Blue Hair Dye
If you are old enough to have a grandmother who was born during the first half of the 20th century, chances are you have seen old ladies with "blue" hair. There was a time when blue hair dye was all the rage for anyone who had gone naturally grey or "white".
In those good old days, blue hair was the result of a rinse of sorts that was used to create a violet-blue hair color. Today blue hair follows a totally different trend, instead of being a quick-fix for tired old grey-white! Of course you could simply bleach your hair and then rinse it in a kind of gentian violet, but you'd be a lot better off using a good quality blue hair dye product that will color and nourish your hair at the same time.
If you decide to go blue, we warned that you need to be confident and outgoing to get away with any blue-hue that clearly comes straight out of a bottle. As they say in the classics, you must dare to be different. If you don't fit that bill, rethink your color choice.
While the dictionary describes blue as the "color of a clear unclouded sky", when it comes to hair dye, blue comes in a number of different hues. For example a color described as "Capri blue" is rich and royal, while "peacock blue" looks – you guessed it – just like the colors of a strutting peacock's feathers. And yes, you will find "sky blue" too, although it might not match exactly the color you imagine a clear, unclouded sky to be. You will also find that blue hair dye is available in what is strictly speaking described as cyan – a more turquoise hue that could also be described as the color of clean, clear, sparkling water in a swimming pool.
Whatever shade of blue you chose to use for your own head of hair, and whether you opt to make it all blue, or just add blue highlights, or perhaps a strip of blue in your fringe or across the top of your head, you will need to bleach your hair (or part of it) before you apply the hair dye. Take this into account before you take the bold step towards blue, because if you have very dark hair, it's going to take more effort doing the bleaching than the eventual dying. If you opt for blue highlights, you'll need platinum highlights before you do the blue.
Like so many fashion trends today, blue hair 21st century style has been popularized primarily by celebrities, many of whom dye their hair (or wear outrageous wigs) simply to attract attention. But those who do, certainly can carry it off.
Examples of celebrities who have become blue role models, so to speak, include American singer, Kelis Rogers (divorced from rap singer Nas Jones). She went publically blue when she was pregnant with her first child (by Nas), but is well known for her hair color experimentation. Another is Adam Lambert, the hugely popular and openly gay mainstream-pop artist who finished as runner-up in the eighth season of American Idol. His first album – released towards the end of 2009 – shows him on the cover with gloriously deep-blue highlighted hair. Yet another celebrity to opt for a similar two-toned black-and blue hair was Oscar nominee, the successful actress and singer, Juliette Lewis, star of The Switch.
If you do decide to use a blue hair dye, make sure you follow the manufacturer's instruction to the letter. Not all hair dyes are made the same way, and the procedures may differ.