Manic Panic Hair Dye Instructions

Warning: This Is Just A Guide - Not a Professional Consultation or Recommendation!

We are not experts, not even professional hair colourists, so please consult a professional before using any hair color/hair bleach products we carry, or have recommended. We want you to be happy with your results and we do not want your hair to get damaged!

How To Dye Your Hair With Manic Panic Semi-Permanent Cream Hair Colour, How To Keep It In, and How To Get It Out

After researching several web sites about using Manic Panic hair colour, and using many Manic Panic products personally, we believe we can offer some tips and advice on how to achieve the best results with Manic Panic products such as how to dye your hair, how to keep it in, and how to get it out.

Hint: Do not be fooled by the "semi" in semi-permanent Manic Panic Hair Colour because it does not "just wash out" of processed, pre-lightened, and natural light blonde hair! It is permanent. It only washes out of medium brown or darker, unprocessed hair gradually. We have listed instructions on how to remove the hair colour from processed hair below.

Manic Panic Hair Colour is a conditioning semi-permanent hair colour fortified with an herbal and protein complex. This unique formula is gentle to the hair and contains no animal by-products. It can be used to achieve intensely bright colours on hair that has been pre-lightened to a very light blonde. Some colours, particularly the dark reds, dark purples, or dark greens may give a tint of colour to naturally darker blonde or light brown (unbleached) hair, but it will be much brighter and intense on pre-lightened or bleached hair due to the hair being more porous. The key to achieving brilliant colour with Manic Panic is for the hair to be a very light blonde and porous. A strand test is recommended to verify the actual colour and time it takes for your hair to achieve the colour that suits you best.

Manic Panic Hair Colour is tested on celebrities, NOT ANIMALS!

DO'S & DONT'S

Manic Panic Hair Colour should be used exactly as it comes in the jar. Don't add any other product or substance to the dye such as permanent dyes, peroxide, developer, etc. under any circumstances! You will not get the result you want.

Do a strand test to verify the actual colour and time it takes for your hair to achieve the colour that suits you best.

Avoid eye contact. This product must not be used for dying eyelashes or eyebrows. If eye contact does occur, rinse immediately with warm water and contact a physician. Not for internal use. Keep out of reach of small children.

For intense results your hair must be light blonde and porous! Bleached or hair tinted to a light blonde colour will produce intensely bright colours and overall the best results!

When Manic Panic is applied to unprocessed hair (not bleached or tinted light blonde) the results will vary according to hair texture and colour as follows:

Natural Blonde Hair will be a muted, non-intense, dull version of the colour chosen, but it will show up. However, it will wash out much more quickly than more porous hair.

Dark Blonde To Light Brown Hair, if using a darker shade of Manic Panic Hair Colour (i.e. Hot Hot Pink) will show up as a tint, but a lighter Manic Panic color such as Cotton Candy Pink probably won't show up at all. However, it will wash out much more quickly than more porous hair.

Dark Brown or Black Hair most likely will not show up at all.

Colour WILL temporarily & permanently stain the following:

1. Skin (temporarily), but a little alcohol on a cotton ball should remove it. See how to avoid colouring your skin in the "How To" section with Vaseline or Baby Oil.

2. Porcelain, Linoleum, Tile, etc. (permanently) You can try scrubbing the area with your normal cleanser and it should remove most of it, but maybe not all of it.

3. Material, clothing, towels, bedding, etc. (permanently) so wear something you can re-use just when dying your hair.

Patch Test (Skin Irritation)

A preliminary patch test should be conducted before the product is applied to check for any allergies to the product.

1. Select a small test area, about the size of a quarter, behind the ear or in the inner fold of the elbow.

2. Wash the test area gently with a mild soap and water. Dab dry with a clean towel.

3. Cover the clean test area with a thin coat of the specific shade of Manic Panic Hair Colour desired.

4. Allow the test area to dry. Leave it uncovered and undisturbed for 24 hours.

5. Examine the test area carefully. If there are any signs of irritation then under no circumstances should the product be used on the person tested.

Strand Test (Hair Color)

To be sure that the desired results will be achieved, apply colour in the manner described below using just a small lock of hair before attempting to dye a larger area.

How To Dye Your Hair

1. Pre-Lighten Hair: Lighten your hair either by using Manic Panic's Flash Lightning Complete Bleach Kit either Volume 30 (for lighter hair) or Volume 40 (for darker hair), or ask your local beauty supply for a good bleaching kit for your particular hair. Bleach your hair according to the instructions in the kit. Be very careful during this first and very important step! You don't want to rinse the bleach out too soon and end up with brassy orange hair colour, or leave it in too long and go bald. Do the research, get someone with experience to help you, and DO A STRAND TEST!

Tip: If you want the end result colour to be bright and intense colour it is mandatory to pre-lighten your hair either with bleach (for darker hair), or with a permanent hair dye that lightens your hair at least one shade (for blonde hair). YOUR HAIR MUST BE POROUS FOR THE HAIR COLOUR TO STICK TO THE HAIR SHAFT!

Tip: Don't forget your roots. If you already bleach or lighten your hair to a light blonde shade you must ensure your roots haven't grown out. If they have, re-do them so your hair colour is evenly porous and so the hair colour will stick to your roots as well as the rest of your hair!

2. Shampoo: Shampoo hair thoroughly using a pH acid balanced shampoo. Rinse hair completely to remove all residues. Towel dry, leaving hair damp to ensure an even dye job.

Tip: Bleach residue left over in the hair shaft can prevent colour from processing properly.

3. Gloves & Plastic Wrap: Protect your skin and your work station (counter top) and wear latex gloves (unless allergic, then use non-latex gloves) to apply the colour. Use Vaseline (petroleum jelly) or baby oil just to the hairline, on ears, and neck area (again, just to the hairline) to prevent colour from staining your skin. Then use clear plastic wrap or tinfoil to cover your work station so as to avoid staining the sink, floor, etc.

Tip: BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL NOT TO get any Vaseline on the actual hair as it will prevent the dye from penetrating the hair shaft. We recommend pinning your hair back and using a Q-tip to apply the Vaseline.

4. Apply Hair Colour: Empty desired amount into a plastic bowl (1/2 jar for short hair, 1 full jar for mid-length hair, 2 full jars for long hair) if you are using a tint brush, or just leave it in the jar if you are using your fingers. Using a tinting brush, apply colour from the root to the tip of each section of hair, massaging the colour into the hair shaft. Begin in the front at the forehead, working it evenly through hair heading towards the back top of your head. Next, do the sides starting at the temple down to the cheekbone and over the ears, working your way back towards the back of your head. Then do the back of your head from the crown to the nape of your neck and in towards your ears.

Be sure to completely saturate your entire head. Once you feel like you've covered every hair, continuously comb colour through hair until it becomes frothy. This indicates that it has been thoroughly absorbed. Lighter shades of Manic Panic Hair Colour may require more combing to obtain maximum penetration and a longer lasting effect.

Tip: If you are only doing a streak of colour in your hair follow the same rules just for that one area (starting from root to tip then comb till frothy. Then wrap the strip of coloured hair in plastic or tin foil so as to not spread colour to rest of hair.

5. Time, Wrap & Wait: Leave colour on hair for at least 15 minutes (probably longer). Manic Panic Hair Colour will process in 15 minutes at normal room temperature, but according to research and personal experience the longer the better! Some suggest leaving the colour on several hours and even overnight, while others find that 30 minutes, as suggested on the jar, works just fine. This is a personal call and where the strand test comes in!

Tips: For added intensity wrap your hair and heat with a blow dryer.

Wrap: For resistant hair, it is advisable to place a plastic cap on the hair, or a plastic grocery bag. Place the cap/bag over your hair pulling it tight at nape of neck, up and behind your ears, over your crown and up to your forehead, gathering handles and twisting them at the center of your forehead tightly then clip it into place with a claw clip.

Heat: Use a blow dryer at the beginning of your wait, and again at the end of your wait can aid in intensifying your colour and lessen the wait time. The use of an infra red heat lamp will reduce the processing time to between 5 and 7 minutes (again, or longer for more intensity), and can produce a deeper coloration with longer lasting properties.

6. Rinse: Rinse your hair with white vinegar immediately after colouring. This raises the pH level of the hair colour and gives it more permanence. Mix equal parts of vinegar and cool water, comb through hair, and let sit for a minute or two, and rinse out thoroughly with cool water.

7. Condition: Use a good conditioner for colored hair. Conditioning is not necessary due to the restructuring properties of the product, but it helps the colour to set for longer lasting properties.

Then you’re done! You should dry and style your hair as usual and go show the world!

Keeping It In:

Do not use alkaline products in conjunction with Manic Panic Hair Colour. This will upset the acid-balanced state necessary for maximum absorption of colour by the hair. If you insist upon using setting lotions or blow-dry lotions use low pH, non-alcohol based products.

Shampooing and exposure to elements (i.e. swimming, hair spray, etc.) will cause the hair colour to fade much faster.

Rinse your hair with vinegar immediately after colouring. This raises the pH level of the hair colour and gives it more permanence. (Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water, comb through hair and let sit for a minute or two, rinse out thoroughly).

Add one Tablespoon of Manic Panic Hair Color to your regular conditioner (for colored hair). This aids in freshening your color each time you shampoo and condition. If you don't want to use your whole conditioner bottle, use a travel sized bottle and mix one teaspoon of colour and the rest conditioner.

Getting It Out:

I have personally gone from light blonde, to dark turquoise/teal green "Atomic Turquoise" and back to blonde. It was definitely a chore, because my hair is fine/thin and somewhat processed (I dye it light blonde), but in fairly good condition.

Here is what worked for me:

Hint: Avoid all the steps below and just dye your hair black, or:

First!

Use a clarifying shampoo, which will promote removal of colour from the hair by striping it of any build-up along with some colour. Shampoo your hair with warm to hot water as often as possible.

Suggestions: I used a clarifying shampoo called Ion Clarifying Shampoo from Sally's Beauty Supply, but you can use any alkaline shampoo, clarifying shampoo, dandruff control shampoo, and dish soap will generally cause colour to fade faster. Clarifying shampoos are particularly good as they remove any build up of styling products, etc. on the hair which might be stopping the colour from washing out.

Hint: Using these too often can dry out your hair so remember to condition well afterwards.

A pre-packaged hot oil treatment may further accelerate the removal of colour. Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully for application of oil. (I did not do this step).

To remove hot oil, along with some colour, apply alkaline/clarifying shampoo without water. Add warm water gradually as you continue to shampoo until oil is completely removed.

Next

You can choose the next step to suit your needs, but I went with the "Bleach Soap Cap" rather than "Colour Stripper" at the recommendation of a colourist at my favorite Beauty Salon (Rontal's in Arroyo Grande, CA).

Colour Stripper: If your hair is dyed a darker colour (particularly black, brown, burgundy, dark green, etc.) a colour stripper should help lift the colour out. A colour stripper does not bleach your hair, but it should remove any colour that is on your hair and bring it close to its natural colour. Development time could range from 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on your dyed colour and condition - always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use and consult with manufacturers of lightening and colour removal products before attempting their use. Get the advice of a licensed hair dresser. (I did not do this either).

Soap Cap with Bleach: Use a powder bleach and developer mixed together then adding an equal part of clarifying shampoo and mix it all together. I used a B2W bleach packet, a Volume 20 Developer, and Ion Clarifying Shampoo all from Sally's.

Add the mixture all over your hair like a "Soap Cap" and leave in just a couple of minutes. Depending upon the strength of your hair and the darkness of the colour to be removed, I left it on for about 1 minute the first time and 4 minutes the second time. Rinse the Soap Cap out with warm to hot water, and shampoo again with just the clarifying shampoo. You may need to do this step 1-3 times, depending upon the condition of your hair and the darkness of the colour to be removed. Wait at least 24 hours between applications!

The Soap Cap process will definitely lighten your hair, because you are using bleach, but it is much safer than using straight bleach.

Finally

Dye or Use Toner: You will need to cover hair with a dye or a toner since your hair has probably been lightened to a gold based shade. Since I was using "Natural Blonde" by L’Oreal, before I went turquoise, I wanted to get back to that, but, after the steps I took above, I still had a very faint green tone on the ends of my longer hair. I was afraid to process my hair with bleach again, so I decided to dye my hair with a permanent dye which had a lightening agent and I went a shade darker than usual. I used "Medium Blonde" by L’Oreal instead of "Natural Blonde". It worked perfectly for me, and removed the rest of the green and laid a lovely shade of medium blonde over the golden blonde from bleaching, and my hair is still in pretty good condition.

You can choose to use a toner, which has no lightening agent such as peroxide, if there is no hint of color left over from the colour removal process you used.

Hint: Trim the ends of your hair all around. I have layers so it was another process just to do that, but this improves the condition of your hair greatly!

PS: I wanted the "Atomic Turquoise" colour out of my hair quickly and I was willing to risk it, but I spoke with a professional colourist at a salon and was given great instructions by her before I did it myself. I highly recommend you do this, it's free, before following anyone else’s instructions as everybody's hair is different and it could fall out!