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Dying your hair a unique color is a great way to express yourself. However, not everyone has the time or money to purchase special hair dyes or visit the salon. Additionally, not everyone can commit to having unusually-colored hair for a long period of time. Washable markers are a cheap and temporary option for getting fun, funky hair.
Steps
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Choose your color(s). If you have dark hair, your best bet is choosing a darker color. If you have very light hair, you have more options because almost all colors will show up on your hair.
- If you want to try a really “out there” color or don't quite know how a certain color will look on you, this DIY hair dye is perfect for you.
- You don't have to commit to any color for too long, and it's no big deal if you don't like your results– it will be gone in a couple of washes.
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Pop open the colored marker that you want to use. Crayola washable markers work well and come in a variety of different colors and shades, but any brand of marker will do as long as it is labeled "washable". Once you've chosen your color (or colors), you need to get the ink out. With just a little bit of force, you can break open the marker.- Using scissors, pry the stopper off the end so that the back of the marker is completely open.
- Tap the front of the marker against a hard surface, so that the ink tube inside is knocked loose.
- Carefully extract the ink tube.
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Blow the ink out of the tube into a container. To do this, you'll first need to dip the tip of the tube into water. As the tip is submerged, the ink will flow out of that tip to the opposite. The tip in the water will begin turning white as the ink leaves. Continue holding the tube in the water until the tip is completely white, and thus ink-free. Once it's white, you're safe to put your lips on the tube and begin blowing. [1] X Research source
- Make sure you're holding the tube over a cup or container of some sort. Once you begin blowing, ink will flow from the opposite end, You need something to catch the ink to avoid making a mess.
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Add your favorite hair conditioner to the dye, if you choose. You can apply the dye directly to the hair if you want a more intense color. However, some people prefer adding a squirt of hair conditioner to the extracted dye. Adding conditioner will make the dye easier to work with, but it will also dilute the color. Try both methods, and decide which one you prefer. [2] X Research source
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Wear gloves and an old shirt. Washable marker dye will stain your hands and clothing just like it stains your hair. It will wash off your hands, but your hands may have a strange tint for a couple days if you don't use gloves. Put on an old t-shirt that you don't care about, because it will certainly get on your clothing (unless you're a seasoned pro).
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Apply the dye however you desire. Some people prefer to dip the ends of their hair into the container of dye, while others like to paint streaks throughout their hair. Maybe you want to just do a section of your hair, or maybe you want to be ambitious and dye every strand on your head. Just keep in mind how much dye you have to work with. The more hair you want to cover, the more dye you need, and the more markers you need to crack open.
- Some DIY hair colorists prefer cutting open the ink tube and rubbing the felt directly onto the hair. You can certainly try this method if you think it would be easier for the look you want to create.
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Cover your hair as you let the dye soak. If you did streaks of dye, wrap the sections in foil to prevent the dye from rubbing on the other un-dyed sections. [3] X Research source If you dip-dyed your hair, you can wrap the tips in foil or leave them exposed. Just be extremely careful not to rub your hair on anything while the dye soaks.
- Unlike traditional hair dye, you will not be washing this dye out of your hair. Instead, you will let your hair dry with the ink in it. Keep the foil on until your hair is dry.
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Dry your freshly-inked hair. If you used foil on sections, remove after 30 minutes to an hour to let your hair air dry. It's best to let your tresses dry naturally, although you can certainly blow dry if you are short on time. While your hair is drying, be careful not to rub your hair on furniture, walls, or anything else that the ink could transfer to.
- If you used an ink and conditioner combo, wash the mix out with cold water. Then let air dry.
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Examine your results. If the color is more intense than you like, rinse with cold water. It's important to use cold water, because hot water can strip the dye from your hair completely. If you don't think your hair dye is dark enough, you can do the process again until you achieve the desired effect. [4] X Research source
- The great thing about this hair dying technique is that you can really tailor it to the look you want to create. You can rinse it easily to lighten the color, and you can do it repeatedly to darken a color without damaging your hair. Unlike regular hair dye, you can play around with this method until you've figured out what works for your hair.
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Seal the colored section with hairspray. Style your colorful hair however you want. When you're finished, set the style with hairspray. This will both hold the style, but also sea and smooth the colored sections. Enjoy your fun new hair!
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Community Q&A
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QuestionDoes it damage it hair?Community AnswerThat's the nice thing about using washable markers (Crayola or other); there will be no damage to your hair.
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QuestionHow long does it take for it to get out of your hair?Community AnswerIf you use Crayola's ultra washable marker, you can get it out immediately if you dip it in water. You will need to test other types of washable markers but they should be similar in response.
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QuestionIsn't the ink damaging to your hair?Community AnswerGood question. Sharpies will damage your hair, but washable marker is fine.
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Tips
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Another way to dye your hair is to squeeze the dye out of the tube and into a cup. Mix the dye with conditioner. This will keep the dye from drying out while you apply it and ensure the dye bleeds thoroughly through your hair.
- In my experience, blue on blonde hair turns green. Blue on red hair turns purple. Colors won't be very dark on black hair if they show up at all.
- If you do this before you go to sleep, put a cloth on your pillow or something so the marker ink doesn't get on your pillow.
- Washable markers won't really help to dye black or dark brown hair, although there's nothing wrong with trying.
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About This Article
Article Summary
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To dye your hair with washable markers, use a pair of scissors to grip the stopper at the end of your marker and pry it off to access the ink inside. Fill a small glass with water, then submerge the ink tube from inside your marker until the bottom of the tube turns white. Then, gently blow any remaining ink into the water. If you want to use multiple colors, repeat the process with a different glass for each ink tube. Once you’ve extracted the ink, add a squirt of conditioner to the inky water, and mix it together. Use an applicator brush to apply the dye to your hair. When you’ve finished, wrap your dyed hair in foil and leave it to dry for 30 minutes. Finally, spray your dyed hair with hairspray to help seal the color and hold the style. For more tips, including how to choose the best colors for your hair, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "This really helped me. I've always wanted to dye my hair without hair dye, and since I have all the ingredients, I was able to dye my hair. The sad part was that my ink and the conditioner got chunky and made my hair dye look weird." ..." more
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"This really helped me. I've always wanted to dye my hair without hair dye, and since I have all the ingredients, I was able to dye my hair. The sad part was that my ink and the conditioner got chunky and made my hair dye look weird."
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"This is amazing. I wanted a fun thing to do with my 7 year old cousin while we are on a week long vacation and this is it. She wanted dyed hair just like mine (I have bright red) and it will wash out before we go home!"
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"It is so cool, even just if you need a little confidence booster, you can literally choose from the rainbow! I loved this article because it walked me through how to do it step by step."
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"The washable markers left a tint but the ultra washable markers worked best for me. I recommend putting in leave-in conditioner before starting."
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"It was a little hard at first, because I thought that you were supposed to let the dye dry and then wash it out, but I learned that you don't."
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