How to Dye Hair Opal
Don’t wash your hair beforehand., Comb and section your hair., Mix powdered bleach with developer., Paint sections of hair., Wash out the lightener., Confirm that your hair is light enough., Use a blue-based toner to neutralize orange hues., Mix the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Don’t wash your hair beforehand.
Color adheres better to unwashed hair.
Bleach and dye may irritate or even burn your scalp without the protection of your natural oils.If you already have pale and entirely ash blonde hair, you can skip the lightening part. -
Step 2: Comb and section your hair.
First use a wide-tooth comb, and make sure your locks are completely tangle-free.
Part hair into four equal sections with a fine-tooth comb.
Twist the top two sections up completely, and secure them with clips.
Part the back two sections down the middle.If you’re having trouble parting or sectioning your hair in the back, stand in front of a large mirror.
Hold a smaller mirror in front of you above your head with one hand, and use your comb with the other. , Use one ounce (28.3 g) of powder bleach for every two ounces of developer.
You can find these products online or at local beauty supply stores.
A lightener is necessary to lift your hair to a pale shade of blonde.Use a 20 volume developer.
Don’t use 30 or 40 volume developers at home.Bleach powder and volume developer typically comes together in kits.
If your hair is thick or longer than your shoulders, you’ll need two kits.If you’ve never lightened your hair with bleach before, it’s best to go to a professional to get it done.
Bleaching can damage your hair and/or scalp, and should be used very carefully. , Take down sections of hair over a sheet of foil, beginning with the bottom sections.
Paint lightening mixture onto the hair with a brush.
Make sure to thoroughly saturate the hair with the brush, using multiple strokes in various directions as needed.
Roll each section up into the sheet of foil after you paint it.
Once finished, leave the mixture in your hair for up to 45 minutes, until your hair reaches a yellow stage.You may want to keep your darker roots and apply the opal effect to only the ends of your hair.
If so, leave a few inches of hair close to your scalp (or however much you prefer) untouched with each section you paint.
Make sure to wear gloves and follow all safety precautions that came with your lightening kit.
Check your hair with gloved hands every five to ten minutes.
Never leave bleach on your hair for longer than 45 minutes.
Fine hair lightens easier than coarse hair.
Thus fine hair will process faster than coarse hair., Shampoo the hair to fully cleanse your hair of the mixture.
Don’t use conditioner at this point.
Towel dry your hair., Any sections of hair you’ll be using the opal technique on must be a clean blonde rather than brassy or orangish.If your hair is still orange rather than yellow, you’ll need to tone out the orange and/or lighten your hair more., Combine an ashy toner with a purple- or silver-based shampoo and conditioner.
Mix one part conditioner to 1/4 part toner or semi-permanent hair dye.
Apply it with a brush and let it sit for fifteen to twenty minutes before rinsing it out.Condition your hair and wait a least a week before lightening your hair with bleach again.
When you reapply the bleach, leave it in until your hair becomes yellow (about twenty to thirty minutes).
Then rinse it out completely right away. , The goal is to achieve a silver blonde hue.
Combine an ash blonde toner with 10 volume developer in a bowl.
Use a 1:2 ratio.
Stir it well with a brush., Make four equal sections and clip them up.
Prepare sheets of tin foil and a new hair coloring brush for applying the base color.
Begin dyeing the front sections of your hair first.
Wear gloves whenever you’re using hair dye.
Make sure you’re in well-ventilated area (such as a bathroom with the fan on and/or window open).
Have a damp paper towel nearby to wipe away any dye that gets on your face or neck. , Do this section by section, making sure to coat the hair thoroughly.
If you’re only dying the ends of your hair, just look for the lightened portions and paint them., Once the appropriate amount of time has elapsed, thoroughly wash the color out of your hair.
You can use shampoo to make sure you’ve completely removed the product.
Allow your hair to dry before proceeding with color streaking.
Hair dye processing times typically take between fifteen to forty-five minutes, but you should always follow the length of time in the product’s guidelines.
The color may appear slightly lavender or blue at first.
After a couple of washes, it will set into a silver shade., Create pale shades of orange, blue, purple and green by diluting color with white conditioner to achieve softer hues.Add a small amount of color into each bowl using conditioner as a base.Have a separate brush ready for each bowl of color.
Alternately, you can use purchase pre-mixed pastel colors., Brush different pastel shades onto sections of your hair in streaks.
Alternate between thin and chunky sections.
Let your inner artist take over by blending complimentary pastels on top of each other.For example, blend pale lavender into light yellow or green to achieve a look of iridescence.
Optionally, you can use pieces of foil as a backing when you’re brushing on colors. , Mix the colors in separate bowls.
You can skip adding conditioner, or add a small amount of white conditioner.
Create a rich green, blue and purple, each with its own brush and bowl.The rich colors should be accents to the pastel.
For example, brush a bit of a vivid color on the end of a section already colored with pastel. , Let it sit as long as the product instructions advise.
Then rinse the color out of your hair.
You can use shampoo to thoroughly cleanse your hair, and follow up with conditioner. , If you hair looks damaged or feels dry to the touch, visit a hairdresser for a moisturizing treatment; alternatively, you can make your own.
Quenching thirsty locks will help your color to last.Apply a coconut oil treatment to your hair once per week, or when your hair feels dry.
If your hair becomes weighed down and greasy, use the treatment less often. , Use a moisturizing, sulfate-free shampoo.
Once in a while, use a purple or blue toning shampoo.
If you use the latter too often, the purple or blue can begin to tint your hair.
But if you lather with it only occasionally, it will prevent your hair from shifting to beige.Invest in a quality, sulfate-free conditioner and a salon grade shampoo for colored hair.Use a blue or purple toning shampoo a few times per month., Touch up your roots every four to eight weeks, or as needed.
When you notice your rainbow colors fading away, repeat the color streaking method.
Opal hair color is high maintenance and tends to fade fast. -
Step 3: Mix powdered bleach with developer.
-
Step 4: Paint sections of hair.
-
Step 5: Wash out the lightener.
-
Step 6: Confirm that your hair is light enough.
-
Step 7: Use a blue-based toner to neutralize orange hues.
-
Step 8: Mix the base color.
-
Step 9: Part your hair into sections.
-
Step 10: Brush on the color.
-
Step 11: Leave the color in according to the product’s directions.
-
Step 12: Mix pastel colors in separate bowls.
-
Step 13: Apply pastel colors liberally.
-
Step 14: Add vivid colors subtly.
-
Step 15: Remove the color.
-
Step 16: Condition your hair as needed.
-
Step 17: Alternate shampoos.
-
Step 18: Maintain your roots and color streaks.
Detailed Guide
Color adheres better to unwashed hair.
Bleach and dye may irritate or even burn your scalp without the protection of your natural oils.If you already have pale and entirely ash blonde hair, you can skip the lightening part.
First use a wide-tooth comb, and make sure your locks are completely tangle-free.
Part hair into four equal sections with a fine-tooth comb.
Twist the top two sections up completely, and secure them with clips.
Part the back two sections down the middle.If you’re having trouble parting or sectioning your hair in the back, stand in front of a large mirror.
Hold a smaller mirror in front of you above your head with one hand, and use your comb with the other. , Use one ounce (28.3 g) of powder bleach for every two ounces of developer.
You can find these products online or at local beauty supply stores.
A lightener is necessary to lift your hair to a pale shade of blonde.Use a 20 volume developer.
Don’t use 30 or 40 volume developers at home.Bleach powder and volume developer typically comes together in kits.
If your hair is thick or longer than your shoulders, you’ll need two kits.If you’ve never lightened your hair with bleach before, it’s best to go to a professional to get it done.
Bleaching can damage your hair and/or scalp, and should be used very carefully. , Take down sections of hair over a sheet of foil, beginning with the bottom sections.
Paint lightening mixture onto the hair with a brush.
Make sure to thoroughly saturate the hair with the brush, using multiple strokes in various directions as needed.
Roll each section up into the sheet of foil after you paint it.
Once finished, leave the mixture in your hair for up to 45 minutes, until your hair reaches a yellow stage.You may want to keep your darker roots and apply the opal effect to only the ends of your hair.
If so, leave a few inches of hair close to your scalp (or however much you prefer) untouched with each section you paint.
Make sure to wear gloves and follow all safety precautions that came with your lightening kit.
Check your hair with gloved hands every five to ten minutes.
Never leave bleach on your hair for longer than 45 minutes.
Fine hair lightens easier than coarse hair.
Thus fine hair will process faster than coarse hair., Shampoo the hair to fully cleanse your hair of the mixture.
Don’t use conditioner at this point.
Towel dry your hair., Any sections of hair you’ll be using the opal technique on must be a clean blonde rather than brassy or orangish.If your hair is still orange rather than yellow, you’ll need to tone out the orange and/or lighten your hair more., Combine an ashy toner with a purple- or silver-based shampoo and conditioner.
Mix one part conditioner to 1/4 part toner or semi-permanent hair dye.
Apply it with a brush and let it sit for fifteen to twenty minutes before rinsing it out.Condition your hair and wait a least a week before lightening your hair with bleach again.
When you reapply the bleach, leave it in until your hair becomes yellow (about twenty to thirty minutes).
Then rinse it out completely right away. , The goal is to achieve a silver blonde hue.
Combine an ash blonde toner with 10 volume developer in a bowl.
Use a 1:2 ratio.
Stir it well with a brush., Make four equal sections and clip them up.
Prepare sheets of tin foil and a new hair coloring brush for applying the base color.
Begin dyeing the front sections of your hair first.
Wear gloves whenever you’re using hair dye.
Make sure you’re in well-ventilated area (such as a bathroom with the fan on and/or window open).
Have a damp paper towel nearby to wipe away any dye that gets on your face or neck. , Do this section by section, making sure to coat the hair thoroughly.
If you’re only dying the ends of your hair, just look for the lightened portions and paint them., Once the appropriate amount of time has elapsed, thoroughly wash the color out of your hair.
You can use shampoo to make sure you’ve completely removed the product.
Allow your hair to dry before proceeding with color streaking.
Hair dye processing times typically take between fifteen to forty-five minutes, but you should always follow the length of time in the product’s guidelines.
The color may appear slightly lavender or blue at first.
After a couple of washes, it will set into a silver shade., Create pale shades of orange, blue, purple and green by diluting color with white conditioner to achieve softer hues.Add a small amount of color into each bowl using conditioner as a base.Have a separate brush ready for each bowl of color.
Alternately, you can use purchase pre-mixed pastel colors., Brush different pastel shades onto sections of your hair in streaks.
Alternate between thin and chunky sections.
Let your inner artist take over by blending complimentary pastels on top of each other.For example, blend pale lavender into light yellow or green to achieve a look of iridescence.
Optionally, you can use pieces of foil as a backing when you’re brushing on colors. , Mix the colors in separate bowls.
You can skip adding conditioner, or add a small amount of white conditioner.
Create a rich green, blue and purple, each with its own brush and bowl.The rich colors should be accents to the pastel.
For example, brush a bit of a vivid color on the end of a section already colored with pastel. , Let it sit as long as the product instructions advise.
Then rinse the color out of your hair.
You can use shampoo to thoroughly cleanse your hair, and follow up with conditioner. , If you hair looks damaged or feels dry to the touch, visit a hairdresser for a moisturizing treatment; alternatively, you can make your own.
Quenching thirsty locks will help your color to last.Apply a coconut oil treatment to your hair once per week, or when your hair feels dry.
If your hair becomes weighed down and greasy, use the treatment less often. , Use a moisturizing, sulfate-free shampoo.
Once in a while, use a purple or blue toning shampoo.
If you use the latter too often, the purple or blue can begin to tint your hair.
But if you lather with it only occasionally, it will prevent your hair from shifting to beige.Invest in a quality, sulfate-free conditioner and a salon grade shampoo for colored hair.Use a blue or purple toning shampoo a few times per month., Touch up your roots every four to eight weeks, or as needed.
When you notice your rainbow colors fading away, repeat the color streaking method.
Opal hair color is high maintenance and tends to fade fast.
About the Author
Jacqueline Flores
Writer and educator with a focus on practical cooking knowledge.
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