Q&A for How to Put Streaks in Your Hair at Home

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  • Question
    Can I put streaks in short hair?
    Ashley Adams
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Ashley Adams is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Stylist in Illinois. She completed her Cosmetology education at John Amico School of Hair Design in 2016.
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Expert Answer
    Yes, you can, but it may produce a different look than if the streaks were done on longer hair.
  • Question
    Do I need to bleach my hair if I have a dark color and want to bleach it another dark color?
    Ashley Adams
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Ashley Adams is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Stylist in Illinois. She completed her Cosmetology education at John Amico School of Hair Design in 2016.
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Expert Answer
    If the color is darker than your natural hair color, no. You will not need to bleach your hair.
  • Question
    Can I add streaks with my hands or do I need to use a brush?
    Community Answer
    You can use your hands, just make sure you apply the dye evenly and wear gloves to avoid staining your hands.
  • Question
    Can I bleach twice in one sitting if necessary?
    Community Answer
    It's not recommended, because bleaching your hair thins it out and increases the chance of your hair breaking. If you think you need to bleach it more than once, give it a week before you bleach it a second time.
  • Question
    What color should I use for the streaks if I have dark brown hair?
    Community Answer
    Any colour you wish, just follow the instructions on the dye you are going to use. If you want a bit more of a bolder or punk look, try blue or purple. If you want a simpler look, try blonde or burgundy.
  • Question
    My hair is pure white. Do I still need to bleach it? I want just one wide teal streak.
    Community Answer
    No need to bleach white hair. Bleaching is done to remove natural pigment, which white hair does not have.
  • Question
    Does streaking your hair with bleach ruin it?
    Community Answer
    Bleaching can indeed damage hair, to varying degrees depending on how thick and healthy it is in the first place (full, dark hair is generally the most resilient; fine, dry, or light hair is the most vulnerable), how well you care for your hair, and the products you use.
  • Question
    Can I use pink colorant on grey hair without bleaching first?
    Community Answer
    It really depends on the brand; some brands will allow you to add streaks without bleaching first, while others won't. Also, depending on how dark your grey is, you might end up with a muted, dusty-rose pink as opposed to a bright, hot pink.
  • Question
    Can I streak hair that has just been dyed?
    Victor Yao
    Community Answer
    Yes, you can, but it can damage your hair. You should put some argon oil or something on it and wait a day.
  • Question
    Which color of streaks will best suit to dyed jet black hair?
    Community Answer
    Red goes well against black, but you must bleach the strands you're going to dye red first to get them as light as possible prior to dyeing.
  • Question
    How do I determine where to place highlights in my hair?
    Community Answer
    It is up to you. Do you want to make a bold statement? Do you want to test how you feel about a streaked bold color? I would start with your right or left side behind your ear if this is the first time and you are a little nervous about this bold statement. If you have done this before and are comfortable with attitude, use a highlight cap and you can choose the thickness and randomness of your highlights. There was a woman I knew who put the highlight cap on with her head bent over and got mainly her underneath strands. She was extremely happy about the subtlety of it as well as the boldness.
  • Question
    I have natural auburn hair, would you recommend lighter or darker streaks?
    Community Answer
    I like the contrast between auburn hair and lighter streaks. You could even go with turquoise or pink if you want an edgy look.
  • Question
    When using bleach and developer on my hair, how much of each do I use?
    Marina Wilson
    Community Answer
    You will need to base it on how long and how thick your hair is.
  • Question
    Can I use regular aluminum foil from the kitchen?
    Community Answer
    Yes, that foil is fine.
  • Question
    I have a sensitive scalp, can I still put in highlights or streaks?
    Community Answer
    You definitely can, but the bleach will sting a bit.
  • Question
    Can I use blonde hair dye to put streaks in my hair at home?
    Community Answer
    No, you have to bleach it first and then dye it blonde. It won't work directly if your natural hair color is dark.
  • Question
    Do I need to bleach dirty blonde hair for a vibrant purple?
    Community Answer
    You need to bleach the area, unless you want to achieve a very dark shade of purple.
  • Question
    I colored my hair and got some dye on my forehead. How can I remove it?
    Community Answer
    The dye should come off with warm water and soap, though it might take some scrubbing.
  • Question
    Do I have to dye my hair after bleaching it?
    Community Answer
    If you bleach your hair, you do not need to color it. It is recommend you use toner though, so you can get brassy undertones out of your hair.
  • Question
    If I want to color my hair and put highlights in it, do I bleach first and color after?
    Community Answer
    Yes, bleaching will lighten your hair so that it will take the color better. Bleach first and use your colored dye afterwards.
  • Question
    I have medium auburn hair, and I want to put black streaks in my hair. Would this work with the auburn?
    Community Answer
    It would make a very bold statement -- be very noticeable, and especially if you make a mistake. But yes, it can be done to great effect.
  • Question
    I have dark blond hair and I want light blond streaks. After bleaching, do I need to use a very light blonde dye on the streaks?
    Community Answer
    Only if you don't like the color it turned with just bleach. You might try a blue or purple shampoo before going with a dye. Purple removes yellows/oranges, so if you want an ashier blond, the shampoo will probably do it; if you want a strawberry blonde, you'll probably need a dye.
  • Question
    After I bleach strands, is there a shampoo-in hair color I can use that will just color those strands and not the rest of my hair?
    Community Answer
    No. Shampoo-in hair color will dye everything it touches. If your hair is dark and you bleached strands, it's likely the color will be *more* visible on the bleached areas, but it will affect all of your hair.
  • Question
    Will I need to bleach my auburn hair if I'm dyeing it blood red?
    Community Answer
    This is a question of shades. Probably not, but auburn hair can be quite dark; if yours is, you'll probably end up with a dried blood/maroon look. If it's light auburn you may get a cherry red. Your best bet is to dye a sample.
  • Question
    How will turquoise look on dark brown hair?
    Community Answer
    Turquoise is a tricky color. It may look more like a musty green if you do not bleach it all the way. I have dark brown hair as well and I tried to dye the tips turquoise, but it made it look like a green color. I was still fine with the green color, but just be careful to bleach it before you dye it if you don't want that color.
  • Question
    if I bleach streaks in my hair and then dye all of it with hair dye, will the streaks come out lighter?
    Community Answer
    The bleached streaks may not be lighter, depending on the color, but they will come out more vibrant and true to color of the hair dye.
  • Question
    Can I just add purple streaks without bleaching?
    Community Answer
    It depends on your hair color. If it is dark then no, if not then yes. It also depends on the color you are dyeing it, if it is darker than your natural hair color then also, yes.
  • Question
    Would this method work with semi permanent hair dye?
    Community Answer
    Yes, it doesn't matter about how long it lasts, it would be better to do it that way, so if you want to dye it another color or dye it back you don't have to bleach it again.
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