From Katy Perry to Gwen Stefani, blue hair is making a scene and rapidly gaining popularity. Every summer, our newsfeeds are filled with mermaid-like figures with lush, bright blue waves, inspiring people all across the world to book a trip to the hair salon.
Dying your hair blue is a big decision, but knowing what to expect ahead of time will save you time, money, and stress. If you’re thinking of making the big change, keep reading for everything you need to know about dying your hair blue.
Things to Consider Before Getting Blue Hair
The hair dyeing process can be long and rather complicated, especially when choosing a color as vibrant as blue. The process depends on the current state, and color, of your hair as well as the products and shades you want to use. While each head of hair is different, there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, everyone’s hair is different. Texture, length, thickness, damage level, elasticity, and color all play a very important role in how successful hair dye is and if any other products are necessary. For instance, those with darker hair will need to bleach their hair prior to applying blue hair dye, or else the color will not appear.
However, if their hair is already damaged, bleach will only make things worse, which can be catastrophic even when done professionally. The amount and type of product is also dependent on how much hair you want to dye, and the texture of your hair.
Also, many people underestimate how long dyeing an entire head of hair can take. Even when completed by a professional hair stylist, the process can take more than six hours. From washing to bleaching, rewashing and dyeing, cutting and styling, the process is more complicated and time intensive than people realize. And, at the end of the day, time is money.
A long hair dyeing process, that has multiple steps and uses multiple products, will add up quickly and many people walk out of the salon with pockets much lighter than anticipated. Even those who choose to dye their hair blue at home find that quality products are costly, and the process takes up the better portion of a day.
Lastly, blue hair isn’t an easy DIY project. If you’ve never dyed hair before, or have limited experience doing so, this job is best left to the professionals. An experienced stylist assess your hair type and determine the best options for getting those beautiful turquoise curls you’ve been dreaming of.
Be ready to listen to your stylist, even if they say something you don’t want to hear. They might recommend that the process be broken up into several sessions or even recommend a lighter shade of blue.
How Long Does Blue Hair Dye Last?
You just left the salon, and your hair is everything you could’ve wanted and more. In fact, the shade is just perfect and even brighter than you anticipated. But how long will it last?
As with any hair dye, the color is bound to fade over time. Especially bright colors, like blue, will fade even faster than natural colors, and require a completely blank, bleached canvas in order to last at all.
Given that you used quality hair dye, you can expect your dye job to last between six to eight weeks, give or take. But that doesn’t mean it will stay the vibrant bright blue you loved so much after you first got it done. The really vivid tones will likely fade after the first week or so, and slowly fade from there.
How Hard is it to Maintain Blue Hair?
The best way to make your blue hair last is proper maintenance. Properly maintaining your luscious new hairdo starts as soon as you leave the salon. As tempting as it is, wait at least 72 hours after dyeing your hair to shampoo it. After that, don’t go crazy with the shampoo. One of the best ways to extend the life of your hair dye is to shampoo it less frequently, as it won’t strip the hair as frequently.
Also, take a look at the products you’re using. Be sure to use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner, as sulfates can damage hair and make the color fade more quickly. Invest in a good leave in conditioner that will leave your hair moisturized and healthy. Consider adding some blue dye to your conditioner to act as a quick color touch up every time you conditions. If you got your hair done by a professional, consult them before adding dye to your shampoo, as it might not match the color they used.
What Color does Blue Hair Fade to?
If your new hair color starts to fade, don’t panic. It’s bound to happen when it comes to bright colors, and it’s not the end of the world. At first, the color will simply look dull and appear as a lighter, more faded shade.
Over time, the color will fade more extremely, eventually leaving only a greenish blue shade on your hair. During the fading process, hair can appear splotchy as the bleached strands start to show, and your roots will begin to show.
The good news is that once your dye your hair blue, it will be easier to dye the next time. So even when it does fade, the dyeing process will be much quicker and will renew that same bright color you first fell in love with. You can usually add quick touch-ups to brighten hair color and prevent green fading.
Will Blue Dye Damage my Hair?
Unless you are naturally bleach blonde, dyeing hair any color starts with an intense bleaching process. Unfortunately, the bleaching process is highly damaging and strips the outer coating off of otherwise healthy hair. Bleaching alone can lead to frizzy, brittle and highly damaged hair, especially when bleaching very dark colors or bleaching multiple times. If blue hair dye is added immediately after bleaching, it can damage the hair strand and follicle even further.
The products used also influence how much damage the process will create. Higher quality, salon grade, products are typically less damaging. Drug store bleaches and hair dyes, on the other hand, will often create more damage. When in doubt, talk to a hair stylist. They will know best which products can prevent long term damage.
Is There a Way to Prevent Damage?
Good news, you can prevent some damage! Dyeing your hair blue doesn’t have to be a death sentence for your strong healthy hair.
First, make sure you know the concentration of bleach you are using. If you use a highly concentrated bleach, with no conditioning treatment, or leave the bleach on for too long, it can damage your hair beyond repair. It’s normal to expect some level of damage with any hair bleach or dye, but researching the products you use can go a long way in preventing damage.
Also, don’t feel like you need to rush! Bleaching and dyeing your hair in one day can be a very intense shock to your hair. If possible, give your hair some time to recover after bleaching and before applying your color. Even giving your hair one week to recover, when used with deep conditioning treatments, can create monumental differences in the overall damage created.
Lastly, for the sake of your hair, put the straightener down. Be gentle when brushing and avoid using heat as much as possible. After bleaching and dyeing, your hair is much more vulnerable to mechanical and thermal damage. If you want to maintain the beautiful blue style you worked so hard for, take it easy on your hair.
Okay, but will I really be able to pull it off?
Before you commit, I’m sure you want to make sure you can pull off blue hair, right? Luckily, there are plenty of different shades of blue, and some will suit you while, frankly, others won’t. That’s okay! You just need to find what works for you and what look you are trying to achieve. Start by browsing the internet for inspiration pictures of people who’ve already made the switch to blue hair. If you find one you really like, show your stylist and they might be able to replicate the tone of blue in the picture.
With the internet at your fingertips, you can also use a hair color simulator. There are many available online that will use your picture to overlay a blue tone over your hair. While these simulators are not necessarily perfectly accurate, they can give you a good idea of what blue looks like on you.
At the end of the day, it’s your hair and no one else’s. Don’t stress too much about if you’ll be able to “rock it.” If you know you want it, take a leap of faith and go for it!
Best Blue Hair Dye Available
The #1 blue hair dye that I am recommending right now is made by Artic Fox. The reason I love this brand so much is that the dye is vegan friendly and it is a cruelty free product like so many on the market.
The blue tone that you will get from this dye is very vibrant. If you’re prefer something a bit lighter, you can mix their Poseidon color which will change the shade from a vibrant blue to a more pastel shade of baby blue!
The other nice thing about this
