This is not as simple as buying noodles.

October 28, 2006 9:57 PM

Is it wise to use imported, Japanese-manufactured hair dye on my hair?

I'm about a year from seeking out professional work, and I'd like to screw around with my appearance. The safest way is to dye my hair something mildly interesting, perhaps as a tribute to myself from 1996.

Thanks to kampatsu hair dyeing, boxes of hair dye that I find in the local Japanese market now make allowances for blonde and copper hair. I can read the directions, even though they somehow insist that dark raspberry dye plus blonde hair will equal winter white results. Anyway, I know Japanese hair is different than mine in base color and texture.

In Japan, you're warned about getting your hair colored by a salon inexperienced with gaijin hair. (I'm sure they feel the same way about getting their hair done abroad.) I have blonde, fine, fairly thick and almost completely stick-straight hair. Am I going to physically fry my hair using hair dye for black-base hair? Has anyone here used Japanese hair dye on non-Japanese hair? It's a major manufacturer, like the Clairol of Japan.

I don't fear the color results. My Japanese friends are trying to not get involved in this decision, understandably.

posted by fujiko to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (13 answers total)

Wait, what color are you going for? From blonde to platinum? Or something else?

I live in Korea and have fine, thick blonde hair, and would never use a Korean box color on my hair. I've seen too many bad results. However, I think if you're going from blonde to dark it's way better than going lighter, as these dyes are made to lighten super dark Asian hair, not slightly dark honky hair.

I would also check the expiration date before you do anything. Many of the stores here "import" American brands that sit on the shelves gathering dust for years.
posted by Brittanie at 10:22 PM on October 28, 2006

Response by poster: I'm going from blonde to a darkish shade - burgundy chocolate.

Can you elaborate on these "bad results"? Is it just crazy colors? I can deal with mottled weirdness.
posted by fujiko at 10:39 PM on October 28, 2006

Orangey instead of blonde, purpley instead of brown, sometimes dried out, sometimes just an odd color. If you're not worried about the color, I would go for it, but beforehand invest in some heavy-duty conditioner or a similar treatment to use, just in case. I always deep-conditioner my hair after having it colored because my hair is naturally dry anyway.

Again, make sure you don't buy something that is expired either.
posted by Brittanie at 10:42 PM on October 28, 2006

Just mix up a little bit and strand test .
posted by hortense at 11:34 PM on October 28, 2006

I have black based hair (Chinese) and I've used western dye before. Current experience is that normal colours tend to work decently. My caramel highlights ended up being lightish brown/gold. The purple from L'Oreal, however, turned auburn/dark red (which ended up quite nicely, actually) and the blue from Manic Panic barely dyed at all, even on lightened hair, and most of it faded to green/lightly bleached within about a week. So if you're not specifically looking into crazy colours, you should be fine, I think.

Darker colours dyed over light ones have more of a success rate, I find. (I have a friend who is, quite literally, a freaking rainbow and has done every colour therein so far.)
posted by Phire at 11:47 PM on October 28, 2006

You pretty much answered your own question. Asian hair is way different, and you will probably end up damaging your hair.
posted by mphuie at 11:48 PM on October 28, 2006

I have naturally brown gaijin hair and have used Japanese hair dyes successfully.

Don't leave it on longer than the instructions say though. A lot of the dyes here have a bleach in them as well. This might dry out your hair. So whack in a leave in conditioner afterwards.
posted by gomichild at 2:54 AM on October 29, 2006

even though they somehow insist that dark raspberry dye plus blonde hair will equal winter white results

So does this dye contain bleaching agents to prelighten the (usually black) hair? In that case you definitely should not use it, simply because you do not need lightening and you will put unnecessary strain on your hair. Bleaching damages the hair considerably more than dyeing.

And yes, the results are bound to be different as well. Not winter white, but lighter and brighter than on the box.

(IANAHairspecialist, just someone with years of experience with more or less scary hair experiments)

On preview... gomichild seems to think so too. And while I agree that lots of conditioner will help, I don't quite understand why you would want to willingly damage your hair when you can avoid it by just buying western dye?
posted by ClarissaWAM at 2:57 AM on October 29, 2006

Actually I have thought about this further and now reading ClarissaWAM's comment suggest that if you have access to western dyes you will get much better colour results and potentially less damage if you use those instead.

I have used Japanese dyes because I live here and don't have regular access to other options. But for super-blonde or reds I have usually gone for western dyes because they are a lot more vibrant. Unless you go to a hair salon the bleaches here tend to be quite brassy, and the reds very brown.
posted by gomichild at 3:58 AM on October 29, 2006

Er, why not just do a strand test? You'll find out exactly what color and texture your hair will become.
I agree with everyone above who pointed out that dye made for a generally darker-haired population is going to contain (more) lightening agents. Go for western dye if you don't want to fry your hair as badly.
posted by oneirodynia at 1:06 PM on October 29, 2006

Bleach plus color can be unpredictable. I ended up going as a Smurf one Halloween when the brown dye I put in my bleached hair turned it indelibly turquoise. (Hello, Clairol Hotline?)

Do a strand test, or be flexible about your Halloween costume plans.
posted by bink at 1:57 PM on October 29, 2006

Make your tint, a toner by adding one part water, ie one part dye, one part developer one part water, this way is easier on the hair and limits the lifting action while providing enough developer for the dye to form in the hair, still perform a strand test first . tint can look opaque, toners are translucent.
posted by hortense at 8:21 PM on October 29, 2006

Slightly tangential, but further to what Brittanie said (I'm in Korea as well): shampoos here and in Japan apparently have a different PH balance, and simply don't work very well for me with my ultrafine hair. For years, I scoffed when people claimed that 'Asian people's hair is different,' but the shampoos (and by extension, I assume the dyes) most definitely are.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 11:00 PM on October 29, 2006