How can I dye half my dark hair white for one day?
September 29, 2015 8:59 AM   Subscribe

Halloween question time! I am going as Cruella De Vil (Once Upon a Time version here). My hair is already basically black -- how can I make half of it white for one day without bleaching it?

Priorities:

1) Not doing anything to damage my hair
2) It needs to come out (it's okay if it takes two or three days but no longer)
3) Good coverage, actually looks white
4) I really want dye -- NO WIGS
5) If it won't kill me, I'm open to weird stuff like, I don't know, paint or white-out or something but those seem like they would look bad and make me woozy

My hair is very, very dark and I've never had much success dying it. Please tell me there's something that will help!
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (18 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
With bleaching off the table, your options are putting in a weave or using hair paint.
posted by evoque at 9:02 AM on September 29, 2015


You could use hair powder or a lot of cornstarch. You could try paint, but your hair would suffer.
posted by Ideefixe at 9:04 AM on September 29, 2015


What about dry shampoo? Some of the brands (namely Pssst) always leave white/grey residue in my very dark brown hair. You could experiment with a few for relatively low cost and commitment.
posted by thenewbrunette at 9:05 AM on September 29, 2015 [1 favorite]


Me last Halloween. I used those hair paint sprays you can get in any costume shop. It would have looked even whiter if I'd bought two cans. Best technique is to spray it in, let it dry, comb with a wide-toothed comb, and then re-spray. It shampoos right out, no problem.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:10 AM on September 29, 2015 [9 favorites]


Yeah, in general, you can't dye dark hair a lighter color -- you'd need to bleach it, then dye it.

Some kind of paint (they sell colored hair sprays) or other coating (powder etc) is the way to go. Won't be pure white, but much easier on your hair.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:12 AM on September 29, 2015


They make temporary colored hair spray and hair chalk. You'll have to get a few to experiment.
High beams Intense Temporary Spray on Hair Color, Wicked White
Streaks 'N Tips Aluminum Packaging, Icy White - has pretty good reviews from people with dark hair, though they say you may need more than one bottle
HairChalk With Shades of White

I'd buy a bottle of the Streaks 'N Tips spray and test that before the chalk.
posted by barnone at 9:13 AM on September 29, 2015 [1 favorite]


Go get some hair clips to hold hair up or make pony tails, that are basically combs that clamp together. Get a couple to find the right one, (grocery store action.) Find a wig to cut a section out of and attach that to the hair clip, and work out a way to make it just right. I think that would be killer hair spray. A cheap halloween wig out of a grocery store in black, can be spray painted white after you have shaped the section just rightly. You just have to spray your real hair with enough hair spray the two sections are nearly the same hardness.
posted by Oyéah at 9:16 AM on September 29, 2015


Clip ins.
posted by wwax at 9:19 AM on September 29, 2015 [1 favorite]


Hair chalk had a moment the year before last with the girls in my scout troop. It seems to work really well as far as color vibrancy (and this is covering very thick, very dark brown-black, very long hair) without rubbing off and making the sort of mess you'd expect.

I haven't used it myself but if a little kid can manage a streak or two, I'm sure you can figure out half your head.

Sorry, I have no brand to recommend.
posted by phunniemee at 9:21 AM on September 29, 2015 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: I would be willing to try hair paint -- it's okay if it's not great for my hair, I just don't want anything really bad (my hair is very healthy now). Any specific recommendations, including links, would be fantastic, thank you!
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 9:25 AM on September 29, 2015 [1 favorite]


I was at Sally Beauty Supply recently and they had a bunch of nicer-end Halloween temporary sprays/chalks/paints out already. If you have one near you, it's worth running in and finding out what they've got.

You might also find hairpieces there that will do what you want.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:52 AM on September 29, 2015


I used the Hair Beams brand linked to above last year for my costume - I've got dark curly hair & wanted to go a very light but natural red. It looked so good that my hairstylist saw the pictures on Facebook & wanted to know if I had cheated on her.
posted by librarianamy at 11:50 AM on September 29, 2015


I used to use High Beams as a teenager. Worked fine, I never noticed any major damage to my hair after using it (beyond the usual teenager girl over-styled damage).

(Thanks for the nostalgia trip!)
posted by tinkletown at 12:03 PM on September 29, 2015


Whatever colorant you end up with, consider doing the other side too after you're done with the costume so that whatever small amount of damage done to your hair is done uniformly. I could see a tiny amount of textural change being really maddening if was only on one side.
posted by contraption at 2:04 PM on September 29, 2015


Call Georgia Beauty Supply: (202) 882-9660. Ask for Helen.

Tell them what you're planning. They may have a relatively inexpensive white clip in remi hair extension you can use for a night, or a good quality spray-in temporary color.

You have time, so they should be able to order what you need if they don't have it in stock.
posted by zarq at 2:06 PM on September 29, 2015 [1 favorite]


Instead of hair chalk, you can use artist's (pastel) chalk.

http://www.wikihow.com/Temporarily-Dye-Your-Hair-Using-Chalk

I've tried it (I have black hair) and the effect is pretty good. I didn't try to set it though so I don't know how long exactly it might last. The link says a couple days though.
posted by satoshi at 11:05 PM on September 29, 2015


I have a set of hair chalks (red, blue, teal, green, black, orange, white, pink, purple) that I use fairly regularly on the weekend - my work doesn't allow me to have unnatural colored hair, so I have to wash it out completely before Monday comes around. The only color I've had a problem with color lingering is red.

This is the process I go through when I want to use the chalk:

1. Shampoo and condition my hair.
2. Comb my hair and while it is still wet color it with the chalk.
3. Hairspray to set the chalk.
4. Blow dry.
*Steps 3 and 4 can be repeated a few times if I feel that the chalk is rubbing off on my hands too much.
5. Use a brush to break up the hair sprayed strands of hair so it looks more natural.

Usually this takes about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how much time I put into the last step. After I'm done, I use a make up remover wipe to clean any chalk off my face and hands.

For me, most of the colors take two to three shampoos to come out completely. Red is the exception, and that can take five to six with my hair. The chalk does dry out your hair, but in my experience if I use conditioner and a damage treatment afterwards there are no lasting effects.
posted by emmling at 12:58 AM on October 3, 2015


The hair paint seems the way to go, although I'd want to know whether it may rub/flake off on any part of your costume that may touch it.
posted by Zaire at 9:42 PM on October 4, 2015


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