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Dying your hair a funky color isn't for the timid. Even in places like San Francisco and New York, where being a bit eccentric is expected, tresses that are tinted pink, blue, green or purple will turn heads and start conversations. "Is that your real hair?" people will ask. "Did you dye it yourself?"

-Why Do It?-

In truth, there are as many reasons to dye your hair a funky color as there are available colors. Some reasons include:

*Counteracting shyness: blue hair makes you bolder.

*Artistic expression: nothing says "creative personality" like rainbow-hued hair.

*Displaying subculture affiliation: Blood red, faux black, and many deep purples are used by those who identify as Goth, while screaming pink, yellow, and green tend to be favored among the Punk set, and then there are the anime aficionados as well.

-Where To Get It-

If you plan to dye your hair a funky color, you must first decide if you want the color to be truly temporary, or semi-permanent.

Temporary color can be created using unsweetened Kool-Aid (the mix itself) combined with a dollop of hair conditioner over wet hair, but for color that will survive more than a couple of washings, you'll have to invest in actual hair dye. Three popular brands are Special Effects, Punky Colour, and Manic Panic. They're all roughly equal in price (between $8 and $10 US if you buy online), and the first two are available from the online store
Amphigory.

All three brands provide some conditioning, and all three stain anything and everything they touch, so be careful. Special Effects, in particular, is made of "gentle" ingredients, and not tested on animals. It also comes in eight shades that glow under black light.

-How to Do It-

While you certainly can dye your hair at home, it's
generally safest to bring your funky colored hair dye to your salon, and ask a professional to do it for you. It will cost more, but there is a lower chance of destroying your hair or staining the walls and other surfaces in your bathroom.

Steps to achieving the most intense color are:

*Shampoo and condition your hair the night before. Dye works best over clean, dry hair.

*If your natural hair color is anything other than blond, and you want real color, not just a tint, bleach your hair. For best results, your hair should be as close to platinum (white) as possible, especially if you are using blue dye. (Blue dye over yellow hair often results in a green final color.)

*Follow the instructions on the bottle to apply the dye. If you didn't wear rubber gloves during the bleaching stage, you'll

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