Coconut Oil Before Dyeing Hair: Benefits and Step-by-Step

If you’ve dyed your hair in the past, you’re likely aware of how easily hair dye can cause your hair to become dry, develop split ends and break. Therefore, finding healthy ways to take care of your hair is vital throughout the dyeing process. It’s even more important to do so if you intend to bleach your hair before dyeing it. Preventing damage helps keep your hair healthy and improves the overall outcome of the dyeing process.

Many professional hairstylists recommend products that deep condition the hair and restore some of the natural proteins and oils. Unfortunately, these products are often expensive. If you’re dyeing your hair at home, you likely want an affordable solution to prevent damage and keep your hair healthy throughout the process.

Online hair-care gurus often recommend coconut oil for your hair, as it benefits the hair in dozens of different ways. However, before dyeing hair and in place of a deep conditioner, coconut oil can keep your hair shiny, healthy and in-tact throughout all stages of the coloring process. Below, we’ve outlined some of the significant benefits of using coconut oil during the coloration process. We’ve also gathered some of the best tips and tricks on using coconut oil to keep your dyed hair healthy.

Table of Contents

• Using Coconut Oil Before Dyeing Hair
• Using Coconut Oil After Dyeing Your Hair
• A Guide To Applying Coconut Oil Before You Dye Your Hair
• Coconut Oil Before Dyeing Hair: Frequently Asked Questions
  • Can you dye your hair with coconut oil in it?
  • Will coconut oil keep hair dye off my skin?
  • Can I apply dye after a hot oil treatment?
  • Can I use coconut oil on my hair after I color it?
  • Should I apply coconut oil before dying hair?
• Coconut Oil Before Dyeing Hair: A Conclusion

Using Coconut Oil Before Dyeing Hair

Coconut oil developed a reputation for having dozens of haircare benefits, including, but not limited to:

• Helping untangle hair and remove mats
• Deep conditioning properties, including protein restoration
• Use in styling
• Repairing damaged hair after processing
• Protecting from heat and chemical damage

These are only a few of the benefits coconut oil has on the hair. Therefore, it only makes sense that individuals would suggest you use coconut oil before you choose to dye your hair.

While it can take coconut oil several hours to absorb into the hair, it is a great step to take in the days before you begin processing your hair. It serves as a fantastic way to prevent excessive damage from occurring due to bleaching or coloring the hair.

There are several different brands of coconut oil you can use. However, you should use a beauty grade coconut oil, ideally, as it often contains no additives that could cause damage to the hair or lead to clogged pores.

Using beauty grade coconut oil also reduces excessive greasiness, as its applications in the beauty world require it to be lightweight and non-greasy.

Alternatively, you have the option of using an all-natural, cold-pressed coconut oil, which provides the same type of benefits without the “beauty” tag.

When you use coconut oil in your hair before you dye it, it has some of the following effects:

• Improves your hair’s ability to retain moisture
• Helps hair maintain natural proteins, which in turn, reduces the chance of breakage, dryness and damage
• Creates a protective layer of oil on the hair, which is beneficial due to the natural drying effects of bleach and hair dye

Overall, these benefits are exceptionally important. One of the most significant issues individuals run into when they bleach or dye their hair is damage caused by the chemicals in hair color treatments. Your hair will remain lightweight, glossy, and relatively healthy despite the harsh chemical processing when you use coconut oil as a preventative treatment.

Using Coconut Oil After Dyeing Your Hair

On the other hand, you might choose to use coconut oil after you bleach or dye your hair to restore some of its natural oils. In fact, there are damage restoring coconut oil treatments that help rehydrate the hair and bring it back to its soft, luscious self after undergoing chemical treatments.

Typically speaking, when you dye or bleach your hair, your hair loses quite a lot of its natural oil and protective proteins. These oils and proteins are necessary to maintain a healthy scalp and keep your hair healthy. When you use bleach or dye, your hair becomes dry, brittle and may break. Restoring these natural oils can happen over time, but attempting to repair damage to the hair is an integral part of caring for your hair that prevents mats, tangles and split ends.

Applying coconut oil, using it the same way you would use a leave-in conditioner, helps repair damage to your hair and prevent further damage. When the hair loses its natural oils, it is prone to further damage as it no longer as that protective layer. Using coconut oil helps restore this protective layer and keep your hair healthy. Plus, it restores its natural shine and improves its overall softness, making your hair look better, too.

A Guide To Applying Coconut Oil Before You Dye Your Hair

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to apply coconut oil to your hair before you dye it.

1. Because coconut oil often takes up to 12 hours to properly absorb into the hair for maximum benefit, it’s best to apply the coconut oil to your hair the night before you intend to bleach or dye it. Start at the roots of your hair, using a fine-toothed comb or a tinting brush. Make sure you get a good layer of coconut oil from your hair’s roots all the way to the tips. Additionally, consider massaging a small amount into your scalp. It helps keep your scalp from becoming irritated during the dying process and promotes healthy hair growth.
2. Wrap your hair carefully in a shower cap and allow the coconut oil to absorb – or at least mostly absorb – into the hair. In the morning, you’ll want to skip rinsing or washing your hair. Instead, apply the bleach or dye on top of the remaining coconut oil. Keep in mind that you may have to use more dye due to the coconut oil than usual to ensure it doesn’t become diluted.
3. Follow the directions for your bleach or dye as usual. Once you’re ready to, simply rinse out the coconut oil and the hair dye or bleach. You should notice that the color is brighter, as it helps dye stick to the hair. Additionally, you’ll also find that your hair is much softer than it usually is when traditionally performing color treatments on your hair.
4. If you’re dissatisfied with how your hair feels, you can perform another coconut oil mask on your hair after washing the dye out. Leave this in overnight, if possible, and wash it out in the morning. You’ll likely find it helps make your hair soft, shiny and full-bodied.

Keep in mind this is only a guide. You can choose to apply the coconut oil to your hair after you’ve dyed your hair. Alternatively, you may choose to use it during the dying process, which has its own benefits for your hair.

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Coconut Oil Before Dyeing Hair: Frequently Asked Questions

Naturally, you probably have some questions about using coconut oil for dyeing hair.

Below, we’ve addressed some of the most common questions people have about the process, how it works and everything you need to know to make sure it happens safely.

Can you dye your hair with coconut oil in it?

If you’ve considered treating your hair with coconut oil prior to dyeing it, you may be wondering if it’s safe to leave the coconut oil in your hair after applying the dye. It’s hard to give a solid answer, as everyone’s hair reacts differently to boxed dyes. However, generally speaking, most individual’s hair will absorb coconut oil within 10-12 hours after it is applied. Therefore, applying dye over the coconut oil is perfectly safe and shouldn’t affect the outcome of your color.

Will coconut oil keep hair dye off my skin?

A major concern when dyeing your hair at home is how to keep the dye from staining the skin. There are a few common ways you can avoid this, such as using vaseline to protect the skin. However, you can also use coconut oil to prevent dye from sticking to or staining the skin. Most individuals choose to use it around the ears, forehead and back of the neck before they dye their hair.

Can I apply dye after a hot oil treatment?

Hot oil treatments often help prepare the hair for absorbing color, allowing it to store extra nutrients and moisture and avoid damage. However, you’ll want to read the instructions for your specific hot oil treatment prior to dying your hair. In most cases, professional stylists suggest that you wait approximately three days after using a hot oil treatment to dye your hair. Doing so, you give your hair enough time to absorb the nutrients and oil from the treatment so that it does not affect the outcome of your dye. The results may vary, however. Therefore, you should check the instructions before using the treatment.

Can I use coconut oil on my hair after I color it?

Naturally, once you’ve colored your hair, you may find that it’s dry, oily and brittle. You may want to treat your hair to help reduce the damage that often occurs during the hair dying process. Luckily, most coconut oils contain no additional additives. Therefore, they are not acidic and do not bleach the hair in any way. Using coconut oil on your hair after you’ve dyed it is perfectly safe. It will not reduce the color, as long as you follow the proper precautions. For instance, if you intend to rinse your hair before you use coconut oil on it, you’ll want to make sure you do so in cold to cool water to avoid fading.

Should I apply coconut oil before dying hair?

Obviously, this question is a bit more subjective. However, it’s important to understand that applying coconut oil to your hair before you dye it is perfectly safe. As long as you give the oil time to absorb into the hair before you apply the dye. Plus, there are many benefits to using coconut oil on your hair before you dye it. If you’re concerned about long-term damage to your hair, for instance, you should consider using coconut oil to help nourish the hair before you use your hair dye or bleach. It’s a great way to prepare your hair and mitigate the potential risk associated with the dying and bleaching process.

Coconut Oil Before Dyeing Hair: A Conclusion

Overall, taking care of your hair – especially if you intend to regularly dye or bleach it – is important. It prevents long-term damage from occurring. Plus, it helps reduce the risk of developing matted hair, which occurs over time as a side-effect of dry, processed hair tangling in on itself. Lastly, by treating your hair with coconut oil, you run less risk of breakage. It’s one of the easiest ways to help ensure your hair stays healthy, no matter how you choose to process it over time.

It is also important, however, that you keep in mind how to properly use coconut oil to treat your hair. Many individuals use coconut oil to help keep dye from sticking to their skin. If you attempt to dye your hair before your coconut oil treatment has had time to absorb into your hair, for instance, you may find that the dye does not stick to your hair properly. Make sure you follow the process carefully. You don’t have to wash the coconut oil out of your hair after using it as a pre-dye treatment, but it will need time to absorb into the hair to reduce damage effectively.

Ultimately, there are dozens of benefits to using coconut oil on your hair. It works both as a pre-dye treatment and as a regular leave-in conditioner. At the end of the day, regularly treating your hair requires proper hydration and care in order to prevent the long-term damage you often hear about in bleaching horror stories. By using coconut oil or other nourishing products, you’re able to reduce this risk and allow your hair to hold color in a healthy and easy-to-manage way.

Check out more hair care posts on our blog!

• How To Untangle Matted Hair Fast
• Benefits and Side Effects of Rice Water on Hair
• Best Sulfate Free Purple Shampoo
• How Long Do I Have To Wait To Bleach My Hair Again
• Is Box Dye Bad For Your Hair

Have you ever used coconut oil before dyeing hair? What are your hair dyeing tips?