Whether you want to refresh your hair extensions, match them with your natural hair, or try a new look, coloring your extensions can be fun if done keeping a few things in mind. It is not easy to dye the extensions at home as they might get ruined. If you doubt your coloring skills, ask for professional help to avoid any damage. But if you want to experiment and make it into a fun at-home project, here are a few tips you must keep in mind.
Styling, Coloring and Installing Hair Extensions | Superhairpieces
- It is better to go darker than lighter
Just like with human hair, it is much easier and more convenient for you to dye your hair into a darker shade rather than going lighter.
Making extensions lighter would mean bleaching them first which might potentially damage the hair extension as the hair may already be bleached in the first place to get its existing color. Your human hair extensions are going to get frizzy and might become brittle once treated with bleach. If you want a lighter or blonder color, look into the hair color options offered by your provider.
- Only human hair extensions can be dyed
Another consideration you need to be sure of is that your extensions are made of human hair as it is not possible to dye synthetic hair extensions. So if your hair extension is made from human hair, let’s start dyeing!
- Choose the right color
Choose a color of your liking but if it is your first time, go with a shade that is subtle and not too drastic. This would help avoid any unforeseen damage that might be done to the extension hair.
- Get your supplies
Get all the supplies and tools you will need to color your hair extensions in one place. You will need a bowl, a brush, gloves, foil wrap, towel and comb along with color and developer. Dyeing can get a little messy, so make sure to cover the sink or nearby surface that you might want to avoid staining.
- Prepare the hair
Most good quality human hair extensions come pre-conditioned and the coating is done to keep them looking silky and needs to be washed off if the color is to be absorbed evenly. Add shampoo into lukewarm water and wash the hair extensions thoroughly, one weft at a time. Wash gently and after you are done, hang the extensions to air dry. Make sure the extensions have dried before you start applying any color to them. Comb out the tangles gently and lay the extensions flat to start coloring.
- Application of the hair color
After mixing the hair dye according to the manufacturer’s instructions, you can now start the process of hair dyeing. Before you slather the dye on extensions, test dye a strand to be sure of the results.
You can use the water color method where you dip the wefts into a water diluter with hair dye until the desired vibrance and tone are achieved. After that, you let the wefts dry and skip using shampoo on the extension hair as it might fade the dye color. Always keep in mind that the final color might look lighter after drying.
If you are using a brush to apply color make sure your strokes are moving downwards as upward motions might make the extension hair frizzy and damage them. Make sure the color is saturated from both sides and soaks all the hair strands completely. Do the wefts one by one and after all of them are done, put them aside.
- Processing the dye
After the dye application is done, cover all the wefts with a loose plastic wrap. This ensures that the color is efficiently absorbed without drying out. It usually takes 20-30 minutes for the color to process. Check-in between intervals to see if the desired tone has been achieved.
- Rinsing the dyed hair extensions
After the processing is complete and desired results are achieved, the wefts are ready to be rinsed and the color is ready to be revealed. Use cold water to rinse out the color. Using a low-pressure stream of water, rinse all the colors out while combing the extensions in between to get all the dye out. Let the water run from top to bottom to avoid twisting, stress or breakage. Keep rinsing for 10 to 15 minutes to ensure thorough working out of the dye.
After you are sure that all the dye has been removed, use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to get rid of any remaining color that might leak. If you have used the watercolor method, skip the shampoo as it might further dull the color.
- Comb and let hair dry
After thorough washing, the extensions should be spread out on a towel with a leave-in conditioner applied. Using a wide-toothed comb, brush the extension hair out very gently. Do this when the hair is partially dry to prevent any unnecessary shedding. It is preferable to let the hair extensions air-dry and avoid using a blow dryer.
After drying, you have your freshly dyed, vibrant looking human hair extensions that you can style in any way that you want. Make sure you are very careful throughout the procedure and avoid using bleach or any lightning products if it is your first time. Happy dyeing!
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