How to Dye Your Hair in Colorful Pastel Shades
Fresh from the salon after dyeing my hair pastel lavender purple.
Every year Pinterest comes out with the highly anticipated Pinterest Predicts report which provides valuable insight into up and coming trends for the next 12 months. There’s almost always a hair trend report, and for 2022 Pinterest has reported that Rebel Cuts and Colors is the newest hair movement to hit the mainstream population. This means that a rainbow of bright, colorful and pastel shades will be showing up in the tresses of fashion forward folks.
For myself, my hair color journeys have included platinum blonde, purple lavender, silver gray and rose gold pink. This blog post is filled with useful information and tips to help you decide on your next wild child color.
I went platinum blonde and then layered pastel silver gray hair color for a dramatic hair transformation.
I went platinum blonde and then layered pastel silver gray hair color for a dramatic hair transformation.
The Process to Achieving a Bright Pastel Hair Color
Your Natural Hair Color and Texture
The first steps on your path to pastel hair start with evaluating your natural hair’s color and texture. Shiny brunette, vibrant redhead, natural blonde, or deep black hair, chances are you’ve considered changing your hair color at some point. Whether you are brightening your look by adding some colorful highlights, opting for a stylish ombre, or going for a wow-factor pastel transformation, there are several techniques and tips that can help you achieve the edgy colorful hair trend.
Start with Pure Virgin Hair
For best results you’ll want to start with 100% pure virgin hair that hasn’t gone through any chemical treatments. You also want to avoid using hair that’s dry and brittle from too much heat styling with hot tools. This might mean that you need to grow out your hair for awhile and get regular hair trims between major hairstyle transformations.
Me with rose gold pink hair layered over my bleached platinum blonde hair.
Me with rose gold pink hair layered over my bleached platinum blonde hair.
Bleaching Your Hair to a Very Light Colored Base
If a dramatic pastel transformation is your hair goals, then you'll want to start with platinum blonde (almost white) hair. Bleaching is the appropriate method to lighten up your locks when your hair is dark, or you want to get a more intense change. Bleaching can damage your hair if not done correctly or by an experienced hairstylist, making your strands dry and prone to breakage.
You should know that bleaching is the most complex part of the entire process and it can take many hours or multiple sessions to achieve the right light shade. After the bleach is washed with a pre-color shampoo and the hair blow-dried, it’s time to start the coloring. You can see more details and photos from my hair bleaching salon session here.
Bleaching your hair is risky business and I highly recommend that you book an appointment with a reputable salon. At the bottom of this blog post I have a list of salons in major cities where I’ve either booked services or plan on booking in the future.
Dyeing Your Hair Pastel Without Bleaching
My natural hair color is a lighter strawberry blonde color with red tones. When I dyed my hair pastel lavender I was able to get away with not bleaching it because my hair was light enough to begin with.
The major plus side of dyeing my hair a pastel shade without bleaching was that it dramatically reduced the amount of damage to my hair strands. I still maintained my natural hair integrity and it still felt strong and hydrated.
The downside to not bleaching before dyeing is that you don’t get the same dramatic affect and the pastel color doesn’t pop as much.
An essential step to preserving the pastel color in your hair is using high-quality color safe shampoo. After all your efforts in achieving the perfect shade, you definitely want to preserve it.
Before photo in the salon the day I dyed my hair pastel lavender purple.
My hair in foil at the salon for the process of dyeing the color to pastel lavender purple.
First look at pastel lavender purple hair in the salon.
How to Dilute Hair Dye for Pastel Colors
Often times when you are using hair dye with very colorful and vibrant colors, it can end up dyeing your hair in very rich and saturated colors. If you’re going for the pastel hair color trend, this may be too dark and not quite the style vibe you hoped for.
Diluting hair dye for pastel colors is a common practice for those who prefer to tone down the saturation levels on potent products and getting more use out of the product. The pigment is gradually mixed with the conditioner, measuring everything and using tiny amounts of dye at first until the resulting color is the desired one. The mixture is then applied evenly, starting from the roots to the ends.
When too much conditioner is added and the leftover blend amounts to a higher quantity, it can be stored in separate containers so it can be used at another time without having to go through the process again.
As soon as the hair reaches the proper color, it should be rinsed out with cool water and proper hair care products should be applied in order to restore the acidic hair pH. If the resulting color is too intense, rinsing in hot water or scrubbing with an anti-dandruff shampoo can be the solution to achieve the desired shade.
Salon photos after dyeing my natural hair pastel lavender purple.
Salon photos after dyeing my natural hair pastel lavender purple.
How to Care for Your Pastel Hair & Preserving the Color
Preserving hair color is crucial for those who wish to maximize the results of their new look and can be further accomplished through:
Gentle shampooing and deep conditioning under cool water on a less-frequent basis. Applying conditioner acts as a shield to avoid rinsing the dye out.
Using color safe shampoos and conditioners formulated especially for dyed hair.
Mixing some of the dye into the conditioner to prevent the color from fading.
Avoiding deep cleansing or anti-dandruff shampoos that tend to remove color.
Using a color sealer to seal the cuticle layer and prevent color from escaping.
Wearing a shower cap or pinning the hair up to protect it on days when hair washing isn’t on your agenda.
Trying out a dry shampoo in between hair washes
Going for touch-ups every four to six weeks to keep your hair vibrant.
Avoiding heat sources such as hot tools and too much sun exposure that can open the cuticle layers.
I bleached my hair platinum blonde and then layered pastel silver gray hair color for a dramatic hair transformation.
I bleached my hair platinum blonde and then layered pastel silver gray hair color for a dramatic hair transformation.
My silver gray hair faded to an ash platinum blonde color.
After your hair has gone through the bleaching process, it will be in need of some moisturizing TLC to prevent becoming dry and brittle from the chemicals. This purple intense repair hair mask works double duty in restoring hydration and preventing the dreaded “orange brassy” color.
How Long Does Pastel Hair Color Last?
Pastel colors typically last up to eight weeks, depending on how often the hair is washed and how well the hair color preservation steps are followed.
In order to give your hair time to recover, it is highly advisable to wait at least four weeks until the next coloring service and to pursue professional hair salon services that will definitely help maintain the chosen pastel colors and keep your hair healthy.
The Best Products to Care for Pastel Hair
The frequent use of hair dye comes with a bit of damage, which is why professional products are a must for maintaining hair texture and helping regain shine and strength.
That is why ammonia-free hair dye brands are preferred by top stylists everywhere, such as:
Such effective products help with minimizing color bleed onto clothing and furniture. This occurs when the cuticle is not adequately sealed to retain hair color or when the dye is semi-permanent.
Fresh from the salon after dyeing my hair pastel lavender purple.
Fresh from the salon after dyeing my hair pastel lavender purple.
Fresh from the salon after dyeing my hair pastel lavender purple.
My Top Salons for Haircuts, Bleaching & Dyeing My Hair in Pastel Shades:
San Francisco Bay Area:
My rose gold pink hair was done at the Ulta salon in San Francisco.
I had my bangs cut at diPietro Todd salon in Pacific Heights.
New York City:
I had my hair bleached and dyed silver gray at the Arrojo Soho Salon in Manhattan, NYC.
San Diego:
My in-laws live in San Diego and during my next visit I’m planning on getting my color done at Plaza Hair Salon. I love the pictures on their website of the mermaid hair trend!
Sacramento:
Wild Heart Beauty in Midtown is on my wishlist of salons to try out.
Beach day with pastel lavender purple hair.
Beach day with pastel lavender purple hair.
You can see the color starting to fade about 3 weeks after dyeing my hair pastel lavender.
See More Beauty & Style Guides:
Pastel Hair Essentials from Pro Beaty Shops:
I’m loving this very light and bright pastel shade of pink from Color Brilliance by ion. You would definitely need a quality bleach job before applying this color so that you can actually see the pastel color.
This pastel colored hair dye is the perfect mix of a little bit of lilac / lavender and silver. It’s very edgy but still easy to pull off. For this color you would definitely need to get your hair bleached beforehand.
Unicorn Hair makes the most coveted shades of pastel hair dye. Not only do they make pink and purple hues, but also cotton candy blue and canary yellow. These muted pastels are DIY friendly once you’ve gotten your hair professionally bleached at the salon.
