Purple hair dye?

[MaggieTheCat]

I'm thinking of dyeing my hair purple. The trouble is, my hair is naturally very dark. Not quite black, but close. Whenever I've gotten my hair colored any color at a salon, they always have to use SOME kind of peroxide or bleach to lighten it. Are there any dyes out there that I could just apply to dark hair to make it dark purple so I wouldn't have to bleach it at all? I'm wanting to do this as part of a cosplay for a convention, so it wouldn't have to last long, only a few days.

[Treasure]

I think you're pretty much SOL, i have dark hair too, *dye it mahogany w// a red enhancer* and this year for my birthday i'm getting purple tips and i'm probably gonna have to have it bleached - all i can suggest is when it starts turning or fading, have a bottle of your preferred hair dye on hand and start with the dyed sections, leave it on for about 5-10 mins, before dying the rest of your hair, you'll want it to look uniform.

[blas]

I had my hair highlighted/two toned purple twice at a salon. Very very dark purple, because I'm a natural blonde and my hair spits out any color darker than what's natural.

Not sure how it would work with very dark hair. I'd assume you'd be able to see it in sunlight and certain lights, but it would probably be difficult to get the darkness out without lightening it first.

Purple is extremely hard to keep because of the red in it. If you don't have any natural red, good luck

[Whiskey]

You can get your hair considerably lightened up without bleach. I only had to use bleach when I went platinum blonde. I'm an ash brunette though. If you're going to go purple, you might as well bleach. Go to a good salon and get it done.

[wolfie]

I've heard of some spray-on hair colours (more of a paint than a dye). They're very short-term (come out the first time you wash your hair, and may need to be re-applied after a day or so). They tend to concentrate in the "non-natural" colour range, and are marketed toward younger people (i.e. teens).

Considering you're looking for a non-natural colour for a short time, they may be worth a try before you resort to something long-term like bleaching.

[Magpie]

I've heard of some spray-on hair colours (more of a paint than a dye). They're very short-term (come out the first time you wash your hair, and may need to be re-applied after a day or so). They tend to concentrate in the "non-natural" colour range, and are marketed toward younger people (i.e. teens).

Considering you're looking for a non-natural colour for a short time, they may be worth a try before you resort to something long-term like bleaching.

I've used them for Hallowe'en costumes. The two issues with them are that a) they're hair spray. They're great if you're doing a costume that also requires hair spray, but if you want your hair to look like hair you're SOL. b) dark colours don't work on dark hair. Yellow showed up on my hair (it's brown, not even really dark brown), but the blue just hid because it wasn't bright enough.

[KiaKat]

I semi-regularly streak my hair either blue or purple (Manic Panic FTW), and it's always a double-process. Bleach first, then dye.

For an example of what that looks like, check it out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiakat/3923750964/

The photos before & after are the alternate shots.

To see what the streaks look like now, look here: http://leahhaydock.zenfolio.com/p312...8751#h3c8b8751 The blonde at the top of my head is what's left of the streaks. I agreed to leave them out for the wedding, but I'll be putting them back in (possibly entirely on my own) sometime in the next few weeks.

[Green_Fairy]

i have pretty dark hair and a while back, i dyed my bangs listerine blue. bleach first, then color. pretty much unavoidable. i'd love to dye my hair again...but teh job says noooo. bastards.

[malmalthekiller]

Yeah, you'll need to bleach the crap out of your hair.

I have brown hair, and when I used to dye mine bright colors, I needed to bleach it a lot.

[MaggieTheCat]

I figured that would be the case. Thanks for the input everyone. I'm actually just starting to go back to my natural color, and while the cosplay I'm planning won't be until next summer, I don't want to bleach my hair anymore since I've been bleaching it for years and I just want to go natural again. Maybe I'll change my mind as the actual cosplay gets closer. Or I'll just get a wig.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

Kia! You look like a princess what with that hair and face!
(seriously, your long uber-curly hair? geeze. I know it's a pain, but still!) /threadjack
Also, wigs can be used over and over, and by different people! If it isn't too crazy, I'd get one, 'specially since hair chemicals might do more harm than good. ... What? looking fab is good!

[KiaKat]

I'm actually going to do things a bit differently this year. I just picked up the After Midnight Blue dye and a lightening kit, and I'll be bleaching the CRAP out of the front of my hair, then dying it. So blue streaks for me!

My mom is gonna kill me. But you know what? I don't care. I know she hates weird hair colours, and piercings, and anything odd, but that's what I DO. And I'm no longer going to apologize for it.

[AccountingDrone]

Im thinking of going purple, but not bleaching it out, just letting the purple take in the grey areas and being hinted at on the mostly brownish rest of my hair. [I think I am about 20% grey now]

[teh_blumchenkinder]

I dyed my hair a very pretty red when I was 14-15 or so, my paternal grandmother pursed her lips and shook her head, saying she didn't like it. That was her equivalent of screaming and yelling and disowning me.
Oh Oma, I miss you.

[Magpie]

Im thinking of going purple, but not bleaching it out, just letting the purple take in the grey areas and being hinted at on the mostly brownish rest of my hair. [I think I am about 20% grey now]

My mom's friend did something similiar - she had been dying her hair black to match her natural colour when it started going grey, and no one believed it was natural, and well, technically it wasn't. So she switched to auburn, and my mom was SHOCKED how grey she obviously was.