How to Dye Hair Peach

Co-authored by April Ferri

Last Updated: November 4, 2022 References

Peach is a beautiful color for hair that suits many people. It is soft and warm, not quite orange or pink, but something in between. It is easier to achieve that cool colors, such as green, blue, or purple. Unless you already have light-colored hair, however, you will need to bleach it. Depending on how bright your hair is after bleaching, you may not have to tone it, like you normally would.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Bleaching Your Hair

1
Determine if your hair needs bleaching. If your hair is pale to yellow blond, you do not need to bleach it, and can go straight to dyeing it. If your hair is any shade of brown or black, you will need to bleach it so that the color will appear on your hair.
- If your hair is dyed another color, you will need to remove the color using a dye remover first.^{[1]
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2
Protect your skin and clothing against the bleach. Put on an old shirt you won't mind ruining. You can also drape an old towel or a dyeing cape around your shoulders instead. Apply some petroleum jelly to your ears, back of neck, and around your hairline. Lastly, put on a pair of plastic gloves.

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3
Choose and mix your bleach in a non-metal bowl. Bleach comes in different volumes. What volume you choose depends on how dark your hair is and how light you need it to go. In general, the darker your hair is, the higher volume you will need. Prepare the bleach according to the provided instructions in a non-metal bowl.
- If you have light brown to medium brown hair, try a 20 volume bleach.
- If you have dark brown to black hair, try a 30 volume bleach.
4
Apply the bleach to your hair with a tinting brush, starting from the ends. Part your hair down the middle first, then apply the bleach to the ends. Once you have them covered, continue adding the bleach to your roots. The ends of your hair will take more time to bleach than the roots will, so you should do them first.
- If you have dark hair, consider applying the bleach to just the tips for an ombre look.^{[2]
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5
Tuck your hair under a shower cap. Gather your hair into a bun on top of your head. Secure it with a clip, if needed, then pull a plastic shower cap over it. This will prevent any drips and help the bleach process faster.
6
Wait for the bleach to develop. The longer you leave the bleach in your hair, the lighter it will become. Refer to the instructions included in the package for precise times.
- Check your hair every 5 minutes; your hair may lighten faster than the recommended time.
- Do not leave the bleach longer than the recommended time. If it is not light enough, you will need to bleach your hair a second time.^{[3]
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7
Rinse and shampoo the bleach out. Rinse the bleach out with cool water first, then follow up with shampoo. Rinse the shampoo out thoroughly and skip the conditioner.
- If your hair is not light enough, wait one full day, then bleach your hair again. You may have to do this 2 to 3 times. You should not bleach your hair again if it is dry, brittle, or breaking.^{[4]
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8
Tone your hair, if needed. Everyone's hair reacts differently to bleach. If your hair came out yellow or white, you are good to go. If your hair came out orange or brassy, you may want to tone it a little. You can tone your hair with a toning "purple" or "silver" shampoo, or mix up your own using purple dye and white conditioner.
- Use the toner like you would shampoo, but leave it in your hair for 10 minutes before rinsing it out.
- Toning your hair will help give you a more accurate dye job. If you don't tone it, it may come out too orange or too bright.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Mixing and Applying the Dye

1
Protect your work surface, skin, and clothing against stains. Cover your counter with newspaper or a plastic bag. Put on an old shirt or drape a dyeing cape/old towel around your shoulders. Apply petroleum jelly to your ears, back of neck, and around your hairline. Lastly, pull on a pair of plastic gloves.
2
Choose a shade of peach that suits your skin and hair color. You can get any shade of peach you want, but certain shades will look better against certain skin tones than others. If you are having trouble picking out a shade, consider the guidelines listed below:^{[5]
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- Fair skin or light hair: light to medium peach.
- Olive skin or dark hair: dark peach or ombre with dark roots and light tips.
- Dark skin: bright peach with coral and strawberry tones.
3
Squeeze white conditioner into a non-metal mixing bowl. A plastic bowl will work the best, but you can use glass if you have nothing else. Use enough conditioner to completely saturate your hair.^{[6]
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- If you don't have any white conditioner on hand, you can use a white-colored hair mask instead.^{[7]
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- Some types of dye, such as L'Oreal, require a "clear" color mixer. In this case, you should use the clear color mixer instead; be aware that it comes out white.^{[8]
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4
Stir the dye into the conditioner a little bit at a time. Keep adding more dye and stirring until you get the shade you want; the more dye you add, the darker/brighter the color will be. Remember, it's easier to add more color in, but you can't take it away.^{[9]
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- If the color came out too bright, add more white conditioner.
- You can use straight "peach" dye, or you can combine colors to create a unique shade. For example, you can mix orange and pink together.
5
Part your hair don the middle, if needed. You don't have to do this, but it will make applying the dye easier. Drape each side of your hair over each shoulder.^{[10]
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6
Apply the dye to your hair, starting from the roots. Start applying the dye to your hairline with a tinting brush. Lift up sections of hair, and apply more dye to the roots and mid-lengths. Blend the dye down the length of your hair, towards the ends, with your hands.^{[11]
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- Use a clean tinting brush; much sure that there is no bleach residue left on it.
- Some brands of dye require you to have dry hair, while others require you to have wet or damp hair. Read the instructions carefully!
7
Tuck your hair under a shower cap. Pile your hair on top of your head first. If you need to, secure it with a hair clip. Place a shower cap over your head. This will keep the dye moist and prevent it from getting everywhere.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Rinsing the Dye and Maintaining Your Color

1
Wait for the dye to develop. How long this takes depends on the type of dye you are using and how bright you want the color to be. Some types of dye, such as Manic Panic, can be left for 1 to 2 hours. Other types of dye, such as L'Oreal, should be left in for about 20 minutes.
- If you have bleached, pale blond, or highlighted hair, leave the dye on for 15 to 30 minutes.^{[12]
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2
Rinse the dye out with cold water. Keep rinsing your hair until the water starts to run clear. Lift away parts of your hair so that you can reach the roots as well. It would be easiest to do this with a detachable showerhead, but you can use a regular one as well—just be sure to lean your head far back.
3
Follow up with conditioner. Skip the shampoo and apply some conditioner to your hair. Allow the conditioner to sit for 2 to 3 minutes, then rinse it out. Make sure that the conditioner you are using is moisturizing, sulfate-free, and safe for color-treated it
- You can skip the conditioner if your hair feel soft enough.
4
Dry and style your hair, as desired. It would be best if you towel-dried your hair, then let it finish air drying on its own, especially if you bleached your hair. If you must straighten or curl your hair, apply a heat protectant to it first, then blow dry it and style it as desired.
- To prevent damage to your hair, never straighten or curl your hair while it's wet or without a heat protectant.
5
Maintain the color with proper after-care. Most at-home dye jobs will be semi-permanent, and will eventually fade out. You can make them last longer, however, by limiting washing your hair to once or twice a week. When you do wash your hair, use sulfate- and sodium chloride-free shampoos.
- Always use cool water when you shower, and make sure that you're conditioning your hair from the roots to the ends. Keeping your hair cuticles moisturized and strong will help your hair hold onto the color for longer.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do I prepare my hair for coloring?

April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist
April Ferri is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Co-Owner of Widows Peak Salon, a hair salon based in Los Angeles, California. With over ten years of experience, April specializes in hair coloring and enhancing and transforming natural tones into vibrant shades for beautiful and low maintenance hair. Her work has been featured in Voyage LA Magazine, and she has worked as a stylist for LA Fashion Week.

April Ferri

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Always do a strand test! Take a less obvious piece of hair and test the products you'd like to apply on the rest of your hair. See how your hair looks after the fact, as well as with the condition it's in.