Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with dyeing

Help my poor hair!

mippy — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:42:56 -0800

I have had a home hair dye disaster, and now it's too dark in some places and gingery in others. What can I do? I dyed my hair with a sample from work - Schwarzkopf Live in a dark red colour, about a month ago, when my base hair colour was a paler red. Unfortunately, unlike other dyes, it didn't spread over my hair evenly and I was left with some parts looking gingery and others almost black. This cannot remain so! What can I do - at home, not in a salon, I REALLY can't afford this just now- to sort it out?

I was considering the following:
- using my brand of choice, L'oreal Feria, to use a dark colour all over it (not too keen though - anything darker than rouge noir does not suit me)
- use a pre-lightener to strip out the colour - I did this years ago when a semi-permanent went wrong, though at that time I used a vegetable dye over that and I'm not keen on using a vegetable dye either because they are v.messy. Can I put a chemical dye over that?

Also, I have some Live in a blonde shade on my desk - will this work as a pre-lightener to get some of the patchy colour out?

Uh, sorry. I can't go to that Cure concert because I'll be home redyeing my blacks.

santojulieta — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:38:14 -0800

Can I dye normal clothing to super black status, thus fitting into my all-black work dress code? My dress code for work is black polo and black pants. Thrilling, I know. Right now, I have one pair of black jeans (purchased as black) and two black polo shirts. I've had a bitch of a time trying to find black jeans that are cute and retain their dark shade. As such, my question is sneaky and two-fold.

1. What can I do to ensure my current work wardrobe retains its nice, healthy goth shade of black?

2. Can I dye regular blue-colored jeans to a nice black (you know, to match my black, abysmal soul)?

Where can I buy acorns?

Dr.Pill — Sun, 10 May 2009 08:48:53 -0800

To make a quantity of black dye I need a couple of kilo's of oak acorns. In the UK I have, naturally enough, looked under oak trees but last years season was a non starter and the squirrels got up earlier than me. Google has failed me.

How would I go about dyeing my eyebrows?

Baethan — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:19:45 -0800

My eyebrows are greyish, while the rest of my hair is dark blond. What can I do? My hair color (which is natural) is dark blond, almost brown. My eyebrows are much darker than the rest of my hair. I know this is far from unusual, but they have a very definite grey tint to them that doesn't look good on me. It may just be an effect of having long and slightly sparse hairs, as individual hairs look more or less black.
How can I lighten them? I read somewhere on askmefi that someone accidentally bleached their hair with hydrogen peroxide, which sounds like one possible option, but I'm concerned about making sure the shade is right and that both eyebrows match. Maybe there's a way to bleach them gradually?
I also read about the existence of dye meant specifically for eyebrows, supposedly located in supermarkets. I don't recall seeing anything like that in a grocery store, but I don't really visit the dye aisle often. I'm worried that a kit like this would be too expensive (I've never used one before, so I don't know how well it would work or if the color will come out right).
Final option (that I can think of) : visit a beauty parlor and get them professionally done. I'd rather not do this, as my complaint is so minor it doesn't warrant spending much money.
So, mefi, what do you think?

Dying cotton clothes without shrinking them?

flyingcowofdoom — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:28:37 -0800

Is it possible to dye white shirts and dark blue shirts (both 100% cotton with a shelf bra that is 95% cotton/5% spandex) black without shrinking them? I have some shirts that are white and some that are dark blue that I would like to dye black. All of the shirts are 100% cotton with shelf bras that are 95% cotton / 5% spandex. I have read about using fiber-reactive dyes that are supposedly "cold water dyes" but they still require very warm water. How warm can the water be before it starts to shrink the clothes? Are there any dyes that work in actual cold water? Any shared experiences would be helpful! TIA!

Best way to change the fabric color on a wool-upholstered office chair?

allterrainbrain — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 16:45:02 -0800

Dyeing or sewing? What's the most practical way to change the color of 100% wool fabric from red to black, when the fabric is upholstery on the seat & back cushions of a large office chair? The chair in question is an Ikea Joakim in red. (I got it free so I couldn't choose the color.) I want to change it from red to black. I haven't dyed fabric since I was a kid, so consider me a beginner.

Thanks for all ideas, about dyes and/or about how to do this. (In the bathtub? If so, does the tub need protection?) There's no outdoor space I can easily get the chair to.

I'm also open to sewing as an alternative to dyeing, but I'm a beginner at sewing too and making a covering that exactly fits rounded, oddly-shaped seat cushions might be beyond me.

to bleach his own

punch_the_mayor — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 17:09:56 -0800

I need help on bleaching a cotton shirt I have a light pink cotton shirt that I want to bleach white. I wonder if I can get the color completely white, instead of a lighter shade of pink. Is it possible to bleach something to "right out of the package hanes 5-pack t-shirt" white? If so, what's the best way to do this?

Hair dyeing on the road.

spaceman_spiff — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 14:32:20 -0800

Where do I go to get my hair dyed? I'm looking to do something unnatural (starting with bright, primary colors type stuff, but I might end up trying some different things) with my hair color. This seems to be a DIY bleach-and-dye job, from what I've read and heard, but for various reasons I want to have it done by someone else - not least because I may be doing this on the road. For that same reason, the usual grooming advice of, "find someone whose hair you like and ask them where they had it done" doesn't fly here.

So how do I find a salon that will do my hair? I'm comfortable using Google Local, but do 'normal' hair salons tend to do unnatural colors, or do I need to find a specific type of salon? Bonus points if your suggestion will find me a place that doesn't cost insane amounts.

A coat of many colors.

Anonymous — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 23:36:09 -0800

Dyeing my white cat festive colors for special occasions: sick and/or dangerous? Further, does anyone have any technique pointers or ideas about how long it would last? Assume 1) food dye and gloves and 2) the cat's dignity is a non-issue.