If you’re looking for a hair color that goes with everything and lasts almost-forever, black is it. Black hair is fierce, sexy, glossy and gorgeous and is on-trend all season, all year long. The best news is, it’s easy to get black hair at home. Here’s everything you need to know about how to dye your hair black at home!
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What is black hair?
This color makes a show-stopping statement and it’s one you need to be sure about.
Black hair dye can be really hard to get rid of, so you need to be ready for long-term commitment.
Black comes in a variety of shades and suits a variety of skin tones and hair types. And thanks to its multi-dimensional depth of color, black makes everyone’s hair appear thicker and healthier!
Black hair with colored highlights and black hair with ombre ends also looks phenomenal of you want to add dimension to solid black.
Whatever your style, black goes with everything so there’s bound to be a shade for you.
Check out the latest styles for ideas and inspiration.
Can I dye my hair black at home?
Good news! Dyeing your own hair black is easy to do.
Make sure you cover all of your surfaces before you start – it can be messy! And ALWAYS do a strand test to make sure your new color will match the color on the box.
If your hair is light to dark brown/black– this will add shine and lustre to your locks. Make sure you have enough box dyes to get full coverage, it can take more than one if your hair is longer.
If your hair is blonde and lighter – It might take a couple of applications to get the depth of color.
This color is high maintenance if your roots grow out lighter, but our Best root touch-ups will get you through in between colorings.
Once you know how to get it right at home, you can dye your hair with confidence again and again.
What do I need to dye my hair black at home?
- A good clarifying shampoo.
- A hair dye kit that will give you all the tools you need to apply it like a pro.
- A hairdressers cape to protect your clothes.
- A barrier cream to prevent the color getting on your skin.
- A wide toothed comb to separate your hair and comb through the dye.
- An excellent color-safe shampoo.
- And excellent color-safe conditioner.
- A heat protection spray to protect your color before drying.
- An excellent hair dryer that’s suitable for colored hair. Check out our Dyson Supersonic hair dryer Spotlight review here.
And your black hair dye of choice! Find out more about each one in our Best black hair dye reviews.
Best black hair dyes at a glance.
| Hair Dye | Looks like | Best for | Buy it now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revlon Colorsilk Beautiful Colour Hair Colourant Black. |   | Total deep coverage. | |
| Clairol Nice' n Easy Crème, Black. |   | No-mess dye for dark hair. | |
| Arctic Fox 100% Vegan Transylvania semi-permanent hair dye colour |   | Testing out black hair colour. | |
| Garnier Olia Black Hair Dye, Deep Black |   | Long lasting colour. | |
| John Frieda Precision Foam Colour Hair Dye, Luminous Natural Black |   | Easy application. | |
| Schwarzkopf Live Intense Colour Hair dye, Deep Black. |   | The blackest black. |
How to dye your hair black at home.
Set the scene.
24-48 hours before you plan to dye your hair, shampoo your hair TWICE to make sure all products and build up are free from your hair. As well as making sure the hair dye can really sink into your hair cuticle, it also gives you hair a chance to build up natural oils that will stop it from drying out.
Whatever dye you choose contains strong-smelling chemicals so make sure you apply it in a well ventilated room.
Set aside anywhere between 1-1.5 hours to color your hair at home from start to finish.
Put on your hairdresser’s cape to protect your clothes, crack out your hair dye kit and your chosen box of hair dye, cover any surface around you that might get dye on it and put newspapers on the floor.
YOU’RE READY!
Step one: Apply barrier cream.
Apply barrier cream to your hairline, ears and neck to make hair dye easier to rinse off when you’re done dyeing your hair.
Next, prepare the formula by mixing the color and developer together as instructed. Pour the mixture into your hair dye bowl for easy application.
Make sure your hair is clean and dry, not wet or damp, before applying the dye.
Step two: Section your hair.
Use your comb to separate your hair into 4-8 sections, depending on how long and thick you hair is. Clip each section with using your clips to expose the roots and keep the sections away from each other so you can work on them one by one.
Step three: Apply the hair dye.
Apply the hair dye according to the instructions on the hair dye box and depending on the condition of your hair when you begin.
- For previously dyed hair – work the dye into your roots first to avoid getting a different colored band at your roots.
- For hair that isn’t already dyed – work the dye into the whole of your hair, starting at the roots and painting down to the tips, making sure the hair is totally saturated. (You may find it easier to use two boxes and do away with sectioning your hair).
Step four: Let it develop.
While the color is developing, you can put your hair in a shower cap to prevent it from touching and staining anything.
Leave the dye in for the amount of time specified on the box hair dye instructions. If you have particularly stubborn greys or different colored roots to cover, you can leave the hair dye in 10 minutes longer to ensure it really takes.
If you feel any burning or itching – rinse it off straight away!
Step five: Rinse.
When the time is up, rinse your hair with warm water in the shower or over the sink. Keep rinsing until the water runs clear.
Don’t panic if you see a lot of color rinsing out – it’s all part of the process!
Wash your hair twice with shampoo to remove all traces of the dye and then condition it really well.
Time to dry it!
Step six: Style and dry!
Use your hair heat protection spray all over your head to protect your color before you use hot tools. Make sure you do this every time you dry your hair or use heated styling products from now on.
Dry and style your hair as usual, stand back and admire your color!
Watch and learn. How the professionals do it.
How can I care for my black hair?
Black hair is a commitment.
It’s one of the best dyes for longer-lasting color. It might fade fast at first, but the super dark black pigment will remain in your hair for ages.
The best way to stop it fading, is to use specially formulated shampoos and conditioners for colored hair that will be kind to your color and help to lock it in.
As always, don’t forget to follow our advice in How to keep colored hair looking fabulous for longer.