Should my hair be wet or dry when dying it with Manic Panic?

I’ve used Manic Panic a bunch of times. I have done it while damp and also while dry. I had the best results with air dried hair.

I would never in a million years dye my hair after blow drying it. Not even if you paid me.

Towel dry implies that it is still damp when you apply the dye.

I’m with @asmonet on this. Don’t blow dry it. Let it air dry and if it’s a little damp, that’s okay. What’s most important, I’ve found, is length of time on hair. Leave it in good and long, until the stuff is crusty on your head.

I swear it’s like they make this stuff with my countertop in mind, not my hair.

I’ve tried it dry, wet and damp, and honestly Manic Panic has never worked well for me. I wonder if it’s just my hair because every time I use it it washes out completely the very next time I was my hair.

@JONESGH: I dunno, that’s pretty much what happened to me the first time, too. This is time number 2. I’ve talked to a lot of people with similar stories, and got a couple other brands recommended. At this point, I’m just trying to use this stuff up so I can try a new one.

I hope it works out for you! When I’ve dyed my hair, it worked out best if it’s very slightly damp or air-dried. Once you use up the Manic Panic, you should try Special Effects. What color are you doing?

@La_chica_gomela cool, well let us know how it goes and what techniques you use, I know I have packages of that stuff lying around and I’d be willing to give it another go.

@La_chica_gomela: Yeah, it’s temporary so you really need to keep it on long if you want it to stick, the thicker the hair the less it will take in my experience. I have fine blonde hair so it worked well on me. Put it on, saran wrap the crap out of your head so it will dry very slowly and hang out watching a marathon TV. When you’re completely sick of it and it’s dried out pretty thoroughly, rinse.

Pro Tip: Dye your hair in your bathtub or shower while looking in the mirror or with an in shower mirror if at all possible. It will save your floors, counters and walls from the dye and all you’ll need to do is rinse it down when you’re done applying. Also, nudity is your friend.

@Haleth: Yeah, that’s a name I’ve heard several times now. Definitely going to try it. I did Mystic Heather mixed with Purple Haze.

@JONESGH: Well, I just went ahead and did it damp, but I would probably do it dry next time, since @asmonet suggested it. I’m not sure how long I left it on. Maybe 2 hours. It was pre-bleached from the last time I did it. I used aluminum foil on the sections I did, and I hit them with a blow dryer every 30 minutes or so, since the website said heat could be used to speed up the process. The one thing I did that was a little weird was I didn’t actually rinse all of the dye out. I noticed that it was taking a really long time to until the water ran clear, and that the section I rinsed the longest was starting to fade back to blond, so I just rinsed most of it, rang it out, then put on a black shirt. It looks fantastic right now, but I haven’t shampooed my hair yet, since I dyed it. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Let it sit a little while, and then use some shampoo that’s good with dyed hair. I use Burt’s Bee’s shampoo for dyed hair and it works great. I just did my hair and have used Burt’s Bees a few times now and it always works well. Mayhaps You could post picture at some point? :)

Pictures!!

I know that this is a very old post but just in case someone stumbles across it like I did on Google….
Just a few tips for you. When you use manic panic or other dyes like it… You need to make sure that you only rinse your hair with cold water. And don’t wash your hair with shampoo every night. It also helps if you rinse your hair with vinegar after you use Manic Panic for your ph balance. This will help the color to stay longer. ½ water ½ vinegar and leave it on for a minute then rinse it out. Manic panic is safe to even sleep with it in if you want to.