One of the best things about being at University is the freedom you have to experiment with your style. Even in the most chilled out working environment walking in at 9am in pyjamas and slippers with whiskers drawn across your face (because permanent marker isn’t actually a substitute for face paint) will get you summoned to the boss’s office to discuss your future. But at Uni, nobody bats an eyelid.
It’s because of this that University is also the perfect time to experiment with your hair. Most offices frown on you coming in with blue hair one day, pink, purple and turquoise the next, but for my lecturers, that was an average week.
As someone who’s been every shade of the kaleidoscope I find the current hair trends really exciting. The pastel dip-dye of spring/summer has continued on to the experimental-art/90s grunge of autumn/winter with designers such as Haider Ackerman, Jean Paul Gaultier and Prada pushing the boundaries of beautiful hair. Asserting your individuality can be hard at University when all students are clumped into one lazy, vaguely un-showered mass, so trying out some wild hairstyles can help you stand out from the crowd and get noticed. Crazy hair colours always start conversation.
Most hairdressers and magazines will tell you that trends like this should only be done at a salon where the experts can do it for you. But then, nearly everyone is capable of a bit of painting, right? Especially girls who’ve been curling their lashes since they were 12, using instruments that guys would consider medieval torture devices. People are frightened of doing their own hair because they’ve been told so often that it’s far too complicated for them. This is totally untrue, you just need a little bit of guts and the desire to not spend £50 on something you can do at home for a tenner.
Dip-dyeing your hair in particular is simple, even when you’re doing it on your own and the products you need can be bought online or in Leeds itself. Culture Vulture (Duncan Street, opposite Space) sells a wide variety of both Stargazer and Directions hair dyes, both of which are great dyes with a huge range of colours. If you’re nervous about having a really outrageous colour in your hair why not start with a red or a pale pink and work your way up to the turquoises and magentas? A pot of dye, a tint brush (helpful but not necessary), an old towel and a pair of latex gloves (necessary if you don’t want hands to match your hair) are all you need and you’re ready.
To start with if your hair is any darker than a light brown you’re going to need to bleach it. I would normally never suggest a hairdressers BUT if you’ve never dyed hair before then don’t try bleaching on your own. You don’t know enough about your hair yet and it could go very wrong. For everyone else however put on your dyeing clothes (it doesn’t matter how many towels you use some of it will always get on your top), wrap a towel round your shoulders and head to the bathroom.
1) You don’t want there to be a really obvious line where your natural colour ends and the colour begins so be uneven when applying it. Make sure all the ends of your hair are plastered with dye and then either wrap them in tin foil or just leave them on the towel. If you’re doing it without a tint brush then just rub it in with your hands, as you want it to be uneven there’s no need to be exact.
2) The pot will say leave for 15 to 30 minutes. Ignore this. Directions and Stargazer are vegetable dyes so unlike box dyes they won’t harm your hair so you can leave them as long as you want. The longer you leave them the stronger the colour will be. When I dye my hair I put it under a shower cap and sleep on it then wash it out the next day so it’s on for about 12 hours. If you want to make it dye faster run a hairdryer over it or sit next to a radiator; the warmer it is the faster it works.
3) Wash it out and there you have it. Your hair is dip-dyed. Enjoy your fabulous, on-trend hair and enjoy the admiring and envious looks you’ll get from it.
Tips:
To get pastel coloured ends choose the colour you want and then mix a small amount of it in a plastic bowl with a lot of white conditioner. Keep adding till you get the shade of pastel you want then apply as before.
To stop your colour from fading use sulphate-free shampoo or colour-protect shampoo and try to wash your hair as little as possible in as cold a water as possible; hot water fades colour.
Remember: I’m not a professional. I’m just passing on my knowledge of hair dyeing that I’ve gained from experience. Good luck!