamps, Duckbill Clips, or even those standard Clips will work fine. Use plastic, not metal. 

Make sure you prepare your bathroom before you start dyeing your hair. It is a pain in the ass to try to get something out when you're hands and hair are covered in hair color. I get out: two hand towels, two washcloths, 90% Rubbing Alcohol, toilet paper, wide tooth comb, two grocery bags, and vinyl gloves. Make your trash can easily accessible. I lay out the two towels on my sink, open all the haircolor I think I'll need (plus two more, you never know when you have hair this long) and set it on top of the towels along with my wide tooth comb. Since my vanity is tiny, I also set a towel on the toilet lid with the two washcloths and the rubbing alcohol.

Put your vinyl gloves on! This stuff stains everything including your skin. I also wear a crappy tshirt designated for hair coloring. Same with towels, by the way, they'll get ruined. Some people say to line their face with petroleum jelly. I think that is nasty and ineffective and makes me break out and can get on the hair you're trying to color. I skip it, but my ears and neck DO end up colored. Start with the lightest color first. I recommend to put that on the top of your head because as it washes out, it will bleed into eachother. So if you put a light color on bottom and a dark one on top, the lighter color will get darker as you wash it.

Work each section until it is entirely saturated. If you're not sure, comb it out and then separate it at the scalp and examine the whole chunk. I do this a lot and it pays off. You don't want splotchy color, it is hard to fix. You kind of knead the color into your hair and squeegee it down the length of the hair. Once you're done with one section, re-clip it and move on to the next. Once you are done, if the color is all the same, you can unclip them all and smoosh them all together in one big clip on top of your head. Take your gloves off and throw them away. Then you get the hilarious and magical task of putting a grocery bag on your head. I do this because it is cheap and I have a million grocery bags. If you are classy like my mom, you have processing caps which are way easier to use. I tie two bags over my head to make sure I got a good seal. If you use a cap, one should do.

Now it is cleanup! I use a washcloth with rubbing alcohol on it to clean up all the spots on my skin. I also do this throughout the dyeing process so my skin isn't spotted. That's where the toilet paper comes in handy. You can just use a bit as needed. Alcohol is also quite effective getting color off the sink, bathtub, floor & mirror. Yes, I make a dang mess when I dye my hair. I fill the sink with lukewarm water to soak my comb and clips. Once I'm done getting the color off my skin, I use that wash cloth to wash my instruments. Set them on a towel to dry off. The other wash cloth I use in the shower. After the bag is on my head, I carefully take my hair dye shirt off, leave it inside out and hop in the shower. In the shower, I wash my face with my normal facewash. I use the washcloth to get along my hair line. 

Out of the shower your body should be pretty hair dye free. Now you get to let it set for as long as you can stand it! If its my day off, I dye my hair in the morning & I'll do chores wearing the bags on my head. Otherwise, I sleep with it on overnight. If you sleep on it, be sure to put a whole big bath towel down on your pillow case. You'd be surprised how much you can move around at night. When you go to wash your washcloths, towels, & hair dye clothes, be sure its with other such things, towels, sheets or whatever you are okay with possibly getting color on it.

In the morning, or after a few hours, you get to rinse it out. I start on my knees using the spigot (or if you have a fancy hand-shower, use that. I'm jealous!) and rinsing it out with my head upside down. This is just to get the bulk of the color out. Use lukewarm water. As cold as you can stand it really with out freezing.  Stand up and turn the shower part on. This is where it is nice to have a bunch of cheap hair conditioner. You're going to slather that in your hair and use a wide tooth comb to comb our your hair. Its ok if there's still a LOT of hair color coming out. Get your hair all nice and de-tangled. It will take more water/conditioner than usual washings. Once its all detangled, turn the water on pretty cold. You are going to have to lean your head way back so the water is only on your head and not your body. Use the comb and your hands to rinse out the color more from your hair. Instructions will say until it starts to run clear. That is silly. Just get most of it out. 

Clip your hair up once it is rinsed and you're still in the shower. Put the shower back on warm/hot. Wash your face and body well as you are probably whatever color your hair color is. If your face is tinged, use alcohol and a cotton ball when you get out. Make sure to really rinse your shower/tub out. It will also be colored. Use Comet or something with bleach in it to get it out. Or just get used to the idea of your bathtub being that color for awhile. Its going to get colored every time you wash. Use a junk towel to dry it off when you get out. And now you have awesome colorful hair!

My tips for prolonging your hair color are: Don't wash it a lot. I go anywhere from 5-10 days between washes. Use sulfate free shampoo if you can. Or at the very least, not something cheap or a clarifying shampoo. I use normal conditioner. I wouldn't use a conditioning mask til a few weeks in as they seem to strip color too. Don't use a bunch of product in your hair. Especially stuff with alcohol in it.

And that's it. Be awesome with your bad ass self. I get compliments all the time for my colorful hair. You can too! :)