Whether a vibrant, fiery red or the soft strawberry blonde of natural hair, red hair is a beautiful and fiery look. But if your hair is currently black, how do you get a vibrant red shade? Actually, can you dye your hair red over black? Let’s take a look.
Can I use red dye on black hair?
Dying your hair red over black is possible, but you’ll need to bleach it if you’re looking to achieve a true, vibrant red.
If you apply red color to black hair without bleaching it first, you will simply get a tint or highlight. The end result varies depending on your hair type and whether it is black or naturally dyed.
Read on to learn all the details!
How to dye red on black hair
Here are some things to consider when deciding whether to dye your black hair red.
Is your hair naturally black or dyed black?
While you can remove color from natural or dyed black hair, dyed black hair has already taken a little more damage than natural black hair, making harsh chemical treatments a little more dangerous.
The way the color bands from your hair will change as well. You can’t go from black hair to red hair in one day safely; You will need to leave your hair in the middle stage for at least a few days.
Natural black hair tends to lighten to an orange brown on the first bleach which a good toner or color correcting shampoo can help mute to something that looks natural. Dyed-black hair tends to bleach unevenly and may lighten to unnatural shades unless you use bleach and strong, high-quality developers.
Do you want your red hair to liven up or look natural?
Natural looking red hair is hard to achieve unless you start with very light hair that only contains shades of gold or orange.
Vibrant or dark red hair puts a lot of color on the surface of the hair and into the hair, making it easier to achieve vibrancy. You should still lighten your hair with bleach, but it doesn’t have to be as perfect as if you were trying to dye your hair a natural shade, which is much more subtle.
If all you’re hoping to achieve is a red hue, consider using a temporary hair dye, which places color outside the hair shaft instead of penetrating the individual hairs and causing less damage.
Other options for black hair
Dyeing your hair from red to black may require four different dye jobs. It takes time and risks damaging your hair. If you don’t have time or want to avoid damaging your hair, consider some of the other options below as an alternative.
Brown hair
Even if brown isn’t as flashy as red hair, you can do a lot with warm or cool tones to make brown hair look classy and elegant. Getting brown hair after black is much easier than red and causes much less damage.
Red hair – brown
While auburn hair isn’t as bright as red, it’s a good compromise. The dark, red-tinged brown is beautiful, rich, and much less damaging to your hair than many other red shades.
Partial paint jobs
If you’re determined to have red in your hair, but you’re worried about the damage it will cause, consider dyeing parts of your hair red instead of the whole head.
If you dye the ends of your hair or just highlight your hair red, you can get bold, bright strands of color in your hair without burning your follicles or causing much weakening of your hair’s strength.
So, can you dye your black hair red?
It is not impossible to dye red on black hair, but it is more dangerous than other colors. If you still decide to dye your black hair red, use safe color treatments, give your hair a break between bleaching, and keep the hair follicles moisturized with a quality color conditioner.
Common questions
Below are some frequently asked questions about dyeing black hair red.
Dyeing black hair red can ruin your hair if you don’t do it right. You will need to dye your hair slowly and in stages, to make sure you repair the hair and give it time to heal before you dye it again to avoid permanent damage to the hair.
Yes. If you don’t bleach your hair first, the best you can hope for is a red tint to your black hair.
Red hair tends to wash out easily, but there are steps you can take to prevent this. Washing your hair less often and using color-safe hair care products can help extend the life of your red hair. Additionally, avoiding heat treatments will help your hair stay red.