Have the wet hair At the time of dyeing it, it is not what we normally see in beauty salons and hundreds of videos on social networks. If we decide to do it at home, most products indicate that it should be done on dry hair, although there are others that advise applying it to damp hair.
But can a dye be applied with the wet hair? Is there any difference if it is dry or wet? Is there any advantage to dyeing the wet hair? If you have asked yourself these questions, then we will clear some of them. Keep reading!
Can wet hair be dyed?
Yes, of course you can dye your hair while it’s wet. Although when we go to the beauty salon to do any coloring, they apply it to dry hair. Many professionals choose to do it this way for a matter of color permanence. It is believed that because the hair is wet or damp, it will absorb less of the product, which is not true.
In fact, with wet hair the strands are more absorbent and susceptible to changes. The only detail that dictates whether it is necessary to apply it to wet or dry hair is the type of formulas or color that we are going to apply.
Types of color that work with wet hair
Now, dye the wet hair it doesn’t really work for all color jobs. We may not know it, but there are two types of dyes: permanent and semi-permanent. For permanent color jobs require a dry hair application. This could mean going lighter or darker. When you want to lighten your hair, which you do with bleach, you’ll need dry strands to get a precise application that doesn’t run.
Similarly, if we are using a permanent color to darken our locks, dry hair is better for it to really penetrate and alter the condition of our hair on a deeper level.
With that said, the best color options for wet hair dye are semi-permanent dyes. These, for the most part, do not contain ammonia or peroxide and their pigment molecules are larger, so only the outer layer of the hair, that is, the cuticle, absorbs the color.
Since their job is to slightly enhance or alter the tone of your hair. As well as providing a more subtle change with a shorter dwell time, their formulas are not greatly affected by the presence of water. These colors work well on the wet hair because they do not lift or drastically alter the hair in any permanent way.
Other options for dyeing with wet hair are:
Demi-permanent color
The main difference between a semi-permanent and demi-permanent color is that it has some ammonia in it and therefore will penetrate the hair shaft at a deeper level than just layering a semi-permanent.
With higher color absorption, a demi-permanent will last about 5 times longer than a semi-permanent color. Regardless of the presence of ammonia, it’s still a temporary color, so applying it to wet hair won’t affect the color too much.
The slight drawback here is that our hair has the potential to absorb more water and not as much dye, which could dilute your color formulation a bit and reduce color permanence.
temporary dyes
We may not consider them semi or demi-permanent colors. But, these usually come in fun shades like bright pink which make it very attractive. They can also be found in shampoos used to neutralize highlights. These are safe to use on wet hair.
see also Myths about the use of hair dyes
Benefits of dyeing wet hair
While hair color can be applied over the wet hair or dry, apply it on the wet hair It has some advantages that are worth considering:
A little water goes a long way
The humidity helps the color spread evenly. Whereas, when applying to dry hair, you’ll need to pay much more attention to ensure you’ve fully saturated each strand with your dye.
Hair is more absorbent when wet
When our hair is wet, it has a higher porosity, which means that the cuticle opens up a bit and is ready to absorb liquids. Basically, there is a great opportunity for the color to penetrate the hair shaft at a slightly deeper level than it could on dry hair.
Simplifies the work a bit
When we apply the dye at home it is a relief when we are instructed to apply it on the wet hair. Applying hair color with a spray bottle and combing all of our hair to a lather in the shower is much easier than the precision required of a brush and bowl application.
The drawbacks of dyeing wet hair
Some of the drawbacks of wet hair application include:
uneven application
While moisture might help distribute color, it’s still a less precise application of color. If a more drastic change is the desired result, it is best to pay extra attention to a detailed, dry application to the hair.
Water could potentially dilute the color
If our hair is extremely dry and damaged, then our hair is looking for moisture! In such a scenario, the hair may have already absorbed so much water that there is little room left for the dye to penetrate the cortex of the hair. That doesn’t mean it won’t work or, your results may not be as vibrant or long-lasting as you’d hoped.
Prone to further damage
Hair is most vulnerable when wet. The cuticle is like a shield that protects the hair and when wet the cuticle opens, weakening the bonds that normally protect our inner cortex.
With dry hair, the natural oils we produce are an extra help to protect our hair, but those oils don’t serve us well under water pressure. Avoiding heat, abrasive brushing, and towel drying are some of the small steps you can take to help damp, brittle strands take less damage.
For a more even color application when dyeing damp hair, try distributing the color with a wide tooth comb or damp brush.