Pink Hair Dye
Pink is a weirdly popular color. Mothers dress their girl-babies in pink and decorate little-miss nurseries using pink. It's become of symbol of breast cancer awareness. It is also a color used by gay people, both men and women. There are even flowers that are nick-named pinks (dianthus in reality!).
When it comes to pink hair color, there's a lot of choice, from pretty pink-blonde and candy pink, to deep magenta and shocking pink, which quite literally is guaranteed shock.
Some pink hair dyes are vegetable-based and organic, while others are made with quite harsh chemicals. Similarly, some dyes are permanent while others will eventually wash out. Ingredients vary between brands but will be indicated on the packaging or inserts.
Those who chose to dye their hair pink are often fashion figureheads or trend-setters. Lady Gaga, for instance, is always changing her hair color, either with dye or by sporting an outrageous wig. Interestingly, it was pale pink that she chose for the cover of her hugely popular 2011 single Hair. The song is also interesting, because as she explains in the promo material, it is a result of personal experience as a teenager, when her parents forced her to dress in a specific manner which she clearly didn't like. She has been quoted as saying that she found the only way that she was able to truly express herself was through her hair. So copy-cat hair styles that are also dyed pink might be perceived to be equally individualist and self-liberating. Certainly, whichever tone you choose, it's not a color for the faint hearted.
A huge number of celebrities have turned out with pink hair, in as many (if not more) variations. American singer, song-writer and fashion designer, Gwen Stefani is one of the favorites. Although she is a brunette, she went platinum blonde in 1994 when she was still 20-something, and has since died her bleached locks both blue (in 1998) and more popularly pink (in 2000) when she was promoting the album Return to Saturn. Unlike the bold magenta-pink that so many people opt for, Gwen's pink was gentle and didn't entirely kill the blonde she had adopted.
Another is musician and pop singer, Pink (or P!nk) – surprise, surprise – although she has been known to dye her hair other colors too. Born Alecia Beth Moore, she adopted the pink name, not because of hair color, but as a tribute to Mr. Pink, a character in the film Reservoir Dogs.
British pop singer Lily Allen, another brunette, also dyed her pink – and in a variety of shades. While she reportedly copied Britney Spears when she went pink, in fact Britney's pink hair had been a wig! In 2008, when Lily did the deed (herself in her own bathroom), critics described her choice as "bizarre". She said she "loved" it, and since that day many have copied her approach.
One of the first stars to go pink must have been South African Marloe Scott Wilson who earned the well-publicized name of the "Pink Lady" in her home country in the early 1980s. Having earned fame and some fortune in England as Mary Magdalene in the 1978 original rock-opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, she became something of a pink, stand-out icon, since at the time bright magenta-pink hair really was something different.
If you decide to dye your hair pink, you must follow the correct procedure, particularly if you are going to do it yourself. The most important factor is probably the color of your natural hair – unless of course it is already dyed another color. Since pink is a relatively light color (though true magenta can be quite dark), you will need to bleach your hair thoroughly if it is going to look pink. If you start out with blonde hair, the yellow tint in your hair is likely to end up looking more like a peach or apricot color than pink. If your hair isn't bleached, then all you will achieve is a vague pink tint, which may or may not look effective.
Above all, follow the manufacturer's instructions in terms of preparation, applying the color, and using conditioner correctly to complete the process.