Directions hair dye/dyeing hair red

[joflakes]

Hi all!

So, I decided yesterday that I was going to put a semi-permanent hair dye on my hair in a nice red colour. I settled on Directions by La Riche in Poppy Red.

I thought it'd come out quite vibrant as I have virgin hair but it didn't seem to do much.

I want to get a nice deep and vibrant red but without bleaching....does anyone have any advice on how I can achieve this?

I think the Directions may have added a slight tint so I'll probably hold off doing anything else until it has washed out.

Thanks in advance!
Jo

[Littlewing13]

from an ex-hairdresser who worked with Wella: a 7/44 or 6/44 is very pretty & quite vibrant & lasts a long time (unless pre-bleached). They are pro colours so if ur not sure what ur doing go to a wella salon. I believe PPS do pretty much the same colours too.

Also ive just been checking out the henna threads on here. Colour seems super vibrant, shiny & lasts ages. However u gotta do ur research. & its permanent, very hard/impossible to lighten if u change ur mind.

[Neneka]

I dye my hair with Directions reds. I haven't bleached my hair. It's naturally dark blonde. I keep the dye on my hair 4-6 hours and I don't use shampoo at all. I wash my hair occasionally with poo bars and try to do WO washes as much as I can. I love the results but it doesn't fade completely anymore (you can see the faded colour on my avatar. It's very different than my natural colour). I have used Directions since last August and I think there is no hope of getting it of my hair if I wanted to... I think that after one or two applications it would have faded completely but not anymore.

Also. These dyes do not lighten hair at all so the result without bleaching depend on how dark your hair is. On dark hair the dye doesn't show that much.

(You can see my hair here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=7561)

Editing.. Sorry for the weird language and all. My brain just doesn't seem to work today. :o

[XcaliburGirl]

How long did you leave it on? I've heard that leaving it on for hours and using heat (blow dryer, heat cap, etc.) is the best way to get it to stay longer.

My only semi-permanent experience was with Manic Panic After Midnight. My dark brown, unbleached hair turned blue-black for approximately 2 washes. I think I left it on for 1 hour, but I don't remember for sure.

[XcaliburGirl]

One more thought, you might want to try a darker red. I think the darker the color, the better chance it has on showing up on hair that's not bleached or very light blond. That's part of the reason I choose the dark blue when I did my hair. It was darker than my natural hair color, so it was able to cover it.

[Neneka]

Oh, and hair porosity can affect too. If your hair porosity is really low the dye may not stick to your hair. I think that washing hair with shampoo or poo bar before applying the dye makes it stay better because the hair cutickles open up a little if hair is washed with shampoo or anything basic.

[faellen]

I used Directions years back, and it only gave a slight tint to my hair unless I used bleach, when I got the most vibrant result.

I recommend Special Effects over Directions any day, it shows up pretty intense even on non-bleached hair. Here's a pic of me wearing their Candy Apple Red shade on non-bleached hair (some years ago when my hair was short):
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y163/madamedysmorphic/hair/cred1.jpg
I had dyed over a red box dye.

[joflakes]

Thanks all.

I left it on for 30 minutes when the pack recommended 15. It apparently seems a little red in the sunlight but I really wanted a more vibrant effect.

I may go to a salon but want to get semi-permanent ideally. Do they do semi's in bright/vibrant reds?

Neneka - your hair style looks the same as mine at the moment! Love the colour but my hair was a lot darker when I started out. Meh!!

[arcane]

I second the reconmendation for Special Effects hair dye. It just seems to grip the hair (for most people) and doesn't wash out as fast. With veggie dyes you can leave them on for hours (many people leave them on overnight) to help with the colour desposit. Also you can add a some to your conditioner so you basicly refresh the colour when you wash. I've also had good results using the Adore brand (and I used their red on a friends hair and it lasted a long long time).

How dark is your hair right now? If it's darker than ginger you probably need to lighten it somewhat to get the BRIGHT red that you are looking for.

[joflakes]

I second the reconmendation for Special Effects hair dye. It just seems to grip the hair (for most people) and doesn't wash out as fast. With veggie dyes you can leave them on for hours (many people leave them on overnight) to help with the colour desposit. Also you can add a some to your conditioner so you basicly refresh the colour when you wash. I've also had good results using the Adore brand (and I used their red on a friends hair and it lasted a long long time).

How dark is your hair right now? If it's darker than ginger you probably need to lighten it somewhat to get the BRIGHT red that you are looking for.

I'll have a look, thanks. Not too sure if I can get hold of that in the UK! We'll see. Are they a veggie dye then?

My hair is pretty dark brown (with a vague hint of red!). I don't really wanna have to bleach it as this is the first time my hair has been in good condition in years!

[faellen]

I'll have a look, thanks. Not too sure if I can get hold of that in the UK! We'll see. Are they a veggie dye then?


Yep they are a veggie dye, and I'm in the UK and used to get them from Bee Unique (http://www.beeunique.co.uk/):)

[Long_hair_bear]

Yep they are a veggie dye, and I'm in the UK and used to get them from Bee Unique (http://www.beeunique.co.uk/):)

I have some on the swap board in purple if anyone wants them. :D

[the.fee.fairy]

I use Dark Tulip on dark brown hair (see Avatar).

I use a clarifying shampoo to wash my hair first, then blast it with the hottest water i can stand.

Then i put the dye one and comb it through. Then i stick my hair in a simple bun held with a scrunchie (either a black one, or one reserved for dyeing purposes...). Then i either cover my head with clingfilm, or a carrier bag and then a warm towel.

Tuck the bag and towel behind your ears, otherwise your ears end up the same colour as your hair!

Then leave for about 4-6 hours. My aunt (who's a hairdresser) said that this won't damage your hair as the dye is not a permanent one.

After 4-6 hours, use a baby shampoo, or a really really gentle one and wash it out until the water runs as clear as you can get it.

It should be much more vibrant! Good luck!

[uglypug]

I wanted to ask you what you used, the.fee.fairy - your hair is beautiful!

Can I just ask - what's the logic behind using really hot water to wash out clarifying shampoo before dyeing?

Also, I didn't realise you needed to shampoo it out, thought you just rinsed it out?

TIA

[Vapunzel91]

As long as your not looking to switch mid-way between dyes you can use L'Oreal Feria or Henna to get red. But the metal in it won't work well if you try and dye (or bleach) over it.

[the.fee.fairy]

I have some pretty strange logic...

My theory is that cold water is used to close the cuticles and make the hair smooth, so hot water must open them. open cuticles mean that the dye can penetrate further. (I realise that semi-permanents don't penetrate to the core of the shaft).

You don't have to shampoo out, you can just rinse, but i find that shampooing takes down the rinsing time, and also helps to get rid of the blobs of dye on the scalp :)

I always end up with a multi-coloured scalp (and ears and neck and arms...) and i find that giving the scalp a good scrub with a gentle shampoo afterwards helps to lift the dye off. I have a coloured scalp for about 2 washes afterwards. Also, i find that just rinsing the dye out takes ages!

I also have a theory that heat helps the dye to penetrate, hence the warm towel. Blasting the hair with hot water just heats it up.

I forgot to add in the first bit that i always condition after dyeing as well. Even though the semi permanent dye is like a deep conditioner, i always condition anyway. Then rinse with the coldest water you can stand to smooth the cuticles again...but that's just me. I always finish washing with a blast of cold water. The cold water here is at a higher pressure than the hot and i feel like the final blast gets out any more product clinging to the hair.

Told you I had some strange logic going on...

Ooohh....don't try to comb your hair after the clarifying. At all. Leave the knots and work them out with the dye. If you try to comb after clarifying, it'll tangle and pull! I usually leave all the knots and tangles in until i condition afterwards, but that's just me.

Also. Give your hair a good brush before making it wet at all. You don't want to waste dye on loose hairs that have been shed!

[Malibu Barbie]

I used Directions years back, and it only gave a slight tint to my hair unless I used bleach, when I got the most vibrant result.

I recommend Special Effects over Directions any day, it shows up pretty intense even on non-bleached hair. Here's a pic of me wearing their Candy Apple Red shade on non-bleached hair (some years ago when my hair was short):
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y163/madamedysmorphic/hair/cred1.jpg
I had dyed over a red box dye.

Wow, I love this color!!! Did it stay like this for weeks or fade pretty quick?

[uglypug]

I have some pretty strange logic...

My theory is that cold water is used to close the cuticles and make the hair smooth, so hot water must open them. open cuticles mean that the dye can penetrate further. (I realise that semi-permanents don't penetrate to the core of the shaft).

You don't have to shampoo out, you can just rinse, but i find that shampooing takes down the rinsing time, and also helps to get rid of the blobs of dye on the scalp :)

I always end up with a multi-coloured scalp (and ears and neck and arms...) and i find that giving the scalp a good scrub with a gentle shampoo afterwards helps to lift the dye off. I have a coloured scalp for about 2 washes afterwards. Also, i find that just rinsing the dye out takes ages!

I also have a theory that heat helps the dye to penetrate, hence the warm towel. Blasting the hair with hot water just heats it up.

I forgot to add in the first bit that i always condition after dyeing as well. Even though the semi permanent dye is like a deep conditioner, i always condition anyway. Then rinse with the coldest water you can stand to smooth the cuticles again...but that's just me. I always finish washing with a blast of cold water. The cold water here is at a higher pressure than the hot and i feel like the final blast gets out any more product clinging to the hair.

Told you I had some strange logic going on...

Ooohh....don't try to comb your hair after the clarifying. At all. Leave the knots and work them out with the dye. If you try to comb after clarifying, it'll tangle and pull! I usually leave all the knots and tangles in until i condition afterwards, but that's just me.

Also. Give your hair a good brush before making it wet at all. You don't want to waste dye on loose hairs that have been shed!
Thanks, the.fee.fairy. Useful tips there! :)

[the.fee.fairy]

No problem. Don't forget to show pictures after you've dyed it!

[faellen]

Wow, I love this color!!! Did it stay like this for weeks or fade pretty quick?

It stayed like that for aaaages. Special Effects is a great dye and very long-lasting, especially for a semi-permanent, it lasts much longer than "permanent" box dyes I've used. There is a downside to this, though - it stains things like mad! The bath, pillows, neck, even my white earphones! Every time I washed my hair my hands went pink, lol. But it was a small price to pay for fabulous colour. :cheese:

[MagicalMystery]

Another fan of Special Effects... that is, if you want the color to last. It does stay in for a long time! I used the pink and purple back in the day and it wouldn't budge.

[Vanille_]

I have some photos of Manic Panic Vampire Red in my album. Dark brown hair, no bleach. My hair looks brown in the dark and the color pops in the light.

[MagicalMystery]

I absolutely love Poppy Red by Punky Color too. It smells like strawberry candy to top it all off!

[Ligeia_13]

There is a downside to this, though - it stains things like mad! The bath, pillows, neck, even my white earphones! Every time I washed my hair my hands went pink, lol.

I think I'll cover the bathroom in cling film :p the tiles of the previous apartment I lived in have permanent blue stains from when I did my hair blue :(

[the.fee.fairy]

You can track everywhere i've lived by looking at the grout in between the tiles...there's pink, purple and red in all of them :)

[theodora]

I think Directions can work just as well as SFX but the hard bit is getting it to stick to virgin hair which has literally no porosity whatsoever most of the time.
As people say you want to rough up and open the cuticle as much as possible. Most possible would bleach or use a bleach bath.
But you can also get that effect by using a very clarifying shampoo. For example some anti dandruff shampoo (the strong drying kind like Vosene if you're in the UK) with a teaspoon of baking soda. Wash with this leaving it on for 5 minutes. Then rinse with hot water and don't apply conditioner!
Then you want to blow dry your hair. I know it's horrible for your hair but it will ensure your hair stays warm and cuticles raised! Then when it's bone dry, wack on the Directions (or SFX if you got some of that) and leave on for as long as possible (from 2 hours to a whole day or night). To keep your head warm you can wrap in cling film, then a shower cap, then an old wooly hat (that's what I do and it helps keep from dripping). Finally rinse with cold water and vinegar to seal the dye in.

I'm sure I'm repeating most of the advice here but I hope it's vaguely useful to you.
The hair dye forum is super useful for info on dying with veggie semi permanents. Here is a thread about dying with a veggie dye and ensuring minimal fade that I think might be useful to you:
http://www.hairdyeforum.com/index.php?topic=4231.0

[the.fee.fairy]

Oooh that link's helpful!

I use La Riche pre-dye shampoo. It was a little expensive, but it has lasted for ages because i only use it before i dye.

I have heard of people rinsing with vinegar to try to get the dye to hang around longer too, but i've never tried it myself.

[joflakes]

Thanks for all your advice! In the end I caved and got it done at a hair dressers. I followed Ktani's wonderful advice about having bleach put over oiled hair, then they put a semi permanent dye over it. My hair hasn't been trimmed at all after it and it feels just as good as it did before. I'm happy! Here's the result (sorry if it is big!):

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q232/jobrookman/Image22.jpg

What do you think?

[the.fee.fairy]

ooh it looks pretty! Such a nice colour on you.

It really brings out the colour of your eyes.

[joflakes]

ooh it looks pretty! Such a nice colour on you.

It really brings out the colour of your eyes.

Thanks! I was nervous to have it as it is emphasizing my short hair but I love it. :D I'm really pleased! I am gonna try to go as long as I can without washing so I can make sure it stays in...may be a challenge!