How To Ombre Hair

Usually, ombre hair features light tips at the end of the hair graduating into a darker colour at the top. Ombre is a natural way to add some extra tones to your hair and can be done at home. 

How to ombre hair?

Always perform a patch test 48-24 hours before use, following the instructions on the packaging.

To ombre hair at home, you will need:

• Bleach
• Hair Dye
• Gloves
• Tint Brush
• Mixing Bowl
• Old T Shirt & Towels
• Hairbands
• Foil
• Comb

If you are creating ombre hair colour for dark hair you may want to bleach it first in order to create vibrant ombre hairstyles. If you want to create a subtle colour graduation between the ends of your hair and the roots then leave the bleach on for different processing times. For example:

• Thoroughly comb out your hair. Split your hair into sections using your hairbands. Place your hairbands at the point you want the ombre colour to end.
• Make sure you are wearing an old T shirt and are using old towels. Put on your protective gloves.
• Apply bleach to the ends of your hair ensuring you fully cover your hair. You can do this by combing it through.
• Leave to develop for 5-10 minutes before applying bleach to the next couple of inches of hair, above the tips.
• Continue this process until you reach your hairbands.
• While your hair is processing you can wrap it in foil to prevent drips.
• Once your bleach has fully developed, rinse your hair.
• If you have has some brassy tones left in your hair then you can apply a toner.

Allow your hair to recover before applying your hair dye as bleach can dry out and damage the hair. Once you are ready to apply the hair dye:

• As before, make sure to comb your hair before you begin. Put on your old T shirt and get everything you need for dyeing your hair.
• Place your hairbands in your hair to make sections. Place them at the point you want to dye your hair to or the point that you have bleached it.
• Apply your hair dye to your hair and comb through to ensure that you have fully covered it.
• If you want to create a lighter section at the bottom of your hair you can use a product such as Manic Panic pastel-izer to lighten your hair dye.
• While your hair is processing you can wrap it in foil and gently apply heat from a hairdryer to increase the colour saturation.
• Once your hair has finished developing, rinse out the hair dye.
• Dry your hair and enjoy your new cute ombre hair.

If you are creating long ombre hair then you will probably want to dye about 6 inches of hair. A good way to mark where your ombre hair colour should end is by lining it up with the top of your ears. This can be a useful method for creating ombre short hair because you may not be able to tie your hair with hairbands so can use this method as a guide line instead.

What is the difference between balayage and ombre?

The difference between balayage and ombre is that the balayage style provides highlights throughout the hair and closer to the roots whereas an ombre hair style starts from the midpoint of the hair and features a colour that gently fades into lighter tips.

What hair colour is ombre?

Ombre hair dye is a two toned hair colour that can be achieved with natural hair colours such as blonde ombre hair or colourful ombre hair such as blue, pink, and purple. Ombre means shadow so the key here is to create a difference in shade at the tips of your hair working up to the midpoint of your hair length. The tips are usually the lightest section but you can create a reverse ombre hair style that graduates from dark tips to lighter roots. As you can see there are plenty of shades to choose from to enjoy ombre hair colour:

• Ombre Hair Red: Manic Panic Vampire Red, La Riche Directions Poppy Red, Manic Panic Infra Red
• Purple Ombre Hair: Crazy Color Violette, La Riche Directions Deep Purple
• Pink Ombre Hair: La Riche Directions Cerise Pink, Manic Panic Hot Hot Pink

As you can see there are plenty of colour combinations you can use to create your new hairstyle. 

How much does ombre cost?

Going to a hairstylist to have an ombre hair colour can be quite expensive because this hairstyle takes time and skill. However, if you are trying out ombre hair dye at home then you will need at least one hair dye (you will need two if you are dyeing all your hair), bleach if you are pre-lightening hair, a mixing bowl, a tint brush, and protective gloves so it is likely to cost £20 - £40. If you are using bleach you may also need a toner to remove any brassiness from your hair. 

Does ombre ruin your hair?

Ombre does not ruin your hair if done correctly. The benefit of an ombre style is that you are only dyeing the lower section of your hair so you don't need to worry about dyeing your roots. The most damaging aspect, as with any hair dye style, is bleaching but if this is carried out with care and patience then you will be able to minimise the damage. 

Ombre is a popular choice because you don't need to worry about re-growth cramping your style. Ombre can be achieved with any hair colour you want so you can get creative with your ombre hair colour ideas.

Need to choose some hair dye to carry out your ombre hair ideas? With hundreds of shades to choose from, check out our full collection here!

Please Note: Blue Banana hair dye information should be read alongside professional advice. Blue Banana makes no guarantee of validity and additional instruction should be taken from trained persons.