Some of the hints & tips shown here we have used ourselves, others have been suggested by customers or recommended on other sites. Beeunique are not trained hairdressers and cannot be held responsible for any tip / hint which is inaccurate or not appropriate for your situation. These hints & tips are primarily for Semi Permanent Hair Dyes but may work well with other similar brands.

Preparation:

• Placing an old shower curtain on the floor is easy and quick way to protect carpets etc.
• These dyes can stain your hands and wearing latex gloves is highly advised
• Putting cling film over your ears should help stop dye staining these areas.  We also sell plastic caps to cover your ears.
• Conditioning your hair before dyeing can stop the dye taking hold 
• Rubbing vaseline around hair line and face can stop dye from staining skin (avoid getting on hair)
• Ponds Cold Cream or Baby Oil on skin works in the same way as vaseline and should stop dye staining skin 
• If you wear glasses when dyeing cut two fingers off rubber gloves and place over legs of glasses to protect from dye
• Clarifying shampoos can often remove any build-up of products on the hair such as styling products as the less product on the hair the better the dye can adhere.  Clarifying shampoo can strip your hair so a good conditioner is recommended after dyeing (don’t use the conditioner before using this type of semi-permanent hair dye). 

Bleaching:

• NEVER use household bleach on your hair or skin, this is far too harsh and can cause serious burns as well as hair damage and other serious side-effects.
• NEVER use metal brush/bowls etc with any bleach product.
• Tint Brushes are very handy for making sure all hairs are coated 
• When touching up roots don’t allow bleach to overlap onto already bleached hair. 
• Always mix your bleach according to the instructions on the packet (not mixing enough or using wrong quantities can severely damage your hair) 
• The area closest to the scalp will bleach quicker due to the heat from your head – keep this in mind when applying bleach
• Bleach developer is normally available in 10-40 volume – 20 volume is generally used for lightening blonde/fair hair, 30 volume is generally used for medium hair and 40 volume is generally used for darker hair. (this may not be right for you so always do a strand test)! 40 Volume is the strongest and as such can do the most damage quickest – always used the lowest volume you can and avoid getting bleach on your scalp. 
• In general most hair bleaches will lighten your hair in the following stages: Black, brown, red, orange, yellow blonde, light blonde, white – please use extreme caution when bleaching your hair white as this is when you will be doing the most harm.  Most dyes will cover fine over pale yellow/blonde hair 
• After rinsing out bleach blow dry hair so it is very porous and will absorb the greatest amount of dye possible
• Lilac Toner (often called white toner) can help cover yellow tones on bleached hair 

Hair Dyeing Tips:

• Two different colours of the same brand of dye can be mixed together – When doing this ensure you make enough to do your hair and a little extra as it will be hard to get same shade again for touching up roots etc. Some people mix different brands of semi-permenent dyes together although this is not generally recommended by the manufacturers. 
• These dyes can often give a hi-lighted effect or sheen of colour to dark hair
• Colours tend to be more intense and last longer on bleached (pre-lightened) hair. 
• Many customers leave dye on for 2-3 hours for a more intense result the dyes we sell are semi-permanent dyes and will not harm your hair like many permanent dyes can).
• When dye is on hair place clingfilm or shower cap on head to prevent colour from drying and help create a more intense colour. We sell elasticated Poly Caps on Beeunique
• Conditioning after every shampoo helps to keep your hair healthy and manageable. You can add a little of your hair dye to some conditioner to give hair a little ‘top up’ after every wash.
• Do not use Head Hair Dyes on eyebrows/eyelashes etc
• Toners can be mixed with other dyes to create customized colours – add dye to toner a little at a time and mix well to achieve the desired colour
• Neutralise Chlorinated or Green Toned Hair by using Tomato Juice (the red should help counteract the green) 
• When dyeing dreads you will in general use about 1/3 more dye than for normal hair the same length as a large portion of the dye will be absorbed.
• Many people say adding a cup of white vinegar before the rinsing off dye should raise pH level and improve results (normally half cup of vinegar and half cup of cold water mixed) – rinse thoroughly with warm water.
• Colour Wheel – generally opposite colours counteract each other so yellow tones can be toned down by using a purple/lilac toner.
• When colouring different sections e.g. pink and blue dye one colour first then roll those sections up and small plastic bag / food bag over the top and secure – this should protect already dyed sections from second colour. 
• When dyeing two or more colours use the lighter colour towards the top of the head as this should reduce the colours bleeding into each other (if the darker dyes are on top they will bleed into the lighter ones when hair is being washed) 

Maintaining Colour:

• Adding a little of your semi-perm dye to your conditioner can give your hair a ‘top-up’ each time you wash which should help to reduce fading.
• Clarifying shampoo can help keep your colour looking vibrant for longer as it removes build up of products on your hair, however it can also reduce the length of time the colour will last if used too often. 
• Using an Protein or Intensive Conditioner after dyeing can help seal your colour in. Used every 1-2 weeks these can also help your hair feel better & healthier – do not over-use! 
• Rinsing your hair in cold water after conditioning can make it look shinier and help colour to last longer (cold water closes cuticles) 
• Direct sunlight can cause your dye to fade faster 
• Avoid swimming for first week or so after dyeing (some colours can bleed in water). Chlorinated pools can cause hair to fade faster or change colour) 
  Using a hairdryer for a few minutes before rinsing off dye can help seal in colour 
• Shampoo as little as possible – even washing hair without shampooing can help maintain colour 
• Rinsing hair before swimming should make hair absorb less chlorine 
• Avoid Baby Shampoo – they do not normally have a balanced pH (especially the no tears ones) 

Clean Up Tips:

• It is easier to clean dye off sinks / showers / porcelain whilst it is still wet
• Glycerin Soap is good for removing stains from porcelain products 
• On some surfaces milk on cotton wool can remove stains 
• Wash stained clothing asap and although dye should not spread it is wise to wash these things separate from other washing 
• The best items for removing dye seem to be general household cleaners – please follow manufacturer’s instructions and always do a test patch to check result before using 
• Spraying dye stains on clothes immediately with hairspray and then washing as normal should stop stains from setting (always do a test patch first). 
  Spraying sink, shower etc with a spray cleaner BEFORE rinsing off dye should stop dye staining as much 
• Cream based cleaners seem to be the best for removing stains – always follow manufacturer’s directions before use.
• Baby Wipes can often help remove stains from porcelain etc

Removing Dye From Skin:

• Face Wipes – especially tea tree ones
• Nail Polish Remover (don’t use near eyes etc) 
• Alcohol/Medical Swabs (don’t use near eyes etc) 
• Bicarbonate of Soda 
• Lemon Juice (natures version of bleach) 
• Milk on cotton wool pads 
• Toner & Skin Cleanser
• You should try not to get dye on your scalp, however if you do a cotton bud is ideal for removing dye around roots without damaging hair (avoid contact with actual hair itself if you can as this can remove the dye from your hair as well as  -the scalp)
• Orange/Mechanics Soap
• Toothpaste

NOTE – Please take care when using the above items on skin – always avoid eyes and other sensitive areas and rinse area well with clean water after use. Many items like Rubbing Alcohol and Nail Polish Remover etc are flammable so do not smoke or have naked flame nearby whilst using them and use only in well ventilated area following manufacturer’s instructions on packaging. 

Fading Colour Faster:

• Shampoo hair as often as possible as this should remove colour slightly every time 
• Rinsing hair in warm to hot water (not scalding) after shampooing opens hair cuticles and can allow colour to fade faster 
• Direct sunlight can cause your dye to fade faster 
• Clarifying shampoo can help remove colour faster 
• Some brands of anti-dandruff style shampoos can help to fade colour faster 
• Rinsing hair with DIET cola can help fade colour (DIET only)! 
  Use a Colour Stripper 

Additional Information:
Alternative Hair Dye Gallery – over 5000 photos of actual hair dye results
Alternative Hair Dye Forum – thousands of members, posts, hints & photos –
Hair Dye Guides – tips, guides, ingredients and faq