Breaking news: Vivid hair color is IN.

Our hair is one of the biggest ways we express our personality, and you can do that in a multitude of ways, such as fun accessories, a dramatic cut or style change, or a bold color.

Enter the vivids.

If you love adding a pop of color anywhere you can—whether it’s with your clothes or accessories or even in your car—maybe you’ve also been thinking about playing around with a vivid hair color.

Before you hop in the chair, it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into. Read on for everything you need to know about vivids.

What Are Vivid Hair Colors?

When we think of coloring our hair, we’re typically thinking of the standard hair colors: black, blonde, auburn, or brown. But with vivids, it’s a whole new palette.

A vivid hair color can be any color of the rainbow and more. Think electric blues, fiery reds, deep purples, neon greens, and even pastel shades, like soft pinks and lilacs.

We’re seeing more and more vivids everywhere we look these days, thanks to a cultural shift toward more adventurous expressions of individuality. It’s not just a fashion statement; it’s a form of self-expression.

Just because the colors are bold and bright doesn’t mean the shift has to be overwhelming though. Many people opt for color blocking their hair, especially with vivids. Of course you can do an all-over transformation, but you can also only color the strands that frame your face or do a reverse halo feature where you color only the top of your head.

Like all hairstyles, colors, and highlights, vivids can be 100% customized to your skin tone, hair type, and desired outcome.

How to Prepare Your Hair for a Vivid Transformation

As with all hair coloring treatments, the right preparation is key. And going for a vivid color is similar to blonding in that it takes time and careful preparation to achieve the right look.

First and foremost, you should be scraping Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration and ideas, and if it’s your first time ever coloring your hair, you should definitely have a consultation with your stylist. You need to know what it will cost, how long it will take, and what the maintenance will be like before you decide to commit.

Healthy hair is the best canvas for vivid colors. If your hair is damaged or brittle, consider a few deep conditioning treatments to restore its strength and elasticity and limit your use of heat styling tools and harsh chemicals.

If you have darker hair, you will need to lighten it for the vivids to actually show up, and the darker your natural hair, the more gradual the bleaching process will need to be to prevent damage. The goal is to lighten your hair to a pale blonde, the ideal base for most vivid colors.

Before vivids were a major style trend, most people who opted for them did so themselves from a box. This is not advisable for several reasons.

One, box dyes can’t guarantee the actual color you will end up with and the color fades faster because of the preservatives in them. Not to mention, you can’t do proper color blocking at home or keep your hair from drying out. Finally, with box dyes, you’re almost guaranteed that the color will run when you shower.

At a salon, stylists can perfectly match your vivid color to your underlying pigment, helping it to last longer without damaging your hair.

How to Maintain Your Vivid Hair Color

When it comes to hair treatments, the maintenance for vivids is pretty high.

When applied properly, vivids tend to last for about 24 washes or two months with the right upkeep at home. Colors with a red base tend to fade a little quicker than those with a blue base, while pastels fade after about 12 washes.

The first rule of vivid maintenance is don’t wash your hair for the first three days.

With vivids, it’s important to wash your hair once or twice a week with cold water and color-safe shampoos, and if they’re specifically formulated for vivids, that’s even better. One or two deep conditioning treatments a month is also recommended.

You also want to avoid chlorine if possible and heat styling tools, because both can strip the color from your hair.

When it comes to touch-ups, it all depends on the color you want and the fade you want. Some vivids might require a touch-up after a month. When it comes to fading, talk to your stylist about what color you want to start with and the color you want it to fade to so you can get the result you want.

Go Bolder with Studio 312 Salon

At Studio 312 Salon, we’re not just here to give you a haircut and send you on your way. We’re here to help you express yourself.

When you come in for a vivid transformation, we’ll make sure we understand exactly the color and look you want and how possible it is for your natural hair. During our initial consultation, we’ll go over the full process and what upkeep you’ll need to do at home so you’re prepared.

So if you’re ready to make the leap into a bolder look, book an appointment with one of our vivid specialists today!