Natural hair looks amazing with colour! But if you’re considering colouring your natural hair for the first time, there are precautions you must take before doing so. You have to consider not only the colour your going for, but how it’ll affect your curls and if you can maintain the colour you’d like to switch to. Not to worry! We’re sharing three things you need to know before dyeing your natural hair for the first time.
1. If you’re trying to lighten your hair, you’ll need to make a trip to the salon!
Everyone’s hair is different (especially between Naturals!) so the exact formula to achieve great colour results may be complicated. A professional stylist who’s specialized in colour will be able to achieve the results you want for your curls.
2. Don’t try to rush the process.
When colour is done properly, your curls should remain intact. However, trying to lighten your hair extensively in one day can seriously damage your hair and your curl pattern. A trained stylist can provide a dyeing schedule to eventually achieve your desired colour, as well as provide techniques that’ll help your curls avoid major damage. For example, to achieve a platinum blonde colour, you’ll need multiple processes and higher volume developers – which can become a disaster if you’re not experienced in colouring hair. The bigger the difference in your natural hair colour and your desired colour, the more applications you’ll need to achieve that colour safely. Be prepared to experience a temporary loosened curl pattern after a drastic colour change.
3. Proper shampoos, deep conditioning and salon treatments are a must!
Colour-treated hair needs extra TLC, especially after intense dyeing. You should deep condition at least once a week to maintain the health of your curls. In between salon visits, be sure to do home treatments! When doing a treatment at home, apply your treatment, put on a plastic cap and leave it on for at least 20 minutes. Go under a hooded dryer or simply use your body heat (workout, house chores etc..) with the treatment applied for best results. Then rinse out the treatment (with cool water always!) and style.
Also, opt for a colour-preserving shampoo to protect your curls after you’ve dyed them. Most colour-preserving shampoos are sulfate-free and offer an extra layer of protection that’ll protect your colour from fading, and save you money by not having to go refresh your colour at the salon too often.
Those are all of our tips! Share your experiences with colouring your natural hair below!
To learn more tips about colouring natural hair, you can read them here!*
*Disclaimer: Although we appreciate much of the advice outlined in the article linked, we don’t promote/condone the use of certain colouring techniques; including using box dyes or any other techniques that could potentially damage natural hair.
