This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UNL chapter.
My sister is a cosmetologist, so she provided the products and the service, and she would want to me say, “You dye Easter eggs. You don’t dye hair. You color hair.” So I colored my hair rose pink, or light pink.
The products:
I colored my hair pink using several different products throughout the summer. They are as follows:
- Pravana Chromasilk: This was a very beautiful color, but for it to distribute and look its best, your hair needs to be very blonde, which essentially means no yellow. It also faded significantly after the first wash.
- Joico Rose Semi-Permanent: This was my favorite color that we used. It was vibrant, but still the light pink color I wanted. It lasted a few washes.
- Joico Rose Color depositing Conditioner: this was an interesting product because it was a conditioner that also colored your hair. The initial color is a lot darker than the other rose by Joico. It was closer to a purple-pink, which I did not personally like on my hair, but after a few washes, it faded to the light pink. Although it went on darker than I wanted, it lasted a lot longer than the regular colors, like almost two weeks.
Pros
- I loved the color. It was so much fun matching outfits to my hair. And I loved doing new and favorite hairstyles with my new vibrant colors. I loved taking selfies and looking in the mirror to play with my hair. It probably seems a little vain, but there’s nothing wrong with loving your hair and yourself.
- It added variation to my life. I don’t party or do anything “wild,” which is a good lifestyle for me, but sometimes you need to do something different and change the status quo. Coloring my hair allowed me to take a risk, while still feeling safe.
Cons
- It faded fast
- Like all semi-permanent colors, my pink faded quickly. The first two products lasted less than a week before they completely faded to blonde. The blonde still looked good, but I preferred having the pink, so I was either redoing it often or going awhile with blonde ends.
- It damaged my hair
- The part that is the most damaging is the bleaching because it strips the hair of its color, but it is necessary for colors to be visible and be the correct shade. So if you already have light blonde hair, congratulations! Your hair will not be as damaged by coloring it.
Advice before you color your hair wild colors
- Get used to going multiple days without washing your hair. This will minimize damage to hair after the damage of coloring it. It will also make it last longer because hot water and soap makes color fade extremely fast. Dry shampoo will be your new best friend (I recommend Klorane or Kenra brands for dry shampoo). I struggled with the “no shampoo” days, so if you’re not used to it, start practicing.
- Do not color your hair from a box. Box colors are probably one of the most damaging things to do to your hair. It may not be a nice truth, but it is the truth. If you want your hair to be healthy and look good, go to a professional. At least use professional products.
- If you are nervous at first try just doing an ombre or balayage, so your roots are still natural and you can easily cover or cut it.
- Be prepared to have new confidence, conversation starters, and love for your hair because this is a very likely side effect.
- Just go for it. I toyed with the idea of coloring my hair for years. Literally. Life is short. It won’t be long until you have a “real job” or whatever else. So you should take the chance while it’s there. Be pink or purple or blue or whatever color you want, you might just love it. And if you don’t, you can always try again, just like most things in life.