Switching up your hair color doesn’t always mean committing to permanent dye.

Many people wonder whether it’s safe or even effective to apply temporary or semi-permanent color over permanent hair color. 

The good news is that it can be done, as long as you understand how different dyes interact with each other.

In this guide, we explain whether you can apply temporary color over permanent hair color, the pros and cons of each dye type, and what to expect when layering colors without compromising hair health.

 

What is temporary hair color?

Temporary hair colors are types of dyes that do not contain bleaching agents.

Hence, they come off after some time.

They penetrate the protective layer to access and the cortex and discolor the hair pigment.

Typically, these color shades come off progressively or can be removed using hair removal agents. 

 

Pros

 

• They are quite easy to apply and require lesser preparations in comparison to the permanent color
• Their retouches are cheaper hence cheaper maintenance costs
• If you are a spontaneous type of person, you can easily remove the dye and change to a different color without interfering with the quality of your hair
• Temporary hair colors do not have bleaching effects. Hence, they are lesser harsh to the hair strands
• They give the users a grace period to test and experiment with the dyes before settling on the color that brings the best out of them
• These hair colors do not contain harsh chemicals such as ammonia. Consequently, they produce lesser odors 

 

Cons

 

• It fades away progressively, which may leave a displeasing shade
• It doesn't look good on grey hair
• It requires regular deep conditioning, which means extra efforts to maintain them
• If you want them to last for an extended period, you will have to reapply it

 

What is the permanent hair color?

On the other hand, the permanent dyes contain bleaching agents such as ammonia which permanently disrupt the hair coloring pigment in the cortex.

Consequently, it cannot be washed meaning, it will not be an easy ride to obtain a different color on your head.

Nonetheless, some people apply temporary colors over permanent colors, which we will discuss its effects later.

 

• You will not have to regularly apply the dye as is the case with the temporary dyes
• They look more natural than the other shades
• They work in almost all types of hair, including the grey hair

 

Cons

 

• They contain harsh chemicals which might corrode and damage your hair
• They cannot be easily removed. Hence, it won't be easy to get a different color on
• They are not good for allergic people

 

Is it right to put temporary or semi-permanent color over permanent hair color?

Due to the bleaching factor of permanent hair dyes, they do not easily come off.

As is human nature, you may crave a new look that is quite difficult to achieve with these types of dyes.

Thus most people are tempted to apply temporary colors over permanent hair dyes.

Well, applying the temporary hair color over the permanent hair color doesn't cause any damage.

Thus, you can confidently use temporary hair colors to achieve a new.

However, I should warn you that it will not be easy to change from dark to lighter.

Advisably, the temporary dye should be lighter than the permanent dye.  

Similarly, you can use the semi-permanent dye over the permanent dyes.

These dyes do not contain the bleaching effects such as peroxide and ammonia. Consequently, they rarely interfere with the quality of the hair strands.

However, considering they are harsher than temporary dyes, their side effects may be seen after a certain period.

 

What happens when you use semi-permanent dye on dyed hair?

Semi-permanent dyes last for about six weeks and are commonly used as cover-ups for permanent dyes.

Even though they do not contain bleaching effects, they are harsher on the hair shaft than the temporary dyes. 

Unfortunately, their side effects, such as hair loss, are evident after a long period of continuous usage. 

The main point is that they contain lesser amounts of peroxides or any other chemicals than permanent dyes.

 

Can you use temporary hair dye twice?

Some temporary hair dyes come out after two weeks, while others can last for over a month.

You may want to re-dye the hair if the previous color really got into your heart in such a situation.

Professional hair markers suggest that there isn't a big problem with re-dying your hair after it starts fading out.

However, you should be warned against using the dye twice on the same day.

Indeed, these dyes do not have corrosive chemicals.

However, if you unreasonably use them regularly, their ingredients will build up and affect the hair scalp.

The point is you should only use the dye twice after some time or when it has faded. 

 

Can you put permanent dye over a permanent dye?

In other cases, some people choose to put permanent dyes over permanent dyes.

This is only recommendable on shirt hair and may be quite harmful if you have long hair. Why?

As we earlier said, permanent dyes have corrosive chemicals which might destroy the hair shaft or the scalp.

Thus using a different permanent dye with different chemicals may intensify the corrosions, meaning the loss of larger volumes of hair.

 

Can you mix permanent and semi-permanent hair colors?

You shouldn't dare mix permanent and semi-permanent hair colors.

In simple, you shouldn't mix different dyes to come up with different colors. 

These products are made of different chemicals, among other ingredients.

Mixing them may cause corrosion, which may be harmful to the hair strands after application.

Besides, they may have different densities, among other features, resulting in the uneven coloring of the hair.

And uneven coloring can give you a horrible look.

 

Final words

There are three main types of hair colors, permanent semi-permanent, and temporary.

Permanent dyes are not easy to remove and permanently bleach the coloring pigment. 

Next, we have the semi-permanent dyes, which are confused with the temporary dyes.

These colors last longer than the temporary dyes and usually contain smaller amounts of chemicals than permanent ones. 

Lastly, the temporary dyes do not have any bleaching effects, and in most cases, they do not contain chemicals.

Hence they are recommendable for allergic people. Also, you can apply the temporary dyes over the permanent dyes.

 

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