When it comes to hair coloring procedures, good things come to those who wait. The process will probably take a little while if you want a new hair color. So how long does it take to dye hair?
Coloring your hair in a salon by a professional stylist on average can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours, and can even extend to as long as 8 hours depending on your hair’s condition, length, natural color, and intricacy of service.
In order to more fully address your inquiry, let’s look at all the factors to take into account when deciding to color your hair.
How Long Does It Take to Dye Hair? Short Answer!
There isn’t a universally applicable answer to this question, which means that not only does it depend on the type of treatment you’re receiving, but it may also take longer if you’re receiving it at home or from a professional.
- On average, you can expect to spend anywhere from two to four hours at the salon, regardless of what kind of treatment you’re having.
- Most box dyes don’t take more than an hour and a half to treat your hair at home, but there is more risk involved.
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How Long Does It Take to Dye Hair at a Salon?
Here is an estimate of how long it takes to dye your hair at a salon.
Discussion With the Stylist
Although you won’t need to do this at home, the stylist themselves can add on a few extra minutes for salon dyes. It’s possible that you will have to wait when you arrive, even if you have an appointment.
You should probably discuss your preferences for the type of treatment and color with the stylist before anything else happens. For a salon visit, it’s still a good idea to block off at least four hours.
However, you can always ask the stylist for a price estimate. For instance, the appointment might only last two hours if you’re getting a root touch-up. However, full-head dyes can utilize the full four hours.
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Bleaching before Dye
Depending on the existing color, bleaching can be time-consuming even though you won’t need to do it with every color. In addition to the 10 or 20 minute application time, bleaching may only take twenty minutes if you are already blonde.
However, if you have darker hair, you might need to allow a total of 30 minutes. Some stylists may even divide the bleaching procedure into multiple sessions if they’re removing another color from your hair; as a result, you may need to schedule several appointments before the hair dye is applied.
Read More: How to Dye Bleached Hair Back to Natural Color?
Application Time
Your stylist will need to apply the new color once your hair is prepared to accept it; this procedure can take anywhere between 45 and an hour.
Even though the application time might be a little bit shorter if your hair is very short or the stylist is only applying foils to a few sections of it, you should still plan on it taking at least 20 to 30 minutes.
Processing Time
While home dyes might take thirty minutes or less to process, professional-grade hair color from the salon requires a little more time.
The processing time for most professional-grade dyes is at least 45 minutes, but it can sometimes go up to an hour.
How Long Does It Take to Dye Hair at Home?
The best results will always be obtained by working with a professional, but because these appointments can be pricey, some people would rather take a chance and dye their hair at home.
Preparation Time
Even though there won’t be any waiting areas or stylist interactions when you work from home, you’ll still need to give yourself some advance notice. This entails reading the directions on the box, assembling the necessary tools, confirming that the hair dye is in the application tube, and fastening the gloves.
Bleaching
However, bleaching is almost always necessary if you need to take the previous color out of your hair. If you’re changing from a lighter color to a darker one, bleaching may not be necessary.
The good news is that the majority of boxed bleaches can be applied in under fifteen or twenty minutes, and they typically process in between twenty and thirty minutes.
Remember that the bleaching procedure may consist of two steps: in some cases, you may need to apply toner after bleaching in order to remove any brassiness that was left behind and guarantee that your hair is a sleek platinum.
Application Time
You still need to dye your hair with the new color after bleaching (and toning). Even though most boxed dyes don’t require you to insert foils, you should still plan on spending at least fifteen minutes or more applying the dye, particularly if you have longer hair.
Processing Time
You can reduce that hour-long processing time to twenty or thirty minutes by using boxed dyes instead of professional-grade dyes. The conditioner in most box dyes can be used to wash the dye out after it has processed.
Is It Better to Color Hair at Home Or Salon?
You have two options for coloring your hair: either at home with boxed dyes or professionally at a salon. As long as you carefully follow the instructions, at-home dyes have advanced, and you can now get respectable results.
However, the results of your own efforts typically fall short of those of a stylist. However, dying your hair at home is typically quicker because you skip a few extra steps that hairdressers add to your visit and you don’t have to wait for other customers to finish.
A salon visit can cost up to $150 per month, depending on how complex the dye is, so dying your hair at home is also less expensive. Boxed hair dyes, in contrast, are frequently no more than $20 per month.
You should think about a few things before deciding whether to dye your hair at home or hire a professional.
Since there are so many different things to take into account, we generally advise hiring a professional to increase the likelihood that you’ll be pleased with the results.
Conclusion: How Long Does It Take to Dye Hair
The time it takes to dye your hair depends on many factors.
The time it takes to dye your hair, whether you go to a salon or do it yourself at home, depends on many factors, including the length of your hair, the color of your natural hair, the color you prefer, the technique used, the condition of your hair, and more.
In general, it’s a good idea to budget several hours for dyeing your hair and be flexible with your plans afterward since you’re never sure how long it could take.
FAQs
How Long Does It Take to Dye Hair Blonde?
Lightening your hair overall, with highlighting and toning to achieve your perfect blonde – this process will take approximately three hours.
Is 30 Minutes Enough for Hair Dye?
Timing is 30 minutes for standard color application; 45 minutes for maximum gray coverage and for high-lift shades.
Should I Shampoo After Hair Dye?
After color application wait 24 hours before washing your hair. Avoid washing your hair every day.