So, you've gone natural and probably been on your natural hair journey for a while, but now you're thinking about adding another layer of complexity: You want to try some color.
Now, dyeing natural hair can be a little scary... which is why we spoke to a couple experts about how to do it right, so that there's less risk of damage or dryness. Ready for some stylist-approved advice on how to be kind to your natural hair while trying to give it a new burst of color? Keep reading for their top tips.
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DON'T dye your hair at home
Devachan color specialist Nicolle Lemonds says it is not safe to dye your hair at home with box dye — even if they say they're non-permanent: "Doesn't matter if it's henna, a 'rinse', or 'ammonia free.'" She explains boxed dye you find at the store tends to be very harsh as they are metallic-based, which makes it very difficult to lift and remove from the hair.
"Removing this is a hairstylist's worst nightmare," she adds. "It can take multiple sessions to break through this harsh color to achieve the desired result. This goes for henna as well. Henna leaves a very long lasting red tint in the hair that's hard to get past as well. JUST DON'T DO IT. Period."
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Steer away from protein treatments
Any treatments that could "over-proteinize" your hair one week before or after your service should be avoided, says Ouuidad stylist Monice Lopez. "Too much protein will cause hair to become brittle and compromised — you will not receive the best color results."
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Always do a pre-treatment
Lemonds says that a pre-treatment and aftercare is very important. "I normally ask my clients to do one before they come in and I follow up with one after especially if it's a major color change or bleach was involved," says Lemonds.
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Try Olaplex to protect your hair
"Olaplex is excellent for natural hair because it helps to keep the hair intact during the color process and the treatment after helps bring the pH back down and seals everything," says Lemonds. "Other hair brands like Schwarzkopf have similar treatments that do the same thing and have started to incorporate the same bonding technology into their line of Blondeme bleaches and developers so we don't have to add anything and there is also a follow up treatment at the sink with fibreplex."
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