Punk Hair Color

How to create bright, wild hair colors

Punk hair color is fun to experiment with and makes a bold statement to the world about who you are.

This page details the process for bleaching hair and applying your hair color successfully.

The more prepared you are, the better your results will be. Whether it's pink hair, blue hair, green, or purple that you desire, it requires the same simple process.

First pre-lighten, then apply a quality punk hair color in the shade of your choice.

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Prepping Hair For Bright, Punk Hair Color

Hair needs to be pre-lightened in order to get a vibrant, impactful color. And it needs to be lightened past the pale yellow stage so the yellow-ish pigments don't mess with the true tone you're trying to achieve. Only the sections you want colored should be bleached and can be kept separate with tin foil if necessary.


Lightener

For effective lightening, try
Beyond The Zone On/Off Scalp Radical Bleach Kit This bleach kit comes with 40 Volume peroxide. Though it claims to be on/off scalp bleach, usually 40 volume peroxide should not be used for on-scalp bleaching but is great for special effects! To lighten only the sections you want to color your bright, punky color, use foils to separate those pieces when lightening.

More on foiling hair.

More on bleaching hair.




Effective Punk Hair Colors

Jerome Russell's Punky Hair Color is one of the best products for creating a vibrant, impactful shade and it comes in 25 different colors!

Apply to dry hair after shampooing, but avoid using conditioner before application as it will impede the color absorption. Protect skin around hairline by applying petroleum jelly to act as a barrier and prevent staining.

This is a temporary color and will only last between 3 - 6 weeks. It will start to fade within the first month but can easily be retouched by repeating application.

Be mindful of the fact that if you haven't lightened your hair past the pale yellow stage, these colors are essentially mixing with the existing pigments in the hair. Think of mixing paint colors. If you start with yellow and add blue, you'll get a greenish color. If you start with yellow and add red, you'll get orange. So if you want a vibrant, true-to-tone punk hair color, you must prelighten the hair to create a "blank slate" that won't interfere with the results you're trying to achieve.


Punk hair color is bright and its job is to stain. Which is great, except when it's staining your bathtub or shower surround. Rinse carefully so you don't create a bunch of colored splash marks in your bathroom. Don't rinse in worn acrylic or fibreglass tubs and showers as they're more likely to stain. Avoid using any hair colors near marble, porous tile or grout as these stains may never come out.

If it stains your skin, check out Jerome Russel's Punk OFF to remove color where you don't want it. Wear gloves during application so you don't end up with brightly colored hands and fingernails.

To maintain your punk hair color for longer, avoid rinsing in very hot water and use shampoo's and conditioners formulated for colored hair. Don't use clarifying shampoos until just before you're ready to color again.

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