Having a permanent, or a long-term hairstyle, doesn’t mean you can’t make any new changes. There are lots of ways that you can change up your dreads. Have you ever thought about getting a new color for your dreadlocks? If you want to know how to dye your dreadlocks for a new look, this article is for you.
In the following, I will detail the process of dyeing dreadlocks, and the effect this process has on your precious hair.
Furthermore, I’ll give you some gentler, non-invasive alternatives that are much lower risk to try at home, though you should still follow each product’s label and patch test first.
How to Dye Your Dreads
Dyeing your dreadlocks can be a fun and exciting way to express your unique style and personality. But it’s not just a simple dunk-and-dye process. There’s a bit more to it if you want to achieve a vibrant, lasting color without damaging your locks.
- First of all, if your dreadlocks are darker than the new color that you want to achieve, they need lightening first, and on mature locs that is a colorist’s session, not a home step. Bleach settles unevenly inside the coils, you cannot see how the inner hair is processing, and correcting a mistake on locs is unforgiving. Book the lightening, then come home and do the color part yourself.
- Decide what you want to color. It may be the whole hair, your ends, several dreads, or any other part of your dreadlocks (including the roots).
- Get your products (the colors you want, plus gloves and a tint brush).
- Make sure your hair is free of product buildup and well-dried. In case you have a dry or a high porosity hair type, take your time to prepare it for this chemical treatment, by deep conditioning your hair a few days before dyeing it. Just rinse all the products off afterward.
- If you have long, thick, or many dreadlocks, split the work into sessions so the dye goes on evenly. Rushing the application leads to patchy color, and tugging dry, product-heavy locs around in a hurry can even damage the hair.
- Prepare your gloves, towel, or anything that you’re going to use to protect the surfaces you don’t want to stain with your dye. Next, read the usage instructions for the products that you’re about to use, and do the mixture.
- Section the dreads that you want to start with, and tie up the ones you’ll do later. In case you don’t dye all of your dreads, make sure the ones that you want to keep untouched will not be touched with dye. It would be better to do around three at a time.
- Take a brush and start applying the dye on your dreadlocks. Try to penetrate as much as possible on the inside, so you’ll not get stains. Move quickly and efficiently.
- Release another group of dreads, one by one, doing the same.
- After you finish everything you want to dye, take the remaining part of your mixture and rub it on your locks with your gloves, ensuring you catch all the spots.
- Cover your dreads with a dedicated cap, or an improvised plastic bag. Let it stay for 20-35 minutes (check the timing on the product label, and don’t leave it on longer than recommended). Because dreads hold product against the scalp, rinse immediately if you feel any burning, stinging, or itching.
- After time has passed, take off your cap and rinse your dreads with plenty of water. Wash your hair thoroughly with shampoo and conditioner. Do this step very carefully, as you need to ensure that you cleared away all the products.
- Squeeze your dreads with a towel, and let them air dry in the sun, if possible.
- If your locs were lightened at the salon and you wish to add color over them, wait, at least, until your dreads are completely dried, before starting the dyeing process. It would be even better if you give them a little break, and moisturize them well in between the two chemical treatments. Once you’re ready, follow the same steps previously mentioned.
- Enjoy your final look, and be proud of your masterwork.
One more rule for any plan that bleaches first: FDA guidance says to wait at least 14 days after bleaching, relaxing, or perming before applying an oxidative dye, and to repeat the 48-hour skin test before every color use.
So, now you know the process of dyeing your dreadlocks, and where the salon lightening session fits, let’s analyze the advantages and disadvantages, or risks, of this process.
This part will help you to avoid damaging your hair and make the right decisions for the health of your dreadlocks.
What Are the Dark and The Light Sides of Bleaching or Dyeing Dreadlocks?
Bleaching and most permanent dyes are strong alkaline chemical processes (not acidic) that can cause dryness, thinning, or even breakage of your hair. The chances of affecting the hair in a negative way increase when the hair is already dry and has high porosity.
Moreover, if you leave the bleach on for too long, it will attack your hair, even if it is in a proper condition.
If the hair is low porosity and well-conditioned, it may tolerate the process better and show less damage, but bleaching and dyeing still stress the hair and are never good for it. Assuming it is correctly decolored or colored, your fresh-looking dreads will be able to get dried faster, and accumulate less grease.
How to Avoid Damaging Your Dreads when Bleaching or Dyeing Them?
- Analyze your hair condition, and improve your haircare routine before the dyeing process.
- If possible, do it with the help of a professional loctician.
- Do a test on a small portion of hair, to see how it reacts with the chemicals you’re about to use, in case you choose to do it yourself.
- Follow the precise instructions for applying, waiting, and rinsing it.
- Try to use mostly organic, plant-based, and ammonia-free products, like the old, well-known henna, if that works for you. Choose pure body-art-quality henna only: compound henna can contain metallic salts that react badly with bleach or peroxide, so never bleach over henna-treated hair without a strand test first.
- Stick to a good maintenance and haircare routine.
After all, if you still have doubts about bleaching or dyeing your dreadlocks, the best thing you can do is to opt for a temporary, non-invasive coloring method.
For that situation, you can use colored hair wax, hair chalk, colored sprays, or other temporary tints without bleaching the dreads. You’ll be surprised that some products work on dark hair as well.
However, there are some downsides here as well, as some can stain the stuff that touches your hair (like your pillow), or they might not last for too long.
Fortunately, coloring your dreadlocks can be fun, and with the right products and precautions you can keep the risk low. I hope I managed to give you the best advice and that you’ll have great results in coloring your dreads.
