I'm a hair dye newbie! I'd like some advice and tips for color-treated hair

[Luminaria]

Last week, I dyed my hair with a chemical hair dye. I didn't lighten my hair; I just added a dark plum color to my virgin dark brown hair. I've never dyed my whole head with a permanent hair dye before, so I would like some advice and tips on caring for color-treated hair.

I also have a few questions too:
[1] The day before I dyed my hair, I applied a mayo mask to my hair and shampooed it out. Can you lessen damage to the hair by applying a hair mask prior to dyeing? Does it help the color stay in longer? Does it affect the dyeing process in any way?
[2] Can you oil dyed hair? Does oiling cause hair color to fade more easily? Which oils works best?
[3] Can you use essential oils (specifically, rosemary or lavender) on dyed hair? Do they alter or fade hair color?
[4] How often must you use hair masks to counteract any dryness?
[5] When the color grows out, how can you make your hair look as though it is an ombre rather dyed hair growing out?
[6] When the color fades, can you mix Kool-Aid with some conditioner into a mask to enrich the color? Does using blue Kool-Aid add a cool tone to reddish hair?

**Please check out my blog if you would like more details on my hair dyeing experience**

Thanks for any replies in advance~!

[laceyfairy]

I'm answering in reverse order because it was easier for scrolling up, sorry for the inconvenience.

6. You can probably use kool aid but it's easier and less temporary to just use a vegetable dye.
5. To make it look more ombre, you can bring the dye up so that the line of demarcation is less harsh at the roots- blending some into the grown out color but not up to the scalp.
4. Use hair masks as you see fit. Avoid honey, lemon, and other ingredients that may fade the dye.
3. I don't have any experience with essential oils but I don't see why not.
2. You can probably oil dyed hair. Chemical dyes insert pigment into the medulla, oiling smooths the cortex. Again, I have little experience with this.
1. You can lessen the damage to an extent but chemical dye is inherantly damaging because it lightens the hair before depositing pigment.

[Luminaria]

I'm answering in reverse order because it was easier for scrolling up, sorry for the inconvenience.

6. You can probably use kool aid but it's easier and less temporary to just use a vegetable dye.
5. To make it look more ombre, you can bring the dye up so that the line of demarcation is less harsh at the roots- blending some into the grown out color but not up to the scalp.
4. Use hair masks as you see fit. Avoid honey, lemon, and other ingredients that may fade the dye.
3. I don't have any experience with essential oils but I don't see why not.
2. You can probably oil dyed hair. Chemical dyes insert pigment into the medulla, oiling smooths the cortex. Again, I have little experience with this.
1. You can lessen the damage to an extent but chemical dye is inherantly damaging because it lightens the hair before depositing pigment.

No problem. Thanks for giving me some ideas and information. What are vegetable dyes? Are they less damaging?

[Robot Ninja]

No problem. Thanks for giving me some ideas and information. What are vegetable dyes? Are they less damaging?

Vegetable dyes are dyes like Manic Panic or Directions. They are not damaging at all.

You can lessen damage by soaking your hair in coconut oil before dyeing. It's also supposed to help the color last longer.

I used chemical dyes for years and never used a hair mask. I just soaked it in conditioner whenever it felt dry. Using a conditioner with protein or some kind of mild protein treatment, like gelatin, might be helpful for dyed hair.

[laceyfairy]

Veggie (http://www.howtohairgirl.com/tag/veggie-dye/) dyes are deposit-only meaning they do not lighten the shaft before depositing the pigment. The brands includes manic panic, special effects, punky colors, etc. Basically, this means that to get vibrant colors, the hair needs to be lightened (bleached) first in general but it can be layered over hair and provide tints to vibrant colors, depending on your hair color. Here's (https://www.haircrazy.com/articles/beginner-guides/dyeing-unbleached-hair/) a guide

[Luminaria]

Vegetable dyes are dyes like Manic Panic or Directions. They are not damaging at all.

You can lessen damage by soaking your hair in coconut oil before dyeing. It's also supposed to help the color last longer.

I used chemical dyes for years and never used a hair mask. I just soaked it in conditioner whenever it felt dry. Using a conditioner with protein or some kind of mild protein treatment, like gelatin, might be helpful for dyed hair.

Thanks for telling me about vegetable dyes. I kind of wished I used coconut oil though. BTW, Your hair profile picture looks cool! What kind of dye did you use to make it violet?

[Robot Ninja]

Thanks for telling me about vegetable dyes. I kind of wished I used coconut oil though. BTW, Your hair profile picture looks cool! What kind of dye did you use to make it violet?

It's Manic Panic Purple Haze over quite a significant amount of grey. It is unfortunately not one of the stronger deposit dyes; Special Effects works better but is a lot messier.

[FuzzyBlackWaves]

[1] Masks don't affect how the dye takes unless you leave the mask on before dying it. You can put a small amount of coconut oil on your hair and scalp to help lessen the damage but the colour takes slower and washes out faster (in my experience).
[2] Oiling is very good for dyed hair and does not make the colour fade any faster when used before and after dying. I love coconut oil, but it's a personal preference really. Generally I don't use any treatments until at least the day after I first dye my hair.
[3] I don't think they do but I've not tried it myself.
[4] I do it once a week when I wash. You should wash dyed hair as little as possible since it is already very dry and it will fade the colour faster. A teeny, tiny amount of jojoba on damp hair, left in, can help between moisture treatments.
[5] You just have to wait for it to get to a certain ratio of virgin and dyed hair. Sorry.
[6] Not in America so I have no idea.

[Katlette]

I find that oiling lifts vegetable dye. If I oil my hair (usually coconut oil) the night before I shampoo, I get much more red rinse-out. I can't say I've seen a visible fade in my hair colour, but the red shower water does suggest the oil is bad for the colour.

This might not be the case at all for standard chemical dyes - in fact, the oil is probably very good at preventing dryness. But it's something to keep in mind in case you do switch to deposit-only veggie dyes.