FAQ: I Want To Use Manic Panic On My Red Hair - I Need Advice

Question:
I have really long auburn-red hair that I've never dyed because everyone gushes over the color, but I want to have some fun with it! I'd like to dye the tips or lower section with manic panic semi permanent cream but I need professional advice. What colors would you recommend for a pretty contrast with my natural hair color? I was thinking one of the blue or purple shades but I don't know how dark. Also, I don't want to bleach it first. Can you help me please?

Answers:
First you need to think of how dark/deep is your red hair color. If it is strawberry blond you may get away without bleaching it, but if you are thinking about having really vibrant tips, then your hairdresser (or you - which I do not recommend) will have to use bleach prior to coloring your hair with Manic Panic. You can do a preliminary test with Manic Panic without bleaching your hair first so you can see how much it will show on your hair. Cut out a strand of hair, tape it at the end to hold the strand together, color it, and then rinse it/wash it to see the outcome. The longer you keep the tint on your hair, the stronger (more vivid) the color will be in the end.

If it comes to what shade to use - I personally love both colors, but what you must consider is not only the shade of your hair (red) but also the shade of your skin. I would recommend using a color swatch with bight colors that is closest to colors you are considering. Place the swatch next to your face and hair to see which color compliments them. Use a daylight to see true colors of your skin and hair. Another thing is to consider clothing (you may have to change your wardrobe?), but that is not as important as the shade of your skin and hair color.

Another thing to consider is using a color wheel - and see what are complimentary colors for your hair and skin. See the color wheel above. The complimentary colors on the wheel are always on the opposite side (violet's complimentary color is yellow and vice versa).

Credit:
The image above is an mmprint.com property.


Note:

This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post ONLY. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: Hair Color and Time Question

Question:
If I process my hair color for a shorter time, will it wash sooner?

Answer:
It depends on what type of color you use - permanent, semi-permanent or temporary? And what shade of pigment.

If you use permanent, you may deposit less pigment into the hair and your hair may not have as strong color as if you process it for the recommended time. Some hair fades a bit, but that is usually due to porosity of hair. Some pigments fade faster too (such as reds). If you have gray hair the grays may not take color fully (gray hair can be "stubborn" to accept the color) and may be either light or remain gray.
If you use semi-permanent, you will deposit color on top of the hair shaft, but again you will not deposit enough color and it will have lighter shade. That hair slowly washes anyway, so it will wash out quicker.
If you process temporary color shorter time, it may take very little or not at all.

Credit:
The above image is from THIS BLOG and is a perfect example of faded hair due to a size of a red pigment.

Note:

This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post ONLY. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: How To Do Indigo Vanity Style Hair?

Question:
I would like to color my hair like Indigo Vanity's. How can I do it?

Answer:
Indigo Vanity's red side was probably first bleached to a lighter stage and then a strong red pigment (like Manic Panic's) was applied. The Black side was colored with regular black tint. Bleach and then both colors had to be applied very carefully so they do not touch the other side, which would cause a discoloration.

I strongly recommend a detail oriented colorist to do it for you, since the person can walk around you to do a better job. You would not be able to see what is going on in the back of your head, should you do it by yourself.

Credit:
The image is a property of Indigo Vanity

Note:

This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post ONLY. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: Red Colored Hair Is Not Red Enough

Question:
I colored may hair red, but it is not red enough. Can I color my hair the next day?

Answer:
You can do anything to your hair, but then you have to keep on mind that there is a chance of doing something terrible to your hair.

• If you color your hair too often you can give your hair "a chemical burn" and hair can fall out. You need to examine the quality and health of your hair first before you do anything to it.
• If your hair is in a decent shape, yet you colored your hair previously quite often, you can muddy up your color instead of making it the shade you want.
• If you didn't color your hair often and the red shade was applied first time your chance of making your hair redder are higher, but that must be done properly - what I have on my mind is you need to use correct "pigment in the bottle".
• Instead of using permanent color you could use a red toner, that would be deposited on top of your hair shaft yet would be less abrasive to your hair. But again, you would need to consult with a skilled colorist if that would work.

Credit:
The image above is a Schwartzkopf property.


Note:

This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post ONLY. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: Manic Panic And Blond Hair

Question:
Do I need to bleach my dark blond hair if I want to use Manic Panic?

Answer:
It depends. Yes and no. Manic Panic makes these coloring tools:

• Flashlightning bleaching kit
• Classic cream formula (semi-permanent color)
• Amplified cream formula  (30% stronger than classic semi-permanent color)
• Dyehard temporary hair color styling gel

Both semi-permanent colors are intense pigments and fade/wash out slowly. You may use them without any bleaching process. However, your color will not turn out as vivid as if you would use a bleach (viz image).
If you use any gel on non-chemically treated hair, it will work, but it will last until next shampoo only.

Credit:
The above image is from Manic Panic web page: http://www.manicpanic.com/

Note:

This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post ONLY. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: Correctors, Fillers And Toner - What Is The Difference?

Question: 
What is a difference between correctors and fillers, and what is a toner. I have a 100% white hair that I color dark brown, but the hair never gets full coverage. It is always lighter. What do you suggest to do? Should I use a black color?

Answer:

• Correctors are used to correct the shade of the color (ie. should any light blonde hair gets green from swimming in chlorinated water, a corrector pigment/color is used to make it blond again). 
• Fillers are used to help the color to deposit into the hair correctly (ie. the hair is very damaged and porous and takes in places on different shades while coloring, filler is put on the hair prior to coloring to make sure the color will be evenly deposited into the hair). 
• Toner is a type of color that gets deposited only on the surface of the hair to give a hair a nicer hue (ie. a bleached blond wants her blond to have a cooler blond color, so she gets blue toner, or brunette would like a warmer tone so she gets reddish toner). Toner doesn't change the original color, it only temporarily gives a  different hue, and sometimes even just a luster.

Regarding your hair: it is very resistant to color. What it means is that the cuticle is very resistant to open and therefor the color cannot fully penetrate. You could do three things:

• Leave the color on longer and put plastic cap over to keep it moist (so the color doesn't dry up - it would stop working)
• Use so called pre-softener prior to coloring (it is sold in any beauty supply store)
• add about 1/4 of the black color to your brown color (do not forget to adjust the amount of peroxide)

Credit: The above image is from www.wwbeautystore.com website.

Note: 

This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post ONLY. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: How should I Color Black Hair To Brown Shade?

Question:
Do I have to use a bleach to color black hair to brown shade?

Answer:
Well it depends on situation. If you colored your hair black (artificially) then YES. First you need to remove enough of the pigment (make it a little lighter) so you can deposit brown pigment into your lighter hair. You would not be able to make artificial black color lighter without a bleach.

If you never colored your hair before, and it is naturaly black, then NO. You can use any green based light brown color and you may end up with medium to dark coffee color shade. But again it really depends on pigmentation of your black hair, because your natural pigments will "intermingle" with artificial hair coloring from a bottle. It may pick up a slightly reddish tinge just like in the image to the left. (I think that Penelope Cruz looks absolutely beautiful in this "coffee color" shade.)

Credit: Image (of Penelope Cruz) courtesy of usatoday.com

Note: 

This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post ONLY. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: Will Manic Panic Hair Coloring Fade?

Question:
I colored my hair with a red Manic Panic hair coloring. Will it fade? I would like to color my hair with a different shade.

Answer:
Some of these dyes fade very slowly. Especially very intense shades take really long time. And if you decide to color it with a different shade (ie. blue shade over the red), you may end up with a hue that has underlying tone - ie.  blue over read may produce a "purplish" blue shade. To overcome it you may first employ a skilled colorist, who will try to remove as much previous color as possible, so you may end up with that sapphire color you were dreaming about.

Credit: Image (of Kate Perry) on the left is from squidoo.com

Note: 

This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post ONLY. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: What Should I Consider When Deciding Between Blond and Red Hair Color

Question:
My natural hair is brown. I had it colored with blond highlights. I like it, but I am deciding to go either blonde or go red. I love both colors, but what I should think about when going either way?

Answer:

• I think you should first consider your skin tone and then decide on the color that would look best on you, especially in red family, at the red is very striking color.
• The next thing that needs to be considered is the pigment in each color. The red pigment is very hard to remove should you want to switch to blond. A blond hair can be tinted over by any color that is darker than the existing hair color.

Note: 

This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post ONLY. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: How Can I Achieve Ariana Grande Red Hair

Question:
I would like to color my hair in the same shade as Ariana Grande's hair. Do I have to bleach my hair?

Answer:
I do not think her hair was bleached. Her natural hair is brown, but it could have been done with hi-lift peroxide and a color that could have been about level 7 or 8. The mixture then may have been boosted with a red pigment, and after that a strong red glaze could have been put over her colored hair. To maintain this color she probably gets it glazed on regular basis in order to keep it from fading. A hair color like this is a high maintenance color.

That's what I think, however it could have been done a little differently.

Credit: I used Ariana's image from a web site beautyriot.com

Note: 

This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post ONLY. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: Why Does Red Hair Fade?

Question:
I color my hair but I have a problem keeping it vibrant red. It always fades. What can I do to keep it from fading?

Answer:
I read somewhere that the molecule of a red pigment (pheomelanin) is perhaps smaller than that of a black or a brown pigment (these two last pigments are sub-types of eumelanin). When any of these pigments intermingle with peroxide and ammonia, the molecules become bigger and thus harder to leave the hair. So IMHO  if the red molecule becomes bigger due to chemical process, it still may be a tad smaller that those of black or brown pigments and therefore "escape" and fade from hair.

Here are several reasons why hair will not stay vibrant red:

• sun's UVA and UVB rays are very damaging to hair (use UV shield products and/or hat on your hair if you want to retain your red color)
• if you use inexpensive shampoos made with harsh chemicals they "strip" the hair (chose gentle shampoos, designed for color treated hair)
• if your water is too hard (that means it contains minerals) - minerals can build up on your hair shaft and  prevent color to process properly and can cause fading of your color - use water softener systems if possible
• your hair cuticle is way too porous (open/damaged) - molecules escape from the cortex through "the gap". A solution to this problem - after you use gentle shampoo and moisturizing conditioner use low acidity rinse (ie. vinegar diluted with water) to close cuticle so your red color molecules stay in

Try to let your red color to "settle" inside your hair for 48 hours before you'll give it another shampoo (just like you would do with a perm/relaxer). One of the most vibrant reds are made by Redken company - so have your hair done in a salon that uses this product. They should sell hair care products for color treated hair also. Artec makes shampoos for color treated hair as well. 

Note: 

This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post ONLY. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: Question About Color Fading

Question: If I color my hair black, how long it would take to fade away from my hair?

Answer:
It depends on what KIND of color it is. A permanent color will not fade away - it has to grow out (your natural hair) of should be removed with hair color removers by a very skilled professional colorist. A semi-permanent color may fade very slowly  - up to several weeks. However, some hair can retain the color better than others. A temporary color will be the best for fading. It can fade after one to several shampoos.

FAQ: What Happens If I Mix Two Different Colors

Question:
I would like to mix a semi-permanent color with a demi-permanent color. Both colors have similar shade. Can I do it?

Answer:
Yes and No.

• No, you should not do it, if it involves TWO different companies. Once I run out of a developer (peroxide) of one company and I mixed a developer of a different company with a permanent color. But my mixture became very watery by a body heat and was constantly dripping into my clients face as the hair was processing. I had to have an assistant to stand there and wipe and wipe and wipe.... it was a mess. However, the color came out beautiful. What happened? The chemical reaction of a developer and a color was supposed to "emulsify" no matter what. It would not "run" under any circumstances if I would use both products from same company. But this particular company made sure that colorists always buy their compatible products - this way they ensured higher profits. However, some other companies do not design their color and developer that way and if a colorist runs out of a developer, he/she can use a different one... That said we can move on why "Yes".
• Yes, you may try it, if you work with a product of the same company. Here is what can happen? 
  Chemical-wise: your demi will become "demi-semi" and semi will become "semi-demi" - in other words you will strengthen semi-permanent color (it will last longer), but weaken demi-permanent color (it will last lesser time).
  Color-wise: if you mix two "very similar pigments" and they intermingle, then they become slightly different from what each original would be. But, if you mix two different colors, then you should look at a color wheel and see, what would become of your color if you mix colors of different shades.

Note: 

This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post ONLY. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: Why I Can't Color My Hair After I Wash It?

Question: The instructions always tell you that you shouldn't color your freshly washed hair. What is the reason for it?

Answer: It is OK to wash your hair in the morning and color your hair with permanent color in the evening. You can actually shampoo your hair for a temporary color prior to immediate coloring. For semi-permanent color you may shampoo your hair only very lightly and only if needed. However, you should not shampoo your hair right before coloring when you intend to use a permanent color (or bleach). The reason is that you will stimulate your scalp and make your pores to open, which will make it easier for color (its chemicals) to penetrate through your skin into your system. So if you shampoo your hair before coloring, you need to give your scalp time to return to its "normal" stage.

Note: 

This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post ONLY. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: Can I Color MY Hair Again 2 Days Later?

Question:
Can I Color MY Hair Again 2 Days Later? Is it safe?

Answer: 
I have colored my hair on the same day couple of times. As a hairdresser I occasionally tried different colors and if I didn't like the color I colored over it. BUT, I knew if I can = if I will see any change, and if my hair can withstand two processes in one day.

Some people should never color their hair on the same day (or  for few reasons:

1. the color will not be visible (light color over dark colored hair will never lighten hair up)
2. if you want to change a color shade, it may not take over dark shade or it may make hair "muddy"
3. if your hair is not "strong" to withstand coloring you could see some breakage (especially with lighteners)

So, technically you could possibly color your hair 2 days later with only same shade or darker shade over lighter shade, and only if your hair is VERY strong and healthy to start with.


Note: 
This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post ONLY. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: Is Temporary Dye Easy To Wash Out?

Question:
My hair is dark brown. I want to dye a section of it a very light brown almost blonde color. I want to use temporary dye but will it come out if I don't like it? What is the best way to wash temp dye out?

Answer:
Oh dear! Temporary colors wash out usually with the shampoo (this type of color lasts only from shampoo to shampoo), but what you want needs to be done either with a permanent color (a tint that has to be mixed with a peroxide) or with a lightener (bleach) and then toner. If you would not like your new hair color, you could color your hair back to almost original color with brown tint.

Note: 
This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post ONLY. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: How Can I Go Blonde Without Stripping My Hair?

Question:
I was born blond, but it's more of a light mousy brown now. I want to try and go back to my natural blond color without stripping it. I am wondering if a hairdresser can make me blonde without bleach? Can hair go blond from the sun?

Answer:
Some people's blond hair turns darker as they get older, often to a light or medium brown color. If you end up with a brown color that is not too dark, your hairdresser can lighten up your brown into a blond shade without using a bleach. For a more natural look you can ask for highlights using the lightest blond tint and foil. After the color treatment, the blond (colored) hair will mix with brown hair, which will give you an effect of medium blond and very natural looking hair.

The sun could lighten up the top layer of your hair if you spend many hours outdoors, but it will not turn it as blond as if you get highlights with a tint. Some people use lemon juice (before they go outside) to help the hair to be blonder, too.


Note: 
This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post ONLY. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: Hair Extensions And Coloring

Question:
Can I color my hair extensions?

Answer:
Yes, if hair extensions are made from real hair.
No, if hair extensions are made from a synthetic fiber.

Note:

This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post only. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: Coloring Hair With Food Coloring Pigments

Question:
I would like to dye my hair with food coloring, but I do not want to bleach my hair. Will it work?

Answer:
If you want a very bright color you need to bleach the hair.

If you will not bleach your hair prior to tinting with the food color it may or may not give your hair just a hue ( it depends on the darkness/lightness of your hair and hair's porousness). Without using chemicals in the color formula a pigment only attaches itself to a hair surface - it doesn't penetrate hair. It also slowly washes away, since it is not a permanent color.

Note:

This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post only. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.

FAQ: I Want To Color My Hair Auburn But...

Question:
I have a darker medium brown hair and I want to dye it auburn but I am afraid that I may turn my hair either orange or some hideous color. I'm very tan in the summer and keep slight tan for the winter.

Answer:
The best choice would be to go to a hair salon and have your hair done with a reputable colorist. A reputable colorist should take in consideration your natural hair color and natural skin tone. Then a colorist would need to know what is your color target (he/she would show you swatches) and he/she should advise you if that is the best choice for your skin tone. Remember some hair colors do not look great with certain skin tones and actually can make you look tired and/or old instead of making you young, vibrant and beautiful. So even if you want a certain color you may be making a wrong choice. (I made one time a wrong choice when I bought a lipstick that looked absolutely gorgeous on my friend. But this very popular lipstick looked absolutely terrible on me and I had to give it away.)

If you want to stay away from orange-y shades, then just choose a red/violet based permanent hair color (a wine color).
If you DO want to be somewhat orange-y red, but not orange, then you can either choose darker shade of brown red color (as dark as your hair) or use a semi-permanent color that washes away in few weeks (read the boxes for a "semi-permanent" expression). Semi-permanent should not change your natural color, just coat it. It means that it would give your natural hair a hue.

It is also very important to read entire booklet (that is inside the box) before you start coloring your hair. Please note that any red pigment based color is quite difficult to correct.

Note:

This post should be taken as a first step for a discussion with your hairdresser and/or colorist about your ideas, desires or problems with your hair. Under no circumstances, you should act upon this post only. I strongly advice you to have your hair done by a skilled and reputable hairdresser/colorist in your area.