Chalk Dye Your Hair
Chalk dyeing hair is a really easy, temporary color solution to use in your hair. The new fad is dip-dying your ends of your hair with chalk. Not everyone wants to keep their dye permanent, which makes chalk a great alternative: chalk won't damage your hair, comes out the next time you shampoo, and looks great in your hair.
Contents
Steps
Getting Chalk-Dyed Highlights
- Assemble the colors you want to run through your hair. Know that people with lighter-colored hair may have success with all types of chalk colors; those with darker hair may need brighter colors (neons come to mind) in order to truly have the chalk color stand out.
- When choosing chalk, avoid:
- Sidewalk chalk, as these are often too dusty
- Oil-based pastel chalks, as these can stain clothing
- Chalk dyeing won't be great for dyeing large portions of your hair. If you want to dip-dye your ends, or accentuate your hair with a little bit of color, chalk is the way to go. If you want to dye larger portions of your hair, know that it will take a lot of time and may not have the same effect as just doing highlights. Try these guides instead, or skip to the bottom section:
- When choosing chalk, avoid:
- Style your hair the way you want it. You won't be able to style your hair after applying the chalk, so it's best to do that now.
- Gather a small bowl with lukewarm water and a clean paint brush. You don't need a lot of water; the more water, the less vibrant the chalk color in your hair will ultimately be.
- Drape a towel around your neck to keep from getting chalk color on your clothes.
- Prime your hair with a little bit of chalk and water. Dip a small piece of chalk in the lukewarm water. Take your paintbrush, dip it in the water on onto the wet chalk, soaking up water and color, and begin to paint the section of the hair you want dyed.
- Smaller pieces of chalk work best, as you'll grab onto the chalk later on and run it through your hair. If you choose a small piece of chalk, remember to choose a small amount of water as well.
- Once your hair is primed, take the chalk piece out of the water and run it through your hair. Take the wet chalk and work it into the primed patches of hair you want dyed. The more you go over the area with the chalk, the brighter and more intense the color will get.
- If you're dyeing entire strands of your hair, start at the root and work your way out to the ends.
- Continue dyeing strands of your hair until you're satisfied. Dip-dye small amounts of your ends for a nice accent, or go for larger amounts of hair. Do whatever suits you best!
- Lightly dab at or shake loose any remaining chalk. Your chalk-dyed hair will stay vibrant until your next shower, and will not have damaged your hair. At the same time, be mindful of a few things:
- Avoid brushing or combing, as this will remove much of the color.
- Avoid wearing light-colored or expensive (or valued) tops with chalk-dyed hair; although most chalk will wash away just fine, some chalk may cause stains.
- Know that straightening or curling your hair may seal the color in. If you want the color to stay in for a bit longer, straightening may be good. Before you straighten, however, blow-dry your hair lightly first and make sure your hair isn't too damp.
- Enjoy your awesome, DIY chalk dye!
Chalk Dyeing Your Whole Hair
- Style your hair the way you want it. You won't be able to style your hair after applying the chalk, so it's best to get that done before you apply the chalk.
- Drape a towel around your neck to keep from getting chalk color on your clothes.
- Prime the hair by getting it wet. Since the chalk absorbs better when the hair is wet, start by getting your hair wet in sections. Dyeing your whole hair is going to take a while, so only wet a section of the hair you'll be working with — one section at a time.
- Starting at the root and working outwards, work a wet piece of chalk into strands of hair. Do this is the same way you would while highlighting. Again, the more chalk you rub into your hair, the more intense the color of the dye is going to be.
- Continue rubbing the chalk into your hair until your entire head is covered. Wet a section with water and rub a piece of wet chalk into it — lightly for a transparent color, firmly and repeatedly for a darker, more vibrant color. If you want some ideas of which colors to use, consider the following:
- Try a rainbow effect using 4 or 5 different colors, arranged in a gradient.
- Try some neon colors in lighter hair for a vibrant effect.
- Try segmenting your hair into two portions and dyeing one portion one color, and the other portion another color.
Tips
- Wash your hands before changing color.
- If you are thinking about doing this frequently you might want to invest in hair chalk. They sell them at CVS, Sally's, and many other health & beauty stores.
- You can wrap your hair in sandwich wrap (Saran Wrap) overnight if you prefer. It is less likely to transfer to your fabric linens by doing so.
- Try wrapping a towel around you so that you do not get the chalk all over your clothes. Keep the towel on you until the chalked hair dries. Sometimes even when the chalked hair is dry, it may still rub into fabrics.
- Use soft chalk (not pastels, no need to add oil to your hair) and not sidewalk chalk.
Warnings
- The chalk may get on fabrics.
- Try not to do this too often, because it will dry out your hair. Condition heavily after chalking hair.
Things You'll Need
- Colored Soft Chalk
- Spray Bottle
- Water
- Towel
- Hair Ties
- Straightener
Sources and Citations
- Videos provided by Alexa Katherine
