Special Effects hair dye



After having seen many, many cases of badly faded/ill-maintained goth and punk dye jobs, I've taken it upon myself to educate the world about Special Effects hair dye. And no, they aren't paying me to say this. I wish they were, and I wouldn't turn down a check if they sent one my way (hint), but they aren't. My adoration comes from the very purest part of my little punk heart.

I've used Manic Panic a few times, and while their colors are great, I've never been happy with how long they lasted, i.e. not very long at all. All of the Special Effects colors I've used have stayed bright for at least a month; this can be a bad thing if you like to be constantly changing colors, but otherwise it'll save you a lot of time dying and maintaining your color.

WHERE TO BUY

Special Effects hair dye usually costs around $10 a bottle; this is more than enough for short hair, but if yours is approaching shoulder length, keep at least two handy--it's better than running out of dye halfway through and having to make the beanie-covered shower cap run to the store. This brand is also somewhat of a specialty item--while you can find Manic Panic in almost any alternative-themed comic or music store, Special Effects is a bit rarer. Some mainstream goth or punk stores (think Hot Topic or year-round halloween supply stores) will carry it, but the internet will be your best bet for lower prices and a full color selection.

Unlike Manic Panic, I've never found a hair-swatch chart for Special Effects; if you're trying to pick a color, check websites that sell it for customer galleries and the like. Fairly detailed descriptions of the colors are usually provided, and tend to be accurate. Here are my opinions on a few of the colors I've tried recently...


COLORS I'VE USED
Blue Velvet: A very dark blue bordering on violet--probably dark enough to temporarily cover light or medium natural haircolors without bleaching. Mixing with Electric Blue cancels out the purple nicely (see photo). It lasts forever with very little fading. The downside: it runs like crazy and gets on everything.

Blue Mayhem: a really nice primary blue; it seemed to fade a lot faster than the other blue dyes, but on the plus side it barely ran.

Electric Blue: I've never used this hair dye alone, only mixed with Blue Velvet. Another medium blue, probably a little more green/navy-based and a little less purple-based than the others, with a medium rate of fading.

Hi-Octane Orange: this is my favorite color. It starts out a bright, neon red-orange and fades very slowly to a pure, vivid poppy orange. I actually regret getting rid of this color--I've never seen anyone else with this haircolor, and it even glows under blacklight. Average running and staining, but well worth it.

Atomic Pink: Bright hot pink, rubbed off on other surfaces fairly aggressively. Slow to fade.

Devilish: I've only done small sections of my hair with it, so I can't provide too much information on bleeding and the like, but for the most part it seemed to be a nice pink-based dark red.

Nuclear Red: Bright pure red, a little on the darker side. It's incredibly long lasting; if it weren't for having to re-dye the roots, this would easily last several months with very little fading. It stains fingernails and other surfaces a tiny bit at first, but nothing too dramatic.

DYEING TIPS

If you want the color at its full intensity, you're going to have to bleach your hair to at least a very light yellow. Follow the instructions, leave the bleach in your hair for the minimum amount of time necessary, wash it out WITHOUT conditioning, and blow dry completely--this will allow your hair to soak up as much dye as possible.

Divide your hair up into 2" sections and apply the dye with a tint brush or toothbrush (someone else's) until it's all covered. For my shoulder-length hair, I usually need most of two bottles; one is more than enough for very short hair, and longer hair will use three or more. For best results, it's a good idea to put a shower cap or some plastic wrap over your hair and leave the dye in for at least half an hour; if you're looking for intense staying power, an hour or more is optimal--some people even leave it in overnight, and exposure to heat (blow dryer, etc) can help the dye absorb.

When you've had enough of waiting, rinse the dye out with lukewarm water--don't shampoo during the first 24 hours or so, as this can fade it prematurely. The typical hair dye instructions tell you to wait until the water runs clear; in my experience, this won't actually happen with Special Effects dyes, not for at least two months, so just rinse until most of the creme itself is out of your hair. Working a little bit of diluted white vinegar through your hair while rinsing will help set the dye. Use a good conditioner for at least a couple of minutes to help repair the damge you did by bleaching; another half-hour with a shower cap is a good idea here.

BLEACH DAMAGE

Chances are, if you've bleached your entire head more than once, your hair will start to show some damage. The best way to avoid this is with low developer volumes and short bleaching times; however if you've already over-bleached your hair there are a few things you can do to repair its appearance.

First of all, trimming the ends is a good idea since this is where the damage is usually the worst. I've found that a good home remedy for over-bleached hair is a mixture of egg and warm olive oil, applied to all of the hair and left in for 20 minutes to an hour. Try to avoid future damage by sticking with your current color, or letting it fade naturally before switching to a new color. A product called hair color remover (usually available in drug stores) does a little less damage than straight bleach on previously-dyed hair.

IN SHORT

Special Effects is the only thing for great-looking goth or punk hair. It isn't a silver bullet though; look in the mirror every couple of weeks, and if your hair color is starting to fade unattractively, dye it again. Just because you're a badass doesn't mean you can't be decorative.

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