Dyeing your hair is always a fun idea, but what happens when the dye doesn’t stay where it’s supposed to? What’s one to do when dye gets on the scalp, forehead, hands, or all three? Stephanie Brown, Master Hair Colorist at IGK Salon, is here to help. She outlines what exactly to do when hair color migrates everywhere in a handy guide, ahead.
Prep to avoid problems
“Don’t wash your hair before you dye it so you have your natural oils to help protect your scalp so it doesn’t get as irritated with the chemicals,” explains Brown. Brown also notes that if you’re doing a single process, dye will always touch your skin, but gloves can help protect your hands so the dye doesn’t stain them.
Protect your hair while dying by creating a barrier
Brown recommends creating a divide around your hairline with Vaseline or petroleum jelly to prevent the dye from dripping and staining your hairline.
Exactly what to do when you have hair dye on your skin
So you’ve got hair dye on your skin. Remove it by using witch hazel or tea tree oil.
Brown recommends both as they both do a pretty good job removing color from your skin. “Also, before you are about to wash the color out of your hair, use some shampoo around the hairline, rub it along the hairline and then rinse the color off while rinsing it out of your hair,” says Brown. “Don’t rub too hard and if it’s stubborn, take a break for about ten minutes and go back to it, sometimes when you’re rubbing it can irritate your skin and you can’t always tell if you still have color stains or not.”
Lastly, Brown recommends makeup wipes as a good alternative, but they might not be as strong as other products.
If you can, leave it to a professional.
Brown notes that at-home dyes tend to be stronger because they usually guarantee gray coverage. “In the salon you get your own tailored color, meaning sometimes you don’t need something that harsh and semi-permanent will work, plus you’ll more likely leave with the color you desire in the salon than you would at home,” explains Brown.