How Long Does It Take Dye Your Hair?
There is no universal answer to how long it takes Dye Your Hair? Because it varies on a variety of factors. If you’re going to dye your hair, your best chance is to be patient and reserve a large portion of your day for it.
Do you want to add some highlights, go darker, or attempt a different look? Life can be time-consuming, so you may want to micromanage your time. Understandably, you want to know how long coloring your hair will take. Coloring your hair can be a confusing process. If you have naturally dark hair or even medium blonde hair, you don’t want to end up with hair that is green, orange, or some other strange color. The good news is it will only take one time to get the process down, and every time after that will be a breeze.
Dying your hair may give your appearance a splash of color and style. It has the power to make you more trendy, appealing, and even healthy. But, if you’re thinking about dying your hair, there are a few things to think about. Like, how long it takes to get it done.
You might be excited to get that new look and color or have your heart set on becoming a brunette. You might have a certain shade of red you’re dying to try out. But when the day comes, and it’s finally time to do it, what happens? It can be scary, especially if this is your first time dyeing your hair. This article will explain everything you need to know about how long it takes to dye your hair at the salon, as well as insider advice to ensure you leave with the tone, color, and lustrous locks that will make your friends green with envy.
What Color is Your Hair Now? What Color Do You Want it to Be?
Hair color is all about contrast. Light hair will look better than dark hair if you have dark skin. Dark hair will be more striking than pale blond or red if you have fair skin. Some women with very light skin can get away with very light platinum blond hair, but most women will look better with more contrast between their skin and their hair.
Dyeing your hair should not be more challenging than it needs to be. After all, dying your hair is supposed to be enjoyable. But the amount of time it takes to dye your hair depends on several factors – such as the texture of your hair and what colors you have used before. For example, if you’re a natural blonde and want to go bronde or darker, that’s a shorter process than if you’re going blonde from brown or black hair.
If you want to go lighter, the first thing to consider is whether or not your hair has been bleached before. If it has, going lighter again will be simpler, but if it hasn’t, you’ll have to put in some more effort.
If your hair has been bleached before: It’s a lot easier to lighten hair that’s already been bleached. You’ll need to bleach it again until it’s the desired shade of blonde.
If your hair hasn’t been bleached before: You’ll have to have your hair bleached before you can dye the hair to the desired color.
What is the density and texture of your hair?
Dense and thick hair takes longer to color than thinner and finer hair because the dye has more surface area to cover. You also need more dye if your hair is thicker. Also, the curlier the hair is, the longer it will take you to color it because the curl makes it harder for the dye to penetrate each strand of your hair.
It will take less time to process if you have fine, porous hair. A permanent dye will take longer to process because the coloring penetrates through the cuticle (the outer layer). A permanent dye will take longer to process because the coloring penetrates through the cuticle (the outer layer). Straight hair has a flatter cuticle than curly hair, so it takes more time.
Thicker hair can handle stronger colors and dyes with more peroxide because there are fewer chances of damaging strands during the bleaching process. If your hair seems damaged from heat styling or coloring, though, avoid permanent dyes and use a semi-permanent color instead – this way, you won’t have to worry as much about damage because it’s not as harsh on hair strands.
Is your hair curly, straight or wavy?
Wavy hair takes longer than straight hair because wavy hair has more surface area. Curly hair takes even longer than wavy since there are a lot of folds where the dye might not reach as effectively.
If you have very dense, thick, curly hair that’s hard to reach all of the strands, then yes, dyeing your hair might take longer than if you had fine, straight hair. But if you’re looking for a root touch-up, the process goes by much more quickly since you only need to dye your roots. Curly hair can sometimes take longer to process because there are more hair follicles.
Coarse textures tend to hold color longer than finer ones do. This is because coarse hair has more pigment molecules, which means there’s more room on the cuticle for color molecules to attach themselves. This also means that coarse hair tends to be more resistant to fading over time than finer types of hair.
Permanent hair color contains peroxide or another form of developer that breaks down the structure of curly or wavy hair (to varying degrees depending on the brand) to allow the color to penetrate each hair shaft. Your hair will feel softer right after a dyeing process due to this and the conditioners added to the mix. However, after a few days or weeks, this may fade, and hair may begin to feel thick again.
Bleaching vs Dyeing Your Hair
If you want to change your hair color to freshen up your look, bleaching and dying are two alternatives. Both will change the color of your hair, although bleaching will only make it lighter. On the other hand, Dying provides a wider range of color options.
Bleaching hair is a permanent process. Once it’s done, it can never go back to the original look. Bleaching your hair will allow you to dye any color you want. The color you choose will only be as good as the condition of your hair, so if your hair is fried, you may want to pass on bleaching it because the results won’t be great anyway.
Dyeing your hair a single color, like brown or black, is a simpler process than bleaching simply because all you have to do is cover up the color that’s already there. However, dyeing does not have the same effect as bleaching and will not allow you to change your hair to blonde, red, or any other bright color in one session. For example, dyeing your hair can give great results on brown or black hair but will likely require several sessions on blondes if they want a drastic change like going from blonde to black.
The Cost Comparison
Since bleaching and dyeing are two different processes, it’s important to compare the costs of each. Due to its time-intensive nature, bleaching is usually more expensive than dyeing. That’s because it requires more skill, materials, and time from your stylist.
The price for bleaching will depend on your location and the salon you choose; however, you could expect to pay anything from $100 to $200 for bleaching.
Because of its versatility, hair dye can be a relatively affordable process. While you can use professional color at home depending on if it’s permanent or semi-permanent, the cheapest way to dye your hair is a permanent dye, which has the lowest per-application cost. This option usually costs between $3 and $10, depending on the brand and shade, but you might need to use it a few times before you achieve the color of your dreams.
Semi-permanent dye is more expensive than permanent dye, with prices ranging from $5 to $20 per application. However, the semi-permanent dye tends to be gentler on your hair because it doesn’t contain chemicals like hydrogen peroxide or ammonia. A salon session can cost anywhere from $60 to $150, depending on the type of dye and the length of your locks. On average, bleach treatments cost between $150 and $300 at a salon, though it may be more or less depending on your stylist.
How to Maintain Your Hair’s New Color
Color-treated hair, whether platinum blonde, brown, black, red, or even blue, you’ll need to take extra precautions if you want your color to last. Nothing is more aggravating than having to pay a large sum of money for the latest popular color at your hair salon only to have it fade within a week due to poor hair care.
The later you wait to shampoo your hair after dyeing it, the more time the color pigment has to penetrate the hair cuticle, extending the period between salon appointments.
- Use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to keep your hair color from fading. There are sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner alternatives available for all hair types, including frizzy, curly, straight, and even thin hair.
- Color depositing conditioners work wonders for keeping your hair color vibrant all of the time. This will slightly re-dye your hair every time you wash it, keeping it looking fresh till your roots grow out.
- Shampooing with somewhat warm water and conditioning with cold water is a good combination. Warm water allows shampoo and conditioner to penetrate and wash the hair; cold water, on the other hand, seals in the moisture from your conditioner and prevents color loss by sealing the hair’s cuticle.
- If you want your hair color to remain longer, avoid washing it every day, especially if your color is vivid. Every time you wash your hair, you not only remove the natural oils that nourish and keep your hair color appearing fresh, but you also remove a small amount of your hair dye. To keep your color on lock, wash your hair every other day or twice a week.
How Long Does It Take to Dye Hair at Home?
Dyeing your hair at home is easy, convenient and can be a lot cheaper than going to the salon. There is no need to spend a whole lot of money on an expensive colorist when you can do it yourself, right? But how long does it take to dye your hair at home?
Coloring your hair takes time, but if you’re using permanent color, that investment of time pays off in results that last a long time. If you’re experimenting with temporary or semi-permanent dyes, though, it will take far less.
Most permanent color kits have a pre-color treatment that should be used about a week before coloring. This treatment strips the old dye from your hair and leaves you with a virgin color to better absorb new pigments from the dye. The pre-color treatment usually takes 15 to 20 minutes to apply, followed by 20 to 30 minutes of sitting time.
The actual dyeing process will take another 45 minutes — 20 minutes for application and 25 minutes processing time. This is because permanent dye penetrates deep into the inner layers of the hair shaft.
Salon Visits
If you’re adding highlights or doing a color melt, your colorist should be able to do the job in under two hours. Single process color or gloss, which changes your base color or adds shine, will take three hours or less. Most of that is downtime, though — waiting for the dye to work its magic — so you can count on spending a good chunk of time sitting in the salon chair.
If you are coloring your hair for the first time or going from a light color to a dark one, it will take at least an hour. If you are adding highlights or lowlights, plan on spending two or three hours at the salon.
The exception is if you are using semi-permanent dye. This can be done in as little as 30 minutes.
On average, professional stylists say they spend around 30 minutes putting in highlights. The time they spend toning and drying your hair can vary depending on the products they use and how long your hair is.
Frequently Asked Question
How long does it take to dye hair blonde?
If you want to dye your hair blonde, it can take several hours if you have dark hair. On the other hand, you can get your hair bleached in as little as 30 minutes if you have light hair. Coloring your hair takes different amounts of time depending on whether you do it at home or in a salon.
How long does it take to dye hair black?
It varies depending on the color you’re converting from, but it normally takes approximately 20 minutes for the color to turn black. After 10 minutes, rinse the bleach, and the color will still be black. As a whole, the total time spent is approximately 30 minutes.
How long does it take to dye hair white?
Allow the bleach product to sit in your hair for as long as it takes to turn pale yellow, but not longer than the manufacturer recommends. If your maximum processing time is 50 minutes, for example, you’ll either remove the bleach when your hair turns pale yellow or when the timer goes off.
How long does it take to dye hair brown?
Transitioning to a brown hair dye can take anywhere from two to five hours in the salon, including multiple rounds of color and gloss. However, depending on the condition, length, natural color, and complexity of the service, it can last up to 8 hours.
How long does it take to dye hair silver?
The total process of dyeing your hair gray can be very hard on your hair, especially if you start with darker hair. The hair must be completely pre-lightened to a pale blonde before applying the grey. This time-consuming and harmful procedure can take anywhere from three to eight hours.
How long does it take to dye hair ombre?
The application of the balayage/ombré takes, on average, 45 minutes. Start timing yourself all of the time, so you have a consistent idea of how long the procedure takes. For the colors to effectively set in, allow at least 2.5 hours.
How long does it take to dye hair blue?
After you’ve dyed all of your strands, leave the dye to set for as long as you need. The amount of time you should keep the blue dye on your hair can vary depending on the type of shade you choose. Some kinds can be left on for up to an hour, while others require only 15 minutes.
Keep tabs on the clock, so you don’t leave the dye on for too long.
You can dye your hair in one salon visit. However, the length of time it takes to dye your hair depends on several factors. These include the type of hair dye you choose and the level of coverage you’re shooting for. Foil highlights can be achieved quite quickly, and touch-ups take even less time as you’re only dealing with previously highlighted areas rather than doing a full head. So, if you want to bleach or dye your hair, or if you want to dye your hair a lighter or darker shade than the original color, hair coloring is the way to go!