15 Things To Consider Before Dyeing Your Hair Black

You’ve seen it on multiple celebrities; you loved it as an unexpected makeover, it goes well with everything and hides any previous colouring mistakes like a boss. What am I talking about? But jet-black hair, of course!

If you’re thinking about dyeing your tresses in this deep, luscious shade, there are a few things you should be aware of before booking your hair salon appointment. Let’s explore the 15 things to know before dyeing your hair black!

1. Think About Your Eyebrows

If your brows are particularly light, such as it often happens with natural blondes or redheads, you will need to take care of those too. Unlike hair, your eyebrows’ regrowth can look a little patchy at times. You will need to get your eyebrows dyed too, or - alternatively - start working on your makeup skills to keep up with such a deep contrast.

2. There Are Different Types Of Black Hair

Jet-black, natural off-black, blue-black and even purple-black! Black hair per se can be more than “just black”, therefore it’s essential that you explore these options and consult your stylist before committing to a decision.

3. Dark Hair Dye Can Irritate Skin

Hair dyes contain chemicals that can cause swelling, irritation, redness, itchiness, and other unpleasant sensations on sensitive skin. If you’ve never dyed your hair before, always make sure to do a patch test before fully applying the product.

4. Light And Grey Roots Will Be Painfully Visible

Black hair has a unique beauty to it, but it’s also true that if you’re starting from a lighter canvas such as light blonde hair or white/silvery tresses, your outgrowing roots will be very much visible. Just like any other dramatic hair change, upkeep will become a staple of your hair care routine.

5. Going Back To Your Original Colour Will Be Extremely Hard

Black hair dye is highly pigmented, and extremely hard to get out of your hair in case you change your mind. Going back to your original shade - or switching to something lighter for a change - won’t be completely impossible, but extremely hard to achieve. First of all, you will have to go through a brassy stage - a true nightmare! Then, you’ll have to deal with damaged tresses. Not only is going from black to lighter extremely difficult technically speaking, but it’s also quite harsh on your hair’s structure.

6. Box Dye Might Not Cut It

If you have light hair and just want to go for a dramatic black mane, buying box dye and having a main character moment in front of your mirror might not quite cut it. Why? Most box dyes come with a 20 volume developer, which isn’t enough to ensure a strong, pigmented and long-lasting colour. If your hair is naturally quite light, leave things to a trained professional that knows exactly how to provide you with the right recipe to make your selected shade of black look glossy and sateen for weeks.

7. You’ll Need To Change Your Make-Up Routine

Black goes well with everything and that’s true, but it can also look quite heavy on certain features. You’ll probably need to brighten things up with a different choice of makeup - this can either be very exciting or terrifying. To each their own!

8. You Might Need To Change Haircut

Same as for the makeup, black hair can quite change how you perceive your features and hairstyle, and you may not be as fond as you were of your old haircut once the new colour has kicked in. In that case, you can always experiment with hair extensions to get a natural finish whilst switching things up. If you’re unsure about the results and don’t want to commit, certain accessories such as clip-in ponytail hair extensions or clip-in bangs are the perfect products to achieve an instant makeover without having to deal with the change on a long-term level.

9. You May Not Recognise Yourself

If the hair change you’ve gone for is quite dramatic - such as from light blonde to deep, jet-black tresses - you may not recognise yourself. Your brain needs a moment to adjust and to appreciate what it sees and that’s completely normal; you may even dislike your new hair colour at first, but don’t panic. Just give your mind the time to realise that yes, that gorgeous raven-haired person in the mirror is you indeed!

10. …You May Be Making A Mistake

What if you don’t adjust at all? You’re right, picking a new hair colour isn’t an easy choice, especially if it’s a shade completely different from what you’ve been wearing on your hair your whole life. In order to make an informed choice, you may also try the “white top test” and find out your skin undertone to find the best hair shade for you; simply wear a plain white T-shirt or dress and look at your face in neutral lighting. If your skin looks a touch rosy, you're cool-toned. If your face looks more yellow, you're warm-toned. If you don't really see a change, most definitely you've been blessed with neutral tones. Another great way to find out about your undertone is to analyse the veins on your wrists: blue veins indicate a cool undertone, green veins warm undertone, whilst a blue-green mix of the two usually indicates a neutral undertone. Jewellery also gives away your undertone, as silver, platinum and rose gold tend to look more flattering on cool-toned people, whilst yellow gold pops better on warm-toned individuals.

11. You’ll Need New Hair Basics

From hair clips, bobby pins, hair ties and scrunchies - you’ll need to buy stuff in a different colour. If your golden bobby pins used to perfectly blend in your blonde tresses, rest assured they will be quite obvious on black hair.

12. People Will Make Comments

You’ll probably fall in love with your new, glossy black hair - and yet you will always have to deal with people’s opinions. Anyone, from friends and family to colleagues and/or a partner, someone might just go as far as saying: “your natural hair suited you more!” and there’s nothing you can do to stop that from happening. 

13. You’ll Need Specific Dry Shampoo

With its white halo, dry shampoo is a no-go on deep dark tresses. Your best best will be to buy a product with black pigments in its formula. Living Proof Perfect Hair Day (PhD) Dry Shampoo is a world-renowned product loved by dark-haired people. Try it before you deny it!

14. Black Hair Dye Stains Are A Pain

If you’re going for a box-dye job at home, make sure you’re wearing some old clothes that no longer spark joy (take that, Marie Kondo!) and protect the edges of your face, ears and neck with petroleum jelly to prevent any annoying stains. Black hair dye stains can be visible even for two or three days depending on your skin type, so make sure you wipe away any mistakes immediately!

15. You Will Need To Change Your Hair Extensions

It is not advised to dye your human hair extensions at all, especially not at home. If you’re going for a dramatic change, you’ll need to change your hair extensions too, which might be a pricey investment to do all at once. If you’re wearing a permanent product such as tape-in hair extensions or nano-ring hair extensions, the best thing to do would be waiting until it’s time to change them before dyeing your hair black. Certain types of temporary solutions such as clip-in hair extensions can be dyed at the salon by a professional.

16. Conclusion:

Still thinking about dyeing your hair black? I get it - after all, I have recently succumbed to the temptation of jet-black tresses myself too. If you’d like to give your hair an extra kick, have a look at our black hair extensions range.

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