I got my beloved @techslut drunk. Well, just drunk enough to post a selfie of us to steem. One of the comments was “Who’s the blonde?” which made me realize that, shit, I’m that blonde! Really need to dye my hair again. This is very embarrassing.
So thanks to @techslut for posting, @steemit-israel for commenting, here’s my guide for DIY colorful hair.

Pre-bleach

I bleach at home as well, but unless you have a strong and “friendly” hair, maybe you should go to a professional for that part. Bleaching is probably the most aggressive thing you can do to your hair.
The bleach reacts chemically with the melanin molecules in your hair (this is your natural hair color), oxidizing it. This reaction is irreversible and makes the melanin colorless, leaving the bleached hair yellowish. The yellow tint is the keratin protein in your hair.
When bleaching, simply follow the instructions attached to the product. I use a powder+cream, mix it together and apply to my hair. It is very important to start with the length of the hair, leaving the roots for last. The heat from the scalp causes the roots to bleach faster than the rest of the hair, and you want to avoid over exposure of the scalp to the bleach which can cause burns.
When the hair is light to the shade you desire, rinse thoroughly to remove the bleach. As long as it’s on the hair, the chemical reaction won’t stop.
For bright or pastel hair colors, you’d want to achieve a very pale blond shade.

Use a purple shampoo

The colors purple and yellow are opposites and cancel one another out. After bleaching, the hair will be yellowish, like a cute little chick. The purple shampoo will cancel out the yellow undertones of the lightened hair, and you’ll remain with a very pale shade, such as platinum, silver, gray or even white.

That’s me after treating my hair with bleach, followed by purple shampoo:

Now to the fun part!

This was the most challenging part of dying your hair. The rest is so easy and you can do anything with your favourite brand of semi-permanent hair dyes, plastic bowls and latex gloves.
This time I used a kit for a purple-pink-red gradient ).
Before applying the color, I use some petroleum jelly on my face close to the hair line. When I get splatters of color on my face in the process (and I always do), it’s much easier to clean them afterwards.
When dealing with more than one color, make sure to replace gloves when switching from one color to another, and use a new bowl (or thoroughly clean it from the remains of the previous color).
I mix the color with conditioner. It makes the shade a bit lighter- the more you use, the lighter and pastel-looking the shade will be.

You can use a brush to apply the color to your hair, but I find it much easier to take some product on my fingers and massage the hair with it. Best way for me to not miss a spot is applying the dye on a small lock of hair, one lock at a time. Take a small lock of hair, massage the dye onto it and use a clip to separate it from the rest of the hair. Than do the same with another lock of hair and clip it together with the previous one. Repeat until all of your hair is dyed.
For the gradient, simply start applying the next color where the first color ends and do the same as before- take a strand, apply color with your fingers, move on to the next strand.

Once you’re done, leave the dye on your hair for about an hour, rinse, apply mask and enjoy the new hair!

Some tips to keeping the hair vibrant for a long time:

1. Don’t shampoo frequently. I wash my hair with shampoo and conditioner once a week. The more you wash, the quicker the colors fade. Don’t worry about oily scalp, your body will get used to the new washing frequency very quickly on its own. Technically, you don’t have to ever use shampoo. Check out the “no poo” method
2. Avoid direct sunlight. It damages your hair and can cause discoloration. Wear a hat or a stylish parasol for a fashionable look!
3. Use products that prevent your hair from drying, such as hair masks and serums.
4. If you only have one shade on your hair, you can mix a small amount of dye with your favorite hair mask. This way, every time you use the mask you’ll also refresh the color.