Semi-permanent Hair Dye - Is It Worth It?

Coloring my hair at home is something I’ve been doing for years. Let’s face it, I get bored easily. With my hair that is.

I appreciate the fact that I can experiment and switch up my hair color whenever I like, and most importantly, it’s gentle on my pockets.

When selecting a hair dye to complete at home, you can choose from either permanent or semi-permanent hair color. The major factor that goes into this decision is ultimately whether you want to permanently alter your hair strands or temporarily “coat” them with a color?

There are positives and negatives of both sides, but most tend to opt for the semi-permanent route when attempting to color from home. This is largely due to the chance of complete failure and to reduce hair damage.

However, before you make your decision on which route you’ll go, be sure to weigh out all of the pros and cons of semi-permanent hair dye. I’ve shared a few below.

PROS

Semi-permanent hair dye is great for first-time colorers. Those who are wary about permanently altering their hair or just wanting to try a funky color for a short period may appreciate this route.

Experimentation is fun, especially with the seasons changing. If you’ve never colored your hair and are not sure how a certain shade will turn out, you can easily use a semi-permanent hair color to experiment.

Semi-permanent dye essentially adds the color on top of the hair instead of permanently altering down to the cortex of the strand as bleach and blondes do. Therefore, you will experience little to no damage to your hair shaft so the maintenance and upkeep aren’t as strenuous as that of permanently colored hair.

Lastly, preparation is typically a one-step process of just adding to a bowl and applying to your hair. Permanent hair dye kits usually come with a developer and the color which require mixing prior to application. Semi-permanent hair dye comes in a bottle that is conveniently ready to apply.

CONS

On the contrary, because you are not bleaching your hair, if you’re attempting to do a color such as purple you may notice a lack of vibrancy. Going into it you must be mindful of this as to not be let down.

The color will definitely be there but you may require the light to hit it a certain way in order to see it more easily. To help with this problem of no bleach coloring, you can try to extend the process time for up to a couple of hours.

Another issue you may face is color bleeding. If you are using colors like purples or blues be prepared to have stained fingernails, stained pillowcases, and seeing purple water for your first 4-5 washes.

Because semi-permanent hair dye is treated as a rinse to gently coat your strands, the color will wash out after a few washes depending on the brand. You will experience the most amount of bleeding the first week or so but after the second wash it will start to be less noticeable.

Along with the fact that it washes out, you have to accept that the color doesn’t last long. It is semi-permanent and depending on the brand it can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months before it is completely removed from your strands.

This can also be considered as a pro for those who want the color to be temporary, but for those who have completely fallen in love with the color, it can be a hassle to constantly repeat the process and color again.

Lastly, semi-permanent hair dye is not the best choice for grays. As I stated earlier, the color will only stain the strands and not completely color it. So if you’re looking for an option for gray hair coverage your best bet will be to go the permanent hair dye route.

You Decide

Overall, there is the good, the bad, and the ugly of semi-permanent hair dye. No hair color is perfect but you have to figure out what works best for you.

Based on my own experience I prefer semi-permanent dye for my bold (purple, blue, red) hair colors that I know I will not want to rock for an extended period of time. I’m also not opposed to permanent hair dye as I have used my share of blondes to lighten my hair.

Further, the combination of these two sources is gold. If you chose to lighten your hair with a permanent hair dye choice (not bleach) and then after a few months select to coat it with a colorful semi-permanent dye, you will get the amazing vibrant color and will not risk over processing.

Do you use semi-permanent hair dye at home? What do you like most about it? Let me know in the comments below.