It might’ve taken six months, but the quarantine hair dye finally hit me during this semester. I’ve been wanting to bleach the lower section of my hair– think Narcissa Malfoy in the years after Hogwarts– but I worried about the harsh effects of bleach on my damaged hair. This semester, my roommate convinced me to take the plunge and dye my hair. So together, on a random Thursday night, we bleached the lower part of my hair. While it was a pretty simple experience, dyeing your hair in a smaller, unventilated bathroom without all the necessary tools can be difficult, so here are some tips that I have after my experience!
- Protect the Surface
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The first thing you need to do before you even open the dye and get to work is covering the surfaces of your bathroom. I recommend using paper towels or cut up trash bags to protect the sink and floors. You can even use regular bath towels if you’re comfortable with possible stains. If you use a chair supplied by your school, make sure to cover that too. You don’t want to end up bleaching or damaging the bathroom just in case of your school’s rules.
- Get Proper Materials
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Another thing to be aware of is the type of supplies you’ll need to actually apply the dye. Most hairdressers use a plastic (don’t use metal) bowl and brush to mix and apply the color. I didn’t do this and I should have. Instead, my roommate and I used one of our bowls that we use to eat to contain the dye and an old comb to mix the bleach powder and developer. I wouldn’t do this as it stained the bowl. It’s worth it to add a little extra money to prevent damaging your room necessities. You can get some cheap options from Amazon.: https://www.amazon.com/ATB-Professional-Salon-Coloring-Dyeing/dp/B00KNWYEF2/ref=sr_1_5?crid=MRDINATDPG5Q&dchild=1&keywords=hair+dye+brush+and+bowl+set&qid=1603055795&sprefix=hair+dye+%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-5
- Ventilate
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This next tip might not be an option depending on your bathroom layout, but if you can open a window. The bleaching process wasn’t too strong or harsh without windows or a fan in the bathroom, but the toner smelled really strong and can be annoying when you have to stay in your bathroom. If you have a fan you can also try that to air out the room.
- Rinsing
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The most difficult part about dyeing my hair at school was that I struggled to rinse it out. Since our showerhead stays in the wall, I had to awkwardly bend my neck to rinse my hair. Water ended up all over our floor and soaked the bathroom. This wasn’t a bad clean-up but it could have been prevented. I would recommend putting paper towels down by the shower or sink to absorb some of the water. If you have a shower head that detaches from the wall then that would be best, but for many, it’s not available. If you can use a barrier to keep the water from overflowing, that can also be helpful. It could be helpful to use a bowl or bucket of some kind to contain the water.
Dyeing your hair can be a fun experience and great bonding time with your roommate(s), but in less-than-ideal conditions, it can be a challenge. Coloring your hair yourself can be hard alone, so having a smaller bathroom or a college apartment bathroom can make this harder. Preparation is key to successfully dyeing your hair and if you set it up prior, you’ll end up with beautiful new hair!