You may have heard natural red hair is harder to dye than natural blonde or brunette hair. Some people think this is just a myth used to keep redheads from dying their gorgeous locks, but there is truth behind it. If you take a look at Nicole Kidman’s transformation from red to blonde throughout the years, you should know it is not easy. She has to go through many hours of heavy bleaching to get her Marilyn Monroe esque hair.
Here’s everything we know and what you can do if you still want to color your natural red hair:
This is why red hair is more difficult to dye
It’s more difficult to dye naturally red hair because red hair strands hold pigment tighter than other natural colors. This means you will need to lighten the hair and strip it of its color before dying it. Of course, if you want to do something drastic like very dark brown or black, you can usually do that right over red hair.
Another reason redheads might not take to color as easily is that redheads usually have coarse/thick hair which takes longer and uses more product than thin or fine hair.
Patience, patience, patience
So, patience is much needed when dying red hair because it won’t always happen in the same amount of time as other colors.
Find a great colorist
If you want to color your naturally red hair, do it. Hair is just a form of self-expression and it will grow back. If you’re worried you might have a tough time getting the color you want, the best thing to do is do a consultation with a hair colorist. They can take a look at your hair, do a test strand, and let you know how to proceed. Being patient and realistic about your hair goals is the best thing you can do.
Visit the salon frequently
Once you successfully dye your red hair, natural redheads will have to visit the salon more frequently because their grow-out will be quite obvious. For those with brown or blonde hair, grow-out can be blended into the colored hair quite nicely, but for redheads, those red roots never lie.
Rock it like a Redhead!
RELATED POSTS:
READ: Nicole Kidman’s Evolving Look from Natural Redhead to Blonde
READ: 6 Products to Enhance Your Natural Red Hair This Redhead Season
