How Do You Do Ombré Hair At Home?

Ombré hair has been one of the most popular hair color trends for years and it shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. After all, it is very low-maintenance. Even better, not only you can visit the salon to get ombré hair, but also do ombré hair by yourself at home. Read on to learn how to do ombré hair.

Select Your Ombré Hair Color

In order to match well with your natural hair, you should choose ash brown, light brown, auburn, and chocolate mixed with caramel and light blondes. It is best to select a shade that is no more than two shades lighter than your natural hair color.

Choose Ombré effect You Desire

There are two types of ombre effects for you to choose from: traditional, and reverse.

Traditional Ombré

Traditional ombré is a dark-to-light effect, where colors gradually merge from one shade to the next. Usually darker hair is at the root, gradually getting lighter from the middle to the ends.

Reverse ombré

As the name suggests, instead of the traditional dark-to-light coloring, this ombré technique reverses it with lighter roots that gradually darken towards the ends of the hair.

Decide Where You Want The Transition Of Color

Equally important as the color selection is choosing where your natural color and dyed color will meet. It might not sound that important, but if the two colors meet too high, you run the risk of looking like you have grown-out roots, rather than a beautiful ombre. Therefore, we recommend positioning the color fade in line with your jaw.

In general, ombré hair is more suitable for those with longer hair as it can help minimize the root re-growth look. The longer the hair, the further down the ombre can begin to work its contrast.

Of course, you can still achieve a gorgeous ombré look with shorter hair.

How To Do Ombré Hair?

What Do I Need When Doing The Ombré Hair Color At Home?

A wide-toothed comb to separate your hair and comb through the dye;

Smock or old t-shirt to protect your clothes;

Disposable plastic gloves;

A hair dye kit;

Elastic bands or non-metallic clips;

A towel;

A hair dryer（option）;

Shampoo;

Conditioner;

Step 1 Brush Hair And Do Some Preparations

Take a wide-toothed comb to brush your hair well and make sure there are no tangles left in your hair, which will make applying the bleach to your hair easier, and also will help you to make sure that your hair will be evenly colored.

Then put on a smock or an old t-shirt to avoid getting bleach or dye onto your clothes during the dyeing process.

Don’ t forget to put on a pair of disposable plastic gloves to keep the bleach from irritating your skin or causing a burning sensation. Gloves generally come with a dye kit, but if they don’t, you can also use normal rubber, vinyl, or latex gloves instead.

Step 2 Mix The Bleach

According to the instruction of a hair dye kit, mix the bleach in order to lift the color from your hair a moment later. Always mix the bleach in a well-ventilated area to avoid inhaling too much of the fumes.

Step 3 Divide Your Hair Into Sections

Begin by parting your hair into two sections from the middle, then split two sections in half again so that your hair is divided into quarters. Next, pin or tie each section off to separate it from the rest.

If your hair is long or thick, you may need to divide it into more sections.

If using clips to pin hair, always be sure they are non-metallic. That is because metals can react with the chemicals you’re using on your hair.

Backcomb the hair ever-so-slightly around the area where you want the ombré to begin in order to prevent a stark line or line of demarcation.

Step 4 Apply The Bleach To Hair

Take an applicator brush to add the bleach from the ends to the desired fade line until all the strands you want to bleach are evenly coated.

If you’re using a dye or bleach kit, it is possible to provide you with a small brush to apply the bleach. If not, you can buy an applicator brush at your local beauty supply store.

To avoid a stark line or line of demarcation, apply the bleach using an applicator brush and take vertical strokes down the hair strand, rather than painting the hair in a horizontal motion. Of course, you also finally need to make sure that the bleach starts at about the same spot on both sides.

Step 5 Leave The Bleach In Your Hair

Depending on how light you want your hair to be, you will need to let the bleach sit for anywhere from 10-45 minutes.

For a slight change in color, leave the bleach in for only 10-20 minutes.

For a more bold change in color, leave the bleach for 40-45 minutes.

Step 6 Wash Out The Bleach

Once you’ve reached a level of lightness you’re satisfied with, keep your gloves on to rinse out the bleach with warm water. Then, wash your hair thoroughly with a sulfate-free shampoo to get out all the bleach.

Step 7 Dry And Section Your Hair

Use a towel to dry it off before beginning the coloring process. Then divide your hair into its original sections and tie off the ends with elastic bands or hair clips. Remember to put on a pair of gloves.

If you don't want to wait for an hour or two to allow your hair to get mostly dry, dry your hair with a hair dryer.

Step 8 Mix Your Hair Dyer

Follow the instructions and prepare your dye in a well-ventilated area. After all, most box hair dyes require a bit of measuring and mixing.

Step 9 Apply Hair Dye To Hair

Follow the application instructions that came with your hair dye to properly add it to your hair and make sure that you coat all of the hair that you want to dye.

Step 10 Leave Dye In Your Hair

Follow the box instructions to leave the dye in your hair for the recommended amount of time.

Since your hair has been bleached, you won’t need to leave the dye in your hair for more than ten minutes.

Step 11 Rinse Out The Dye

Keeping your gloves on, rinse out the dye with warm water. Next, wash your hair with a sulfate-free shampoo and condition hair with a deep conditioner, which can help add some moisture back into your locks.

Step 12 Dry And Style Hair

Dry and style your hair as usual. It is best to allow your hair to air-dry and avoid using any hot tools on it.

To get the best ombré effect, watch the pros in action to see how to ombré your hair, step-by-step.

You can always try ombre wigs if you find coloring your hair is a time-consuming project.