How Long to Leave Hair Dye On. 7 Hair Dyeing Mistakes

For home hair dyeing, avoid those crucial mistakes and you can get a professional result.

Written by Kate Holmsy. Updated on September 24, 2023

Hair dye is a trendy procedure. We like to dye our hair at home. Often it seems that this is a very simple process: it is enough to apply the dye, hold the right amount of time, wash off, and a new hairstyle is ready.

And for how long to leave hair dye in? You should leave hair dye in for 30-45 minutes. Follow the instructions on the box. After 30 minutes, the ammonia and peroxide from hair dye go deeper into the hair structure and change its pigment. The procedure lasts from 30 minutes to three hours, depending on the hair length, dyes type, and color.

Of course, dying in itself is not particularly difficult, it requires only thoroughness, accuracy, and attentiveness.

Table of Contents

Why does the result not always meet expectations?

the color is not as expected and is far from that presented on the package;
the shade is unpleasant;
color does not fit ;
the strands became dull and naughty;
hair splits, breaks, falls out.

How long to leave hair dye in the hair on black hair?

As a rule, the procedure lasts from 30 minutes to three hours, depending on the hair length, dyes type, and color. You should not radically change your hairstyle, it can really harm your scalp.

For the very first at home dying, you can use temporary dye, which is washed off in 3 times.

Mistakes you make dyeing your hair

Your hair is too clean

Do not wash your hair on the day when you are planning to color. A little natural fat on the hair and scalp will protect you against irritation and burning.

You radically change the hair color

radicall change haircolor dyeing mistakes

For home-based hair dyeing, try to change the shade for just one or two tones.

If you want more noticeable changes in color, better visit your hair colorist.

You color your hair with the eyebrow color

First, it is not safe for your eyes. You are risking with your sign.
Secondly, the color of the eyebrows, in any case, will differ from the hair color, since they have different thicknesses.

How long to leave hair dye on eyebrows?

Apply eyebrow dyeing, starting from the outer edge, from the tail, and gradually moving to the inner side of the eyebrow.
Make sure that the dye does not swell beyond the contour!
Leave the dye for 5-15 minutes: the duration of dying is usually indicated in the instructions on the dye and depends on the tone you choose.
Remove the dye with a cotton swab dipped in warm water.
Attention – eyebrows should be dying one at a time, and not both at once.

You too quickly wash the dye out

If you have thick gray hair, try to dye one strand first to see how long it takes to get the desired color.

So you don’t have to dye the entire hair to find out that the existing hair color will not give the desired effect.

You don’t follow the instructions

Carefully read through the instructions. Some manufacturers recommend first adding water and applying on the hair the foaming product.

This is an important step that allows you to increase your hair color and decrease its flushing.

If you Skip it, you risk leaving some of the dye on your hair and skin.

You overdo dye on gray hair

If less than a third of your hair is affected by gray, there is no need to use a permanent dye.

Even temporary dye will provide the desired effect and at the same time bring less damage to the hair structure, give them shine and smoothness.

And also choose dye color with the words “natural” and “neutral” : they are better suited for dyeing gray hair.

You use only one color

With just two different shades, you can achieve a more natural result even at home.

That “wig effect”, when dyed hair does not look like natural, occurs if, you constantly dye them with ammonia and its molecules are practically embedded into the hair.

In this case, the hair becomes too porous, and the pigment oversaturates them.

To achieve a natural effect, first of all, dye overgrown roots with permanent ammonia paint.
Dry the hair with a towel
then dye the entire hair with an ammonia-free paint one tone lighter.
Leave it for 10 minutes, rinse and condition.

Written by Kate Holmsy

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.

2022-01-09T19:45:56+00:00

Clarice Krolicki

Do u start timing as soon u are all done w application. ?? Or start timing as soon as u Start application??

2021-11-25T18:28:39+00:00

Alayna

Hi Dee, just came across your comment, I think if you keep it for 13-15 minutes it should be OK. For example, in my case it is never 100% the color I expect, it is just close to it. The reason is we all have different types of hair and it reacts differently to dyeing. Hope you are satisfied with your hair color!

2021-11-25T01:30:40+00:00

Jessica Tayoun

Absolutely! I've been a stylist for 27years and to answer your question...YES! It is a VERY good idea to condition your hair after a coloring process. It not only keeps the color vibrant but rinsing the color AND the conditioner with cool/cold water also makes your hair shiny.

2021-10-30T14:29:39+00:00

Dee

Ok, First of all, I have very thin, fine hair. I happen to love the shiny silver hairs I'm showing as I get older. I have red pigments in my hair and used to be naturally pretty blonde, It's gotten darker as I've aged, (more like a light brown, until it's greasy, then it's much darker) but I love the silver.

MY question is, I'd like to color it just a little, a slight neutral or ash (lighten it up a LITTLE), but I don't want that red showing up, and I want to keep my silver/grays'.

When I colored at home, I only left it on for 13-15 minutes because I don't want to look like a bottle blonde, I just want to lighten it a little, and I was hoping to keep the silver/gray.

Oh, I'm 56 and have a VERY oily scalp and face, when I do dye, I am so relieved because I can skip a day between washing.

Complicated, I know, what are your recommendations?

2021-10-27T15:09:14+00:00

Alessandra

I’m not a professional colorist or hairdresser, but in my opinion, once a year is ok, especially if you say your hair feels fine. You should start panicking when you notice you are losing it!

2021-10-25T17:02:03+00:00

Payton

How frequently is it ok to dye your hair? I recently realized that I change my mane’s color every one or two years. I started coloring like five years ago, and my hair is still in good condition. But can I damage it if I continue coloring that often?

2021-10-20T15:50:44+00:00

Laura

As far as I know, it’s not recommended. Besides, some sort of conditioner is already included into the dye so it’s better if you wait for 48-72 hours and use a conditioner then.

2021-10-18T19:04:30+00:00

Emelia

Does anyone know whether it’s ok to condition your hair right after it is dyed?

2021-10-15T14:16:04+00:00

Gracelyn

Hi! Well, I’d say you should not fall into panic. Maybe, it makes sense to wait a bit more and let yourself get used to the new color. Especially if it was a dramatic color change?

But if you definitely want to get rid of it, I’d recommend you do a color correction at the salon. It’s a complicated process so don’t do it yourself! As well as don’t get tempted to use a box dye! You’ll most likely make things worse than fix anything.

2021-10-14T14:07:40+00:00

Alayah

I colored my hair two days ago but now I realize I don’t like the resulting color. It looks less bright and glossy than I expected. The hair colorist I went to said it’s ok and the color will improve after a day or two, but it didn’t happen. So I’m thinking of changing it. Shall I just re-dye my hair? Does anyone have any ideas?

2021-10-13T13:21:19+00:00

Rylee

I would not advise you doing that! See, hot styling tools, such as blow dryers, curling irons, etc. make your hair prone to damage, and if your hair is colored, it becomes vulnerable even more. So I’d not take that risk if I were you.

2021-10-12T13:56:52+00:00

Charley

Can I style my recently colored hair with hot styling tools? I dyed my hair last week and the color sits perfectly. At least, I haven’t noticed any dye bleeded for now. And since I’m going to the party tomorrow evening, I’d like to make curls, but that means I’ll have to hot-style my freshly colored strands. Do you think it might ruin the color?

2021-10-11T13:36:05+00:00

Reina

I’d recommend you use a sulfate-free shampoo first of all. See, a product with sulfates will most likely wash off the dye and this is definitely not what you want to get after washing your hair! So stick to a sulfate-free option, and yes, if you buy a shampoo that’s designed for colored hair, that would be just perfect.

2021-10-08T16:04:56+00:00

Liliana

I dyed my hair a couple of days ago, and I’d like to wash it now since my mane already feels dirty. Do I need to use a special shampoo for colored hair when I wash it for the first time after applying the dye?

2021-10-07T13:25:29+00:00

Arabella

Hi! I color my hair pretty often, both in a salon and myself, and all the colorists told me to wait a full 72 hours before shampooing! Honestly, I don’t remember exactly why 72 and not less or more. I guess it’s because your hair will absorb the pigment from the dye perfectly during this time. Anyway, I recommend you stick to the 72-hour variant! Good luck!

2021-10-06T14:11:17+00:00

Freya

What is the optimal period of time I shall leave hair dye on my locks to let it penetrate the shafts so that the color could set? And how soon can I wash my hair after I dye it? Some say it is twenty-four hours, others insist one must not shampoo before 72 hours pass. So where is the truth?