Split hair color is a hot new expressive trend right now. But, if you want to take part in the color frenzy, you need to know what you’re getting into and how to do it right. Read on for five tips on how to achieve split hair color the right way.
What is Split Hair Color?
Why have one hair color when you can have two? Split hair color is a new hair dying trend that splits your hair into two colors. Whether you choose pink and blue, silver and purple, or white and black, split hair color is a great way to express yourself.
How to do Split Color the Right Way
While pictures make it look easy, coloring your hair, especially with two colors, takes some know-how. To split color your hair the right way, you need to know how to prepare, choose your colors, part your hair, color, and keep up with the look.
Preparation
You don’t want to start dying your hair only to realize halfway through you’re missing a key component. To avoid this panic, you’ll want to prep your workspace with all of the necessities, including:
- A towel(s) you don’t mind staining
- Gloves
- Hair ties and/or clips
- A hairbrush
- Your hair dye colors
- A mirror
- A timer
- A dye brush if you have one
Once you gather all of your supplies, you’ll want to clear a space to work–unless you want hair dye getting all over your stuff. After you get your area cleaned and set up with your supplies within reach, you can get started.
Choosing Your Colors
Before you go out and buy your colors, you need to consider your natural or current hair color because choosing your favorite color doesn’t mean it’s going to work effortlessly with your existing hair color.
For example, if you select a light dye like pink or purple, your hair needs to be light for the color to take properly. If your hair is dark and you want a light color, you’ll need to bleach it to a compatible color base.
If you need to bleach your hair, you’ll need to acquire the necessary supplies; however, bleaching can harm your hair if done incorrectly, so you might want to schedule an appointment with a hair salon before you try it yourself.
If you already have light hair you only need to choose the colors you want. Have fun with choosing! You can go vibrant on one side and neutral on the other, choose contrasting colors, or choose colors randomly. Whatever dyes you choose is entirely up to you.
Parting Your Hair
Just because you part your hair a certain way, day-to-day doesn’t mean you have to stick with it when you choose to split dye. However, you choose, envision how you want the end product to look.
If you want your hair to have an even distribution of both colors, you should part your hair in the middle. If you favor one color over the other, you might want to part your hair to the side.
Remember to choose how you part your hair before you begin because once you get started coloring, you won’t be able to switch it up.
Coloring
For the best results, you shouldn’t wash hair before you color. You want your hair free of conditioner when you go to dye it because the hair dye doesn’t stick to your hair as well.
Dying on wet hair, in general, will also prevent the dye from sticking, so do not wet your hair beforehand unless the instructions of your dye tell you to do so.
Once your hair is prepped, split it into sections to make sure you evenly distribute the color to each side. If you don’t have a dye brush, you can use gloved hands to work the color into your hair, starting at the root and massaging it down toward the tips.
You’ll keep applying your color until both halves of your head are saturated completely. If you aren’t fully coloring both halves, you’ll keep applying the color until you’ve reached your desired level of saturation.
Continuing Care
Once you’ve got your colors perfect and curated to your liking, you’ll want to maintain them properly. Make sure you buy and use hair care products designed for color-treated hair, and when you go to use them, be sure to rinse with cooler water.
It doesn’t have to be ice water, just milder than scalding so that the colors don’t bleed and lose their vibrancy.
Split Hair Color Ideas
Wondering which colors to get started with? Take a look at these beautiful ideas for split hair colors!
1. Bright Red and Dark Brown
If you like edgy hair styles and welcome the chance to go bright and bold, add electric red to your split hair swatch! It will balance out nicely with a dark or medium brown. Wear your mane loose in soft waves for the best effect of these colors.
2. Light Blue and Pink
How gorgeous is this split light blue and pink hairstyle? The colors are certainly pleasing to the eyes. If you have a light or pale skin complexion, these shades will complement your tone nicely.
3. Yellow and Light Purple
When summer comes around and you want a hairstyle that matches your cheery mood, we recommend this pairing of light purple and golden yellow. Wear hair down and straightened for an edgy yet modern look.
4. Fiery Red and Silver
Your split hair color will be both hot and cold with a fiery red-orange on one side and an icy silver on the other. We love the colors displayed in long wavy hair. Wear it half up or down – you’ll look gorgeous!
5. Red and Pink
Another pretty display of split dyeing that features red, but this one adds a deep pink to the other side. With these two colors, you can be both flirty and girly, and edgy and punk.
6. Split Hair with Caramel Highlights
If you’re a woman with a dark skin tone and have natural brunette colored hair, you can easily pull off a bright red color on one side. The other can be left your natural color but highlighted with beautiful caramel.
7. Blonde and Red
We wouldn’t have guessed mixing dark red with light red and a tinge of orange could create such a beautiful mixture, but this two-tone hair look is simply stunning. Balance out the fierce red with an innocent medium to light blonde.
8. Black and Blonde
Whether your hair is naturally black or you’re just looking for a goth-toned hairstyle, pairing black with light blonde is a great match for a split style. We love seeing the colors in a cute updo with loose tendrils.
9. Pink and Blue Extensions
Looking to get a little length in your hair? Get longer locks and the trendy split hair design at the same time with braid extensions in fun colors. The dark blue and bright pink seen here are perfect for a colorful hair update.
10. Choppy Split Hair
In need of a beautiful holiday hairstyle? Take Christmas colors and add them to your hair in the half-n-half style! Medium green and a rich dark pink tinged with red look pretty cool on a choppy shoulder-length hairstyle with bangs.
11. Dark Red and Black
Another hot edgy two-toned hairstyle with a dash of goth is this dark red and black coloring on long straight hair. This version features red on top and black underneath. A different kind of split that still looks awesome.
12. Magenta/Red & Blue/Sea Green
Another way to rock the split hair trend is by combining two shades from separate color families. Take two warm colors (red and orange) and pair them with two cool colors (green and blue). You’ll even see a little peek of pink underneath the style above.
13. Light Blonde and Medium Brown
In case you’re looking for a more neutral shade of hair color to rock, we wanted to show you this pretty split style featuring light blonde and medium brown. The front wavy tendrils even feature a subtle dash of light purple.
14. Black and Two-Tone Blonde
Are you already rocking black hair? Take your style up a notch in half the time by treating one-half of your head to light and medium blonde half and half hair color. The colors are sleek and shiny on a chin-length straight bob with bangs.
15. Rainbow Split Hair Color
Just because the split hair color trend typically features only two colors, that doesn’t mean you can’t go full rainbow! This long wavy hairstyle boats one light pink side and one side that is spoiled in all the colors!
16. Bright Red and Brown-Green
There are two hair colors not often seen together on a woman’s hairstyle: light brown and sage green. However, the unexpected can actually work really well as a splitted hair color.
Add a fierce bright red to this bluntly cut bob with cropped bangs and you’ve got a killer look!
17. Orange and Black with Undercut
Show your team spirit by rocking your favorite sports team’s colors in your hair! It doesn’t get much more creative than a split hair coloring of bright orangey-red and black topping a dark blue undercut.
You can even shave in geometric lines or patterns on your undercut to accentuate it.
18. Platinum Blonde and Brown
A beautiful example of balancing light and dark on a hairstyle. Dedicate a chestnut brown to one half of your hair and platinum blonde to the other. These colors will look beautiful against pretty much any skin tone.
19. Dark Pink and Medium Blonde
To really make one color of your hair pop, pair it with neutral shades like like or medium blonde and brown. The feminine dark pink seen here is the star of the show because of the opposite understated half.
20. Red and Black Split Heart Hair
From the bold dark colors on this split style to the curly natural hair in a creative heart shape, there’s no shortage of detail. If you’re ready to change all aspects of your look, we recommend this short and split haircut!
FAQs
Like many other hair trends, the split hair color trend simply appeared, most likely the result of talented hairstylists playing with new techniques.
Typically, new trends are seen first on Instagram, then picked up and passed around by fans. We do know that the split dye trend first emerged in early 2015.
As with any hair service, the cost to have your hair split dyed will vary based on your location and hair length.
Some stylists may take other factors into consideration as well. We would estimate the cost of split hair coloring will start at $70 and increase to as much as $150.
There are several ways to prevent your two hair colors from bleeding into each other. One is to coat one half of your hair with conditioner while coloring the other half. You can also try a color sealer to act as a “shield.”
You can expect your new split hair color to last from 6 to 8 weeks, give or take a week based on how often you wash your hair and how well you’re taking care of it