Can I Dye My Hair Extensions?

Although hair extensions come in a wide range of natural colours, from time to time you may come across a client who you simply are not able to find a perfect colour match for. Whether this client has whiter than white toned blonde hair, or an unusual auburn tone, it can certainly be tempting to find a set of hair extensions that are close match in colour, and then apply a hair dye/toner to create your own custom finish.

Will I Ruin My Hair Extensions If I Colour Them

Many SimplyHair customers have coloured their hair extensions and achieved beautiful results. Our hair extensions are long lasting and of a high quality, and therefore should not be negatively impacted by applying a colour, however there are things you need to be aware of in order to avoid ruining your hair extensions completely, as when it comes to hair colour there can be no guarantees.

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Do A Strand Test Before Dying Your Hair Extensions

Before you go ahead and dye the whole set, it is vitally important that you do a strand test first. The strand test is designed to first assess the quality of the hair after dying, and secondly to access the colour and outcome.

Take a few strands of hair (we would recommend at least 10 individual strands, or 2 pieces of tape hair) and apply your colour/toner. Keep a close eye on the hair as it develops, noting any changes that are unexpected. Once you have left the dye/toner for the recommended period of time, wash as per the instructions.

Whilst the hair is wet, you need to perform an elasticity test on the individual hairs. To do this, you need to take 1 individual hair, and stretch it gently. If the hair has good elasticity it should stretch by about 30% and then return to its original size. If the hair snaps, or stretches but does not return to its original length, this means the hair is weak and has become damaged. Do this to a few different strands to check the results are consistent.

In order to avoid damage, you can try applying treatments such as Olaplex to your formulas, which you may find helps retain the health of the hair during the dying process.

If after you perform a strand test the hair is showing signs of damage, it is not advisable to continue dying the hair. This is most likely to occur if you are attempting to lighten the hair, as this is a more intense and damaging process.

If the hair passes the quality check, dry the hair extensions, and check that the colour is as you expected. Hair extensions are generally more porous due to the fact that they have already undergone a dying process, and therefore may take colour more enthusiastically. If the colour is as you expect, and the quality of the hair is not compromised, then you can confidently apply the dye to the hair to achieve your desired custom colour.

Please be aware that this is advice only, and as we are not able to oversee the dying process, should the outcome of the hair not be as desired, SimplyHair cannot be held responsible. Much in the same way, altering the hair in any way may mean it does not last as long, and you would need to be prepared for this if you were to create a custom colour.