**As with ANY hair tutorial, I have to emphasize that all hair is different, it all reacts different, and depending on what products you are using you will get different results. This is a general post to help with some general do's and don'ts.**
So if I was a blonde at this moment I would head right over to my bathroom and try this out, however currently I am a vibrant red head so that wouldn't quite work as well ( give it two weeks though and my hair will be completely different, so goes the life of a hairdresser).
I'm sure you all have seen the Hair Chalking Pins on Pinterest, and well I too have wondered if they really work.
Tonya sent us her and her daughters attempt at this pin, check it out!
The Original
This pin uses chalk and wet hair to put a kind of stain on the hair of vibrant fun colors. Lets see how it worked for Tonya:
The Pinstrosity
(Super Fun Graphic By the Way)
I love that she put this all together just like you see it on Pinterest.
1.So here are a few of my thoughts on this, first off the original says to take a section of already styled hair and get part of it wet. That makes no sense, the girls in those pictures would have to have gone through and blow dried each piece and then styled it, after styling all the rest of their hair, you might as well do this with all of your hair wet. Seeing the results of Tonya's experience I don't feel like bleeding will be an issue.
2.Another thing to consider about this from the get go is that it IS NOT PERMANENT. This is not "dying" your hair, it is a stain. Like when you drink red Kool-aide, your lips are pink or red for a bit but not forever, in fact if you get your lips super wet after that it tends to fade off into oblivion. Some people have said this stayed for a day, while others a week or more. Like I stated before, it all depends on the product and the hair.
3.So the directions say to wet hair, wear gloves (you don't have to do this, it is after all just chalk), and then go through and color the piece of hair to the desired shade. Keep in mind here wet chalk always looks darker then when it is dry. Then you dry the pieces of hair and hit it with a heat tool to lock in the color. Some people suggest twisting the hair while chalking, others don't. Play around and see what works best for you.
Again keep in mind, this isn't permanent. By "hitting it with heat" you aren't magically coloring your hair, this is simply allowing the chalk to stain a little more.
4.Now looking through everything I see that Tonya wet the hair, then wet the chalk, I don't see that step on the original, and I don't feel that that will do anything to help this process along really. It might not even make a difference so take that to mind when doing this as well. I have seen some tutorials use soft chalks with great success, so that might also be an option.
5.Tonya used a heat protectant on the hair before hitting it with any hot tool, I would like to suggest you do this as well. High heat is damaging to hair and this will prevent any damage from happening. I don't think this should have any adverse affects on the coloring either.
She used a wet-to-straight flat iron. I wouldn't suggest that simply because they get REALLY hot and your hair really doesn't need that much applied heat. This is a personal opinion, I AM NOT saying that if you use a wet-to-straight that you are a bad hair person or that your hair will be super damaged. I have used one before and I really didn't enjoy the process or results so this is merely a personal preference. I would suggest using a heat protectant spray, then blow drying ( or air drying if you are patient enough), then using a hot tool to "lock" in the color.
6.I have also read that using hair spray then a hot tool can help the color stick around as well. Now bare in mind I haven't tried this, but I have done a some research here and there and these are all just suggestions.
7.Another suggestion: This is for girls who have bleach blonde hair this can stain for a REALLY long time, if you are ok with that go for it, if not be warned! Your hair is more porous from lightening and can tend to pick up colors really easy. You probably already know this if you go to the pool a lot (green tint anyone? Be cautious Gwen Stefani's of the world! Even the one day color spray (think Halloween) can have BAD affects on your light locks!
8.Tonya stated that the hair had a stiff icky texture, I would venture to say that sounds about right. If we look at it really we are ironing chalk into the hair. Don't expect your hair to feel silky smooth, but it also won't be sticking straight up either. It will feel different, but its not forever and if you can handle parts of your hair feeling a little stiff for a bit of colors sake then I say go for it.
9.Here is where I think Tonya ran into trouble: brushing. While going through and doing some research a lot of places said to get rid of the color before trying to wash it out they brushed it really good. So there you have it, if it is intensely tangled LIGHTLY comb through it with a pick or your fingers but be gentle and don't over do it. Tonya brushed her daughters hair after all the steps and the color all but disappeared....just a heads up! Its a bummer too because I wouldn't think that that would make all the difference, and if the hair was tangly I too would think " Well let's just brush it real quick and then we'll be done!" but now we know. Thanks for testing that one out for us Tonya (and daughter), and I'm sorry it didn't work for you because that color was just fabulous!
10.I need to also add that blues and greens are hard tones to keep and it may take more "chalking" then you anticipated to get your hair to the desired shade.
So there you have it, my ten thoughts on Hair Chalking.
Try it out, try different colors, brands, methods and let us know! Anyone have any experience with this?! I am writing this from a hairdressers experience and expertise but if you have done this before and have some fun pointers we would love to hear them!
Pastels are toxic. Don't use pastels for this.
ReplyDeleteI used crayola markers in high school to achieve this very look... I think you could also use the scented ones, remember those? Anyway, we just drew on my hair, had a whole rainbow in it once in math class, no heat, no damage. I'm a blonde so it turned out great.
ReplyDeleteOooh, yeah! I used to do that too. Any water-based washable marker will work, I think. I'm also blonde though, I kind of doubt it would show up well on dark hair.
DeleteI used to do that too! Except the color would come off on my fingers whenever I would run my hands through my hair. Still, I loved doing it.
DeleteKandee Johnson has a great tutorial, and she has dark hair.
ReplyDeleteKandee's Vids on how to do this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyWXmr8G15g (6:30 min in) She's using pro hair chalk from Anastasia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ly4GhDia4k All about using regular chalk from the craft store
Oh, and Kandee says do NOT comb/brush out your hair, it falls out.
ReplyDeleteThe toxic is only a worry if you are coloring from scalp to end. If not, your hair is dead cells, it won't absorb toxins into your body. However, I'd be careful using a hot iron on light colored hair. My hair is all natural (mix of what's left of my auburny red and the white that's coming in... about 60/40) and I learned from a great site for women with gray/white hair that using product and *then* using heat on your hair laminates it to said hair. It makes it tougher to get out. I'm pretty careful about how how I set my flat iron so I don't turn the white all yellow. (people already think I'm blond!)
ReplyDeleteIf you use actual hair chalk it works (my goddaughter loves doing it to her hair)... can also use bingo dabbers.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the same thing! Regular chalk from a craft store isn't what they mean by "hair chalking". I've never thought of using bingo dabbers. That's a good idea!
DeleteDoesn't the chalk get all over your clothes?
ReplyDeleteThe reason the color comes off when you brush it is that you aren't "staining" it. You're actually just depositing tiny tiny bits of chalk onto the surface of the hair, like a layer of dust on your table. The heat and the product are what hold the chalk to the hair surface, giving the hair the color. When you brush it, the bristles run along the hairs, knocking those tiny bits of chalk right off, just like your duster on the table.
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem with brushing and the colored hair-sprays. One comb-through and it's gone. I think you have to just put up with the sticky, matted texture.
ReplyDeleteI chalk my daughters hair regularly. She has very light blonde hair. *Usually* I apply it to wet hair. The next day, it is almost gone and we wash it. The reds and blues will hang out for a couple washes. *However* for the 4th of July, I covered her entire hair, red/white/blue (of course). By the time I has half way through it, her hair had dried. So I wet the chalk. Sigh. Don't ever wet the chalk. We are...what? One month and five days later? She is still red and blue. I noticed in the last week it is finally stopped screaming out at us "helloooooo, I'm hair chalk" and has faded considerably. I won't be doing that again.
ReplyDeleteThere's this stuff called Hot Hues that some people might like better. And you don't have to hot iron, you just spray it with some hairspray to set it. Less tangled/sticky feeling. (I would never iron wet hair myself. *shudder*) They have less colours but, you know, less damage too and probably less chance of stainage :P
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKX0Yu8FTf8
The Beauty Department did an excellent tutorial on it quite a while ago. I've used it with good results. Key, in my eyes, is they use Soft pastels, and particularly like the Senellier brand.
ReplyDeleteI am particularly fond of the dry method myself. If you lightly spray hairspray over the section, and then use the chalk, and then lightly spray it again when you are finished, you won't really need to detangle and there is less mess. Just a bit o' Michigan stylist opinion =)
ReplyDeleteI prefer the dry method for this...
ReplyDeleteStyle hair as desired. Lightly spray with hair spray. Apply chalk. Lightly mist with more hair spray.
Just a bit o' Michigan stylist opinion =)
Just use cheapo powder eye shadow
ReplyDeleteFellow hairstylists unite! I have chalked clients' hair and my own and can say that getting it wet first is a big mistake... It makes the hair soft and the dry chalk does not stick. As far a types of chalk go, my salon carries chalk specifically made for hair, but I have also used sidewalk chalk as a kid on my hair. My mom freaked until I played in the sprinklers and it all washed out.
ReplyDeleteMy "tried and true" method is: apply chalk when hair is dry and styled. Wear gloves if you want to avoid a powdery mess, but they're not a necessity. Spritz very lightly with hairspray. You can use a flat iron to "lock in" the chalk, but I've found this takes some of the more vibrant pigment out of the hair. And then... Don't touch it until you wash it out. It is a fine powder chilling on the outside of your hair cuticle. Touch it and it comes off right quick.
This really is a great way to shake things up a bit in the color department without the commitment and possible (likely) damage of more permanent methods. Well worth a try :)
Im just about to do hair chalk on my hair. AND MY hair colour is a astrawberry blonde and i need colour suggestens.
ReplyDeleteI use Hot Huez compact hair chalk, and it's not as messy as using pastels. It works on super dark hair too, and there's no need to wet your hair beforehand :)
ReplyDeleteI've tried this multiple times on my hair and on my daughter's (and my husband's very long goatee, as a matter of fact!) and I have found that applying dry chalk to dry hair works much better than applying it to wet hair! I have used "hair chalk" and it comes out nice and vibrant and washes out easily.
ReplyDelete