Since you are here, you must be having an experience with Sun-In hair lightener. Are you bored with your bleached hair and want to get some color back? Or you are here before applying Sun-In to gather more information about dying your hair? Since you love coloring your hair, we will be making it easier for you to decide what all you can do to get that new color on!
Can you dye your hair after Sun-In?
According to the manufacturers of Sun-In, you can surely color your hair after using the hair lightener. Chattem Inc., the manufacturing company, also suggest waiting for at least 4 weeks to dye your hair after treating it with Sun-In. It is of the opinion that you must test the new product over a strand of hair before considering the application of dye over the full length.
So, as per their claim, we can surely go for a dye after using Sun-In. But at the same time, it recommends against using their product on color-treated hair. This brings us to the conclusion that with dye on, you won’t be able to use Sun-In ever again!
Is it safe to dye hair after Sun-In?
Since Sun-In is not a temporary hair lightener, you cannot get your natural color back until your existing hair grows out. But, if you want to get a new color for your hair, you can consider dying them. If you are skeptical yet, wait for your new hair to grow to your desired length and then cut off the bleached one.
What does the company claim?
Sun-In bleaches your hair strands permanently and your hair color will continue to lighten with the heat received from the sun and your styling products. This is because the lightening ingredients of Sun-In remain in your hair throughout its life cycle and get activated every time the hair is exposed to a heat source. As a result, hair loses its color gradually over time.
What do the users claim?
Getting to know a product from its users is the best guiding factor in making a decision. With a history of decades, Sun-In has a legacy of serving its customers and fulfilling their dreams of getting sun-bleached hair quickly. Let us get into the minds of the Sun-In users to know more.
There are mixed reviews from the Sun-In users who dyed their hair after using it. Some have experienced extremely positive results while for some others it has been a nightmare.
A regular Sun-In user Maryanne shares,
“I have been dying my hair for 66 years & it is still in pretty good condition, that's because I moisturized moisturized moisturized!! Coloring your hair after sun-in would be fine as long as your hair is not already fried to frizz & be sure to moisturize before, let it air dry & moisturize after. Always use spray-in heat protection before using blow-drying & styling.”
Another avid user Stacey states,
“I used to do the sun-in 5 years ago! My hair turned super light brown with that but I dyed it jet black after 2 years.”
There are others who share their dreadful stories of getting their hair ripped off in chunks and strands on using a dye after Sun-In.
What do the experts say?
The salon specialists are of the view that new hair color might not show up in an expected manner on your hair if you have previously lightened your hair with Sun-In. Many Sun-In users claim to have been denied by their hair-stylists for dying their hair as they have used a product containing hydrogen peroxide on their hair.
Also, many salon stylists claim that an orange-tinted color is the most common appearance after dying the Hair-In treated locks. It is their experience of decades that led them to this conclusion. So, they prefer not to color the hair after Sun-In.
What science says?
After listening to all those claims by different sets of people, there’s a lot of confusion as to whether we can dye our hair after using Sun-In or not?
Moreover, we can’t just rely on other users to decide for ourselves since we are all made different. This individuality is the only reason for the varied opinions around us. So, to make a better decision, we need to verify all the above claims with the help of science involved in the hair bleaching process.
All bleaches work on our hair pigment, Melanin, which gives color to our hair. The hair lighteners strip this pigment out from our hair shaft to leave us with bleached hair. This stripping is done with the help of oxidation, that is why the hair continues to get lighter with exposure to the sun.
The bleaching process opens up your hair’s outer cuticle to let the lightening agent penetrate deep inside. This ensures permanent lightening in the color of your hair as the change has taken place from inside the cuticle. Now, if you dye your bleached hair, your cuticle tends to open permanently leading to numerous hair problems.
In short, you should not dye your hair after using Sun-In. But if you still want to get a hair dye, choose the one without bleach. Though it will still lead to brittle hair you will be saved from the permanent opening of your hair cuticle.
Side-effects of dying hair after Sun-In
Your bleached hair needs more care, not chemicals. Since the bleach has opened up your cuticle, the natural moisture of your hair tends to deplete faster. Your hair becomes brittle due to a lack of moisture supplied by the roots.
Your hair is also prone to breakage and split ends as they have become vulnerable to sunlight due to raised cuticles.
Useful tips for dying your hair after Sun-In
If you have already dyed your hair after Sun-In or want to dye it anyway, these tips will help your hair look healthy and beautiful:
Moisturize a lot
When you are introducing bleaches and chemicals into your hair, they become dry and brittle. You need to restore the lost moisture with the help of deep conditioning hair masks and hot oil treatments. With increased exposure to colors, increase your moisturizing levels too.
Space the treatments
Do not go overboard with getting your hair colored. Give them some time to restore their natural moisture too. The roots will provide nourishment to your hair whenever you give them an off time!