Did you know that you can substantially transform your dark strands without lightening them with bleach and risking dry hair and damage? More so, while lightening dark hair is definitely within a professional realm, changing your current shade, making the color warm or cool, or going a few levels lighter or darker can be actually achieved from home.

Recommended Video Here is a full guide to the types of dyes and the products that are going to be the best bet.

How to Dye Dark Hair at Home?

Anyone who has had a coloring book in their childhood knows that you need a blank canvas for light colors and won’t achieve any results if you have already covered something with a brown crayon. With darker hair colors, it is basically the same.

For any drastic lightening of dark hair, you need to first remove the natural hair color by bleaching and then tone the pale blonde locks with the desired shade. If you want to dye your hair without harsh chemicals (read bleach), be ready that the result will be close to your current hair color. It doesn’t mean that it won’t make a great impact on the overall look, though!

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If you have set out to dye dark hair at home, you need to decide what type of hair dye you will use. Here is what you need to know to make the decision.

Temporary Hair Dye for Dark Hair

Temporary dyes are a good option if you want to try a color out or apply funky unicorn shades without making a big commitment. These sit on the outside of the cuticle of the hair, don’t penetrate the hair shaft and can be washed out in up to 1-6 washes.

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Temporary hair dye does not lighten hair. They don’t contain peroxide, only color molecules that are already formed before application, which makes them safe and easy hair color to experiment with at home. Remember that you can go darker or change the shade, but it’s not possible to go lighter with a temporary dye.