To decide what type of hair dye you should put after a bleach, it’s important to consider the health of your hair, the aftercare, and the color you want to use.
- If your bleached hair is weak and brittle, it’s best to use a semi-permanent dye because it doesn’t contain ammonia and doesn’t need a developer for its application.
- If you are going for a non-traditional color, like blue or red, the widest range of colors can be found in fantasy hair dyes or semi-permanent dyes.
- If your bleached hair has a lot of gray, you should put a permanent dye because semi-permanent ones don’t have full gray coverage.
- Finally, if you don’t want to be keeping an eye on your coloring touch-up and your hair is healthy, your best option is permanent hair color because it lasts longer, and you can maintain it with roots touch-ups.
After bleaching your hair, you can put any hair dye, but your best bet will be to make the decision based on your hair’s health.
Why?
Because bleaching is a fairly aggressive chemical process for your hair fiber.
Developer and bleach are mixed to create a chemical reaction inside the hair that generates a permanent change.
This chemical process is so strong that your hair, stripped of both natural and artificial pigments, will never be the same again.
That’s why your hair will most likely be drier and weaker after bleaching.
And that’s what you need to keep in mind to decide what kind of hair dye to use.
Permanent dyes contain chemicals, ammonia and peroxide, which will only further weaken your hair fiber.
Semi-permanent dye, on the other hand, contains no ammonia or developer. So, it’s a healthier option if your bleached hair shows signs of damage.
Do you want to know how to make the best choice?
Then, read on, because I’ll tell you:
- Semi-permanent dye: the best option for hair damaged by bleaching
- Permanent dye: the best option for bleached hair with a lot of grays
Tabla de Contenidos
Semi-permanent dye: the best option for hair damaged by bleaching
Look at your bleached hair and tell me honestly:
- Does it feel rough to the touch?
- Has it lost its shine?
- Do you notice a lot of frizz?
If that is the case, your hair didn't resist the bleaching as you expected, and the damage is clear.
What you have to do is choose the healthiest option. In this case, it’ll always be a semi-permanent dye because it doesn't contain such aggressive chemicals for the hair.
As it doesn't have any chemicals, it doesn't penetrate the hair fiber. Pigments settle on the surface without producing any damage.
Are you looking for a non-traditional color for your hair?
Things are looking well for you!
Semi-permanent hair color offers the widest range of fantasy colors, such as blue, green, pink, and purple.
Of course, you can also choose semi-permanent hair dye with traditional colors. For example, Clairol Natural Instincts is a semi-permanent hair color that lasts 28 washes. It has all the traditional hair colors from black to light blonde.
Semi-permanent hair color lasts 10 to 30 washes, depending on the manufacturer, and it fades from root to tip, exposing the base color.
What happens once the semi-permanent dye fades?
As your hair has been bleached, the roots and ends will be blonde, and the color on the lengths will be faded.
Then, you'll need a color touch-up every 2 weeks. Yes, unfortunately, these hair dyes last less than perms. However, remember, we're talking about your damaged hair.
You can always extend the life of your hair color by taking care of some things, such as:
- Using color depositing shampoo or sulfate-free shampoo
- Avoiding chlorinated or saltwater
- Not abusing heat tools
- Decreasing the use of moisturizing masks
Did your hair withstand the process pretty well?
Do you have a lot of gray hair?
Your best option will be a permanent color in these two cases, and I'll explain why.
Permanent hair dye: the best option for bleached hair with a lot of grays
If, after bleaching, your hair looks shiny, feels soft to the touch, and there is no trace of frizz, it means that the hair fiber is healthy. In that case, you can choose a permanent hair color.
What's the advantage?
It’ll last much longer on your hair because it contains peroxide and ammonia, which penetrate the hair fiber to deposit the color.
You can always touch up the growth, so you don't have to cover the whole hair surface, as you only have to apply it to your roots.
And when the time comes for total color renewal, I have a secret for you to protect your hair even more:
- On dry hair, apply 20 drops of coconut oil from root to tip and leave it on all night.
- Rinse your hair the next morning and dry it. On dry hair, apply 10 drops of coconut oil again from mids to ends, leaving it on for 4 hours.
- Then, without rinsing your hair, apply permanent color to your bleached hair.
What if you have gray hair?
Even if you don't see them, if you had gray hair before you bleached your hair, they will still be there. Besides, when choosing a color, you should think about them.
Putting hair color to gray bleached hair
If you have a lot of gray hair or your roots are gray, you’ll have to color your hair more frequently. The darker the color, the faster you’ll have to apply it again to conceal your gray hair.
That's why the best option for gray bleached hair is permanent hair color, as you can extend the duration of the color for up to four weeks.
Afterwards, you should color your hair again. However, if you apply permanent color, you should only apply it to the roots, without touching the lengths.
You can do a root touch-up on your bleached hair for two months. Then, in the third month, do the complete color renewal.
Also, permanent color is much easier to maintain because it lasts longer and because you don't have to invest time and money in specific products.
The important thing is that you use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner, nourish your hair with moisturizing masks with keratin or coconut oil once a week and trim the ends every eight weeks.
Conclusions
- If your hair is damaged by bleaching or you want a crazy color, you should choose a semi-permanent dye. The color will last less, but it won’t damage your hair anymore.
- If your hair shows no signs of damage after bleaching, or you have a lot of gray, it’s best to go for permanent color, as it’ll last longer and require much less maintenance.
Now tell me, will you choose a permanent or semi-permanent dye to color your bleached hair?
