Q) I've just died my hair black today and I want red highlights. How long do I need to wait to add them?
Professional Hair Care Answer - If your hair is generally healthy, it won't hurt to add the red highlights very soon. However, at least wait until you don't see any hair color coming out of your hair when you shower and shampoo. Dark colors have very dense color molecules (there are a lot of them) and they take a bit longer to adhere to your hair.
If your hair is not in good condition, I would wait a few days. Either way, just condition your hair well and wash it a few more times. Black hair colors seem to wash out a bit more in the second, third, or fourth shampooing, and that will help establish better color when you add your highlights. Right now, your hair strands are full of black color and can't absorb much color without losing some first. (called oversaturation) I would suggest using a clarifying shampoo like a Tea Tree oil shampoo or a Jojoba oil shampoo. Use them once or twice to help speed up recovery from oversaturation. After you use them, condition your hair well!
Have you highlighted in red before with a black color on your hair before?
You will need to 'lift' your hair, since you can't add color to black without doing so. You will need a stronger peroxide than a box color provides, if that's what you're planning to use. You may get some lift out of regular box colors, but it won't be much. If you are going to continue to color your hair at home, you might think about learning the ins and outs of hair color first.
If you want red highlights, just about any lighter hair color will give you red hair colors. Black hair can only go up the color scale and red is the next color beyond black/dark brown. So you see, you can probably get red hair colors by using a medium to light brown color with a stronger peroxide, like a 30 or 40 volume.
You could also use bleach to highlight your hair but you'll need to stop the action of the bleach when it gets to the red color stage you want.
You could also use bleach and lift your hair to a light blonde staqe, and then apply a red toner on your hair.
Either way, you will need to use a color cap and pull your hair through it.
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