Lockdown may be boring, but at least we have been provided with some TikTok entertainment in the form of the dodgy haircuts and self-dye jobs of friends and family. Perhaps the more time you spend inside the more you’re considering going purple? Or maybe you just feel left out because all your friends have taken their hair colour into their own hands, and you also fancy some pink tips. If this sounds like you then read on because we have put together a comprehensive guide on TikTok’s hair dye trends to finally assess if they are in fact fabulous or a flop, however, attempt these at your own risk.

Post-it Notes:

This one might seem a little crazy, and that’s because it is. Who would dye their hair using Post-it Notes? How did someone even discover that this technique would work? Somehow, this technique does colour your hair and, since desperate times call for desperate measures, if you’re really set on having a neon tint then this one is for you. TikTokers have been putting coloured Post-it Notes into water and mixing until the water has changed colour. Then, they dip bits of their hair into the water for 15 minutes before rolling them up and wrapping in tin foil. This only really works if you have light coloured hair as the dye does not show up very well, but is supposed to last up to a week! You can also try this trick with crepe paper, which apparently creates a darker, more prominent colour in your hair. However, while this dye trick is only short term, hairstylist Ruby Hook told Yahoo! Finance, ‘In some tissue paper the pigments are fake and could be damaging for the hair. Not only that, depending on how it is made and what is used it could stain hair and make the colour harder to come out.’ This is therefore a technique to be done at your own hair’s risk…

Food colouring:

For this trick, you need either one colour or a couple of colours of food dye to mix together to create the shade you want. Mix together the food dye in a bowl, making sure the shade is darker than how you want it as it will appear lighter when on your hair. Apply onto your hair with a toothbrush, wrap the hair and cover for around two hours then wash out with water. The colour will last around two weeks. Is this safe? As Oscar Blandi Salon colourist Kyle White tells Glamour magazine, the primary colours found in food colouring can be used to neutralize common problem tones — just mix in a pea-sized drop with your shampoo, and then wash and condition as usual. Food colouring is also safe for consumption, which suggests it should be a safer alternative to use on your hair.

Coloured Pens:

TikTok users doing this technique start by breaking open a felt tip pen and emptying the ink into water. They then dip their hair into the water, before wrapping it in foil and waiting 30 minutes before letting their hair air dry. While this method isn’t permanent, coloured pens aren’t going to do wonders for the health of your hair, and if you do decide to try this make sure to use washable markers so that the dye is able to be washed out later on. 

The Verdict

If you really can’t wait to get to the salon for a professional dye job then the second-best alternative would be old fashioned dye in a bottle from the shops. But if you’re not headed for an essential shop anytime soon then the food dye trick is the one to try – it’s healthier for your hair and lasts long enough to appreciate the pop of colour but washes out in two weeks if you realise blue really isn’t your colour.

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