Can You Dye Wet Hair?

What happens if you dye wet hair?

Written by Kate Holmsy. Updated on can you dye wet hair

Among women, there are often debates about can you dye wet hair or not?

Many people wonder, can you color wet hair. Others ask if it is worth washing the hair before dyeing. 

Dyeing is the most common procedure for beautiful hair owners. The pigment covers the gray hair, makes the hair more beautiful and brighter. To achieve the desired result is often very difficult, especially at home.

How to dye hair at home properly, so it will be well absorbed and made hair natural, and gave a beautiful color? 

There are several simple ways. 

Sometimes your hair should be wet and sometimes dry.

dying wet hair
unsplash

Can you color wet hair?

The answer is, unfortunately, no.

It is known that in the composition of various hair colors, there is a component that manufacturers add every time:

  • Ammonia.
  • Hydrogen peroxide.

These chemicals have a very interesting effect on your hair, helping to the pigment to come deeper to your hair. Not everyone knows that hair is a kind of sponge, which consists of layers which are made of small scales. 

When the hair is saturated with hair dye, the hair absorbs its components. When you are dyeing your hair, it takes on the effects of these harmful components. Ammonia and peroxide very dry your hair. 

It is highly recommended to use nutritious shampoos and balms after coloring.

When you dying wet hair, they lose their fatty impregnation, which during the staining softens the harmful effects of drying substances and makes the dyeing process more gentle.

It is useful to start the procedure when the head is very greasy, in other words – dirty.

Dye hair wet or dry?

It all depends on the dye that you use. Some companies make it very saturated, so the hair should be wet before dyeing. However, it should not be washed with shampoo. Other companies indicate in the instructions that the dye should be applied to the dry hair.

Dye hair wet or dry
beezzly.com

In beauty salons, another secret is also used. On unwashed hair, they spread special oil, and hair color is applied on top of it. This method can also be used at home.

It is worth remembering that already at the stage of choosing your pigment, and it will be good to listen to the stylist’s recommendations, read the instructions, and get the seller’s advice. The hair color must be determined in advance, and the quality of the composition should be carefully selected in the store.

can you dye damp hair
unsplash

It is common to think that you can dye wet hair well, supposedly in this case, the product is distributed evenly and dyes better. Experts adhere to the statement that when you dye wet hair, they are not able to absorb pigment as much as this is required for quality dyeing. As a result, the color will be dull, even if you keep the composition 2 times longer than the recommended time.

Does your hair have to be dry to dye it?

Main dyeing mistakes.

At home, and even in hairdressing salons (if the masters are inexperienced), a huge mistakes can be made while dyeing.

can i dye wet hair
pexels

Some of them:

  1. Waiting for the same tone as the tone on the package. The properties of the hair of each woman are different and unique. To think that the color will be one to one is stupid. Hair is able to absorb well the ingredients, which can be completely different from the color on the package. That is why it is important to apply pigment to dry hair.
  2. Fast dying without allergy testing. Check for a reaction means that you need a couple of days before the coloring day. If there are no red spots and itchy skin, the pigment must be smeared first with 1 curl, hold, rinse, evaluate the result. Experienced stylists apply hair dye on a wet hair and then on a dry hair, pre-soaked with oil for coloring. 
  3. Not using the air conditioner after hair coloring. This component returns the hair’s vitality.
  4. To dye application is recommended to put a greasy head as we said above, but at the same time, there should not be any chemical components on the hair.
  5. Increasing the dyeing time. It is believed that if the dye was applied after testing on wet hair, it could be kept longer until the mixture of pigment with water molecules is completely absorbed. 
How to do a paint allergy test
beezzly.com

The exposure time should be the same as during testing on a wet curl.

Tips for blondies

Special recommendations for those who dye their hair in light colors, when brown-haired women or brunettes want to turn themselves into blondes. In no case, you should dye wet hair.

Hair coloring tips for blondes
beezzly.com

Ammonia, peroxide and light pigment should not be combined with wet or damp hair.

Tips for brunettes

It will be good if the hair dye makes the hair not a couple of tones darker, but much more, to weaken the color intensity, the pigment should be applied to wet hair. Stylists advise to follow this recommendation. Such experiments can lead to unpredictable consequences, up to a radical change in color.

Hair coloring tips for brunettes
beezzly.com

There is an option of applying the dye, partially. 

This information is for long hair owners. Where the color is absorbed better, you can dump your hair and apply the hair color at the roots, and spread the dye it on a dry end.

Applying hair dye to wet hair often leads to the fact that the dye begins to drain.

It is not possible to achieve the desired effect, and if the pigment is first diluted with water.

dye hair wet or dry

So, when using hair dye, you need to carefully read the instructions, consult with a stylist regarding the individual characteristics of hair. In some cases, the hair should be wet before staining (if desired, achieve a tinting effect). In other situations, the pigment should be applied only to dry hair, which before this, was not washed for a couple of days. Hairdressers do not recommend shampooing your hair before dyeing.

Read Next: What Color To Dye Over Green Hair When it’s Time For Changes?

Written by
avatar
Kate worked in "The Fashion Magazine" for four years as a freelance writer and loved to consult and help people with their style. How to create your own style, how to look beautiful, and select trendy colors for your hair - these are just a few of many issues Kate will happily explain in Beezzly Beauty blogs!
Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=BDNKTl1WcDI