Tips on Coloring Your Hair Unnatural Colors

While dying your hair crazy and unnatural colors doesn't necessarily mean you're an angry teenager rebelling against your stuffy parents who "just don't get it," it does make an impression on people, and get you noticed. Having bright green hair does not mean that you are a drug user, that you're going to fail in school or that you're running away to join the circus. Expression of self comes in many forms - for some, outwardly artistic in paints and pencils. For others, a part of expressing one's self means body piercings and pink tresses. Here you will read about the techniques to dying your hair funky colors, be you emo, gothic, a hippie, or just plain experimental.

First things first, you have to figure out what color and intensity of funky hair color you want to achieve. If you want to get your feet wet with a color that is extremely temporary, you can do that. On the opposite end of the hair dying spectrum, if your desire is for your hair to be neon and electric, that can be done as well with preparation and attention to detail. In the days prior to your new color choice, follow that little line of text on your shampoo bottle that says "Repeat if desired," just once. Condition your hair well if you plan on bleaching so that your hair is in optimal condition and won't be straw-like after the bleaching process is finished.

One inexpensive and extremely non-committal option which is good for a single night or even a weekend's fun coloring is a color comb. There are many different brands of comb, so visit your local party costume shop or wherever the gothic kids flock to at your local mall and ask about these nifty little items.

A color comb will only last until you wash your hair. Contrary to popular belief, you can actually skip a day without washing your hair, the natural oils your scalp produces are helpful to a certain extent, and so you can feel safe keeping the stuff in your hair over a Friday and Saturday night, for instance. This option is perfect for someone with a more conservative employer or a high school student. Kids, remember to always get your parents' permission, but these combs are a great option for you because they wash out so fast.

The first step to creating an intense color on your hair, no matter what color your hair is naturally, is to bleach it. There are dozens of bleaches on the market, from gentle to intense. If you have light hair, a bleach with 20 weight developer will be preferable, as the amount of lightening required is lower for a blonde, for example. Make sure, as well, that you are using a cream based developer.

Follow all the instructions on the box, and when bleaching your hair, always work from the roots to the tip. Vasoline at the hairline will keep you from turning your smooth skin into a white landing strip for the eyes of your friends and coworkers.

Pro tip: Bleach your hair in a ventilated area. A grand majority of bleaching products are very strong, both in odor and chemicals, and can make you feel light-headed.

Once your hair is bleached to the point you want - just a light lift for less intense color, or platinum for truly vibrant neon hues - you've crossed into the easiest part of the process. Applying the purple, green, or pink dye you want to use is as easy as putting gel in your hair, in fact similar techniques apply.

Simply put on gloves, then squeeze some of the dye out - on your hands, or in a bowl if you're using a brush to apply it. Then, well, you just put it on your hair. You don't want your hair dripping wet with dye, but at the same time you want a nice even thick coating of it so that the color is strong and smooth the whole way through.

Once you've applied the dye, wait the alloted time based on the instructions for your particular brand of dye. For more rich color (and longer lasting, but only just a little) let the coloring product sit in your hair for at least 10-15 minutes more than the instructions tell you.

Rinse very well, and then blow-dry your hair. If you insist on towel drying, be gentle with your hair and use a towel you don't mind getting color on, as there will be streaking on objects, but only lightly if you rinsed well.

That's all there is to it! No strange tricks, no brilliant displays of light, just bleach and color, style and go. Now you know how to do it, so tell me about it in the comment box below.