HOW TO OMBRE YOUR HAIR BY YOUR SELF/ AT HOME :
Part 1: Getting Started
1
Select your color. Ombre hair is meant to look hip and sophisticated - like the middle man between grown out roots and a dip dye. Therefore, you should choose a color that works well with your hair when faded gradually into your natural color. Your roots will be darker, so the available options are a lighter shade of brown, a shade of red/auburn, or a shade of blonde.
There are two types of ombre: traditional, and reverse. The traditional ombre has a lighter color at the tips of your hair than at the roots, while a reverse ombre has darker tips and lighter roots.
Avoid choosing a color that is drastically different from your own, unless you have long hair which gives you the necessary length to fade the two colors into each other.
The more subtle the color change, the more natural and sun-kissed your hair will appear.
Whenever possible, look for mild or all-natural dyes that will be less damaging to your hair.
2
Decide where you want the fade to stop. Equally important as the color selection is choosing where your natural color and dyed color will meet. The lower down your hair the two meet, the safer your look will be. Having the two colors meet too high has you run the risk of looking like you have grown-out roots, rather than a beautiful ombre. In general, the jawline is a good place to have the two tones meet, and you can add more color later if you’re unhappy having the ombre stop so low.[1]
3
Put on a smock or an old t-shirt. There is a good chance that you will get bleach or dye onto your clothes during the process. An artist or styling smock should help prevent this, though. If you do not have a smock to throw on, change into an old t-shirt that you can get dirty. Additionally, you will need to wear a pair of rubber/latex surgical gloves.
Part 2: Bleaching Your Hair
1
Mix your bleach. Unless you are doing a reverse ombre, you will need to use bleach to lift the color from your hair. There is the option of using blonde hair dye - which is safer on your strands - but it doesn’t lift as much color so your end-result will be much more subtle. The easiest and cheapest at home bleach method is to use 20 volume peroxide and powdered bleach. Mix 2oz of the 20 volume peroxide until they are completely combined into a creamy mixture.
Always mix the bleach in a well-ventilated area to avoid inhaling too much of the fumes.
2
Divide your hair into sections. Part your hair down the middle so that it is split half-and-half. Then, divide both halves into as many sections as you feel comfortable with. At the very least, you should divide each half into half again, splitting your hair into quarters. If you are not accustomed to dyeing your hair, though, you could also consider dividing your hair into six or eight smaller sections. Pin or tie each section off to separate it from the rest.
3
Choose an application tool. If you’re using a dye or bleach kit, chances are you were provided with a small brush to apply the bleach. If not, a small toothbrush or similar soft, small brush will work well for application.
4
Begin bleaching your hair. Add bleach starting at the ends and working your way up to the desired fade line. Don’t feel like you need to work fast or to work in large sections; work in such a way that you get all the strands evenly coated with the lightening product.
5
Add a second coat of bleach. To get the gradual fade, a second coat of bleach must be layered over the first coat, but only at the tips. Do the second layer about halfway up the first to accomplish this.
6
Let the bleach set. Depending on how light you want your hair to be, you will need to let the bleach set for anywhere from 10-45 minutes. For a slight change in color, leave the bleach in for only 10-20 minutes. For a more bold change in color, leave the bleach for 40-45 minutes.
In order to avoid the brassy color that bleach can sometimes cause in hair, it is necessary to let it sit for only a little bit of time, or a lot.[2]
7
Wash out the bleach. Keeping your gloves on, rinse out the bleach with warm water and a sulfate-free shampoo. Be sure to get out all the bleach, or else experience a platinum blonde accident. Add a deep conditioner to add a bit of nutrients to your now-stripped hair when you are finished.
Part 3: Coloring Your Hair
1
Section off your hair once more. Divide your hair into its original sections. Tie off the ends with elastic bands or hair clips to make your dying job a bit easier. Use at least 2-3 sections, or as many more as you need to feel comfortable.
2
Prepare your color. Most box hair dyes require a bit of measuring and mixing, so follow the instructions that it came with and prepare your dye. You should put on a second pair of latex gloves at this point as well.
3
Brush in your color. Follow the application instructions for your hair dye to properly add it to your hair. If you’re dying your hair with a traditional ombre (lighter ends), then apply the hair dye to all the bleached sections of hair and just a bit further up your strands as well. If you’re doing a reverse ombre, add the color just up to the color fad line, and then a second heavier coat near the tips (similar to the bleach application).
4
Let the color set. Wait the allotted amount of time for your hair dye to set, as per the box instructions. Typically you leave the dye in for longer to get a more bold/significant color change. You may need to cover your hair with a shower cap or other covering to help the dye set at this time as well.
5
Wash out the hair color. Rinse your hair well with warm water in the shower, with a sulfate-free shampoo. Bleaching/coloring your hair can be very damaging, so take the time to do one or two wash-throughs with a deep conditioner to help add some moisture back to your locks.
6
Dry and style your hair as per usual. With your hair being a tad fried from the chemical dye, it may be best to allow it to air-dry and avoid any hot tools. However, if you’re like most of us you’ll want to blow dry your hair right away and get it looking back to normal. Doing this also allows you to determine if you’ve gotten the color you want, or if you need to do some touching up post-dye.
