- The short answer is no, Manic Panic is not bad for you hair.
- If your hair is damaged before applying Manic Panic, it’ll remain the same after you apply it.
- Therefore, before coloring your hair with Manic Panic, it’s always a good idea to test a strand, either on healthy or damaged hair. Porous hair, for example, reacts differently to the products.
- Finally, most Manic Panic tones require bleaching the hair to make the color look vibrant. If your hair isn’t healthy enough after bleaching, you should moisturize and nourish it before applying Manic Panic.
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Manic Panic’s motto is that it is vegan and 100% animal cruelty-free, which means that no animals were for during research.
Also, the brand claims that it’s formulated with natural products. So, it doesn’t have peroxide and ammonia.
If we put all these elements together, I could almost assure you that Manic Panic doesn’t damage your hair unless it’s damaged beforehand.
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You shouldn’t be fooled.
The texture of Manic Panic is very similar to that of a conditioner. However, that doesn’t mean that it has repairing elements.
- So, if your ends were split before applying Manic Panic, they’ll stay split.
- If you couldn’t even detangle your hair before you applied Manic Panic, I’m sorry to tell you that you’ll have to keep fighting the same battle.
- If frizz is the inseparable companion of your hair, like Batman and Robin, the news doesn’t get any better. Frizz will still be present.
So, one thing is clear: Manic Panic doesn’t compromise your hair’s health. It doesn’t damage it, and it’s not bad as long as your hair is healthy.
If your hair is damaged, the situation won’t get worse. But, I doubt that the Manic Panic color you’ve chosen will look the way you imagined it.
Did you read the above correctly?
If your hair is damaged, the resulting color after applying Manic Panic will be unpredictable.
- Maybe you wanted a hot pink, and your hair ends up reddish.
- Maybe you wanted electric blue, and your hair ends up midnight blue.
That’s what happens when you apply a fantasy hair dye on damaged hair.
Also, don’t forget about an important detail about Manic Panic’s colors: you must bleach your hair. Almost all Manic Panic colors must be applied on very blonde, almost white bases.
That can really damage your hair.
So, before you even think about using Manic Panic, there’s one critical step you shouldn’t skip if you’re worried about damaging your hair.
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Do the strand test before applying Manic Panic to see how your hair will react, even if you haven’t bleached it
If we talk about hair dye effects, Manic Panic has an advantage. As it’s a semi-permanent hair dye, it’s not applied with a developer, and it doesn’t contain ammonia.
Obviously, those two features of Manic Panic aren’t bad for your hair.
However, if you want to rule out any kind of possible damage from Manic Panic, you should follow this foolproof method: the strand test.
You’ve probably heard of this procedure to check the color and to be certain that a chemical process won’t break your hair.
But, in this case, I suggest you do the strand test to make sure that Manic Panic won’t damage your hair.How does it work?
Apply Manic Panic on a strand of hair from the back section of your head. Follow the entire manufacturer’s instructions, let the hair dye act, rinse, and dry your strand.
- Were you able to easily detangle the strand you just dyed?
If you’re having a hard time detangling your newly colored hair, I’ve got bad news for you.
In that case, don’t want to apply Manic Panic. To be honest, you shouldn’t be using any kind of hair dye, let alone bleaching your hair.
Instead, you should start an urgent nourishing routine and stop thinking about fantasy colors at least for the time being. In a few moments, I’ll give you more details.
- Is the strand soft to the touch?
Good news! If your strand is soft to the touch, you can apply Manic Panic all over your hair.
As your hair was healthy before applying Manic Panic, it obviously absorbed and took advantage of some of the moisturizing elements of the hair dye.
- Do you notice your hair frizzy?
Here’s some good and bad news. You can use Manic Panic, but you’ll need to moisturize your hair first.
Otherwise, the pigmentation from the hair dye will clog your pores and your hair won’t be able to breathe. If it can’t breathe, it’ll be damaged.
- Is the Manic Panic tone you chose just as you imagined it to be on your tresses?
Great news! It means you don’t need to bleach your hair because it probably has a light enough blonde base to make the tone look great.
Now, I’ll take care of those of you who didn’t get good news. Don’t give up on the idea of using Manic Panic.
How to restore your hair so Manic Panic won’t damage it
First, let’s check your hair to repair it properly. Then, apply the color you want or bleach it.
- If it’s dull and has split ends, you need a moisturizing routine.
- If it feels rough, gummy, or you can’t comb it when it’s wet, you need a repair routine.
Both of these routines can be done at home. However, ideally, you should go to the salon for specific repair and moisturizing elements that will be very effective.
Now, if you want to take it easy, you can start these home routines.
Moisturizing routine for dry hair before applying Manic Panic
If your hair is dry, moisturizing is essential because it’ll restore shine, softness and above all, manageability.
In turn, split ends are different. The only way to solve this problem is to trim them. Therefore, I recommend you trim your hair two or three centimeters.
What do you need to moisturize your hair?
- Moisturizing Shampoo: to name a few examples, I recommend Biolage Hydrasource Shampoo or SexyHair Shampoo.
- Moisturizing Conditioner: Oxg Coconut Oil Miracle Conditioner or L’Oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Oil will give you extra hydration due to their components.
- Moisturizing Mask: My favorites are Arvazallia Hydrating Argan Oil Mask, BlondwoodKeratin Hair Mask, or L’Oreal Paris Hair Care Elvive Total Repair 5.
You can use these or other products that contain moisturizing agents.
Once you have the products, you can start the moisturizing routine.
- Monday: wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner.
- Tuesday: let your hair rest to absorb the moisturizer
- Wednesday: apply a moisturizing mask
- Thursday: wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner
- Friday: your hair rests again
- Saturday: apply the mask
Repair routine for very damaged hair before applying Manic Panic
This routine is more intense because your hair is very damaged. That’s why you need to take care of its health before you apply Manic Panic or bleach it.
What do you need?
Specific repair products that act on the inner layers of the hair.
- Repairing Shampoo: L’Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Shampoo, Olaplex No 4 Bond Shampoo, or Nexxus Humectress will repair your hair from the core.
- Repairing conditioner: L’Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Shampoo, Olaplex No 5 Bond Conditioner, or Dove Nutritive Solutions Intensive Repair Conditioner will help to complement the repair of the shampoo.
- Repairing treatments: Olaplex 3 Hair Perfector, Hi-Pro-Pac Extremely Damaged Repair, or Pantene Pro-V Rescue Shots for intensive treatment in a few applications.
Here is the routine:
- Monday: wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner.
- Tuesday: don’t apply any product.
- Wednesday: wash your hair only with repairing shampoo and apply the repairing treatment you chose.
- Thursday: your hair rests to absorb nutrients.
- Friday: wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner.
Follow these routines according to your hair needs for several weeks until you notice that your hair is perfect.
Don’t apply Manic Panic or bleach if your hair isn’t in perfect health. Remember, Manic Panic won’t damage it but it won’t fix it either.
Conclusions
Manic Panic hair dye won’t damage your hair. However, if your hair is damaged, you’ll need to follow a moisturizing or repair routine according to the damage.
Don’t forget that the strand test is the best way to know how the Manic Panic pigments will react on your hair.