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What Is a Hair Spray Dye?

Alicia Sparks
Alicia Sparks

Hair spray dye is a type of temporary hair dye. Generally, the user applies this type of hair dye by spraying the product from a can directly onto her hair. Some types of hair spray dye are designed for people who want a quick and temporary fix for some hair color issue, such as graying hair. Other types are designed for fun, dramatic, or theatrical use. Hair spray dye is available at a wide variety of retail locations, though from where a customer purchases the dye often depends on the type she wants and her intended outcome.

Many kinds of hair spray dye are designed for people interested in dyeing hair for quick gray coverage or a temporary change. Typically, these kinds of spray dye are available in conventional hair colors like blonde, black, brown, and certain shades of red. People who want to brighten their already gray hair can even find these dyes in gray. Often, these customers aren’t yet ready for the permanence or semi-permanence of more traditional hair dye, or they simply want to see what another hair color would look like before they make a more permanent change. Sometimes, these customers just want a temporary fix for special occasions and aren’t interested in the application and maintenance involved with traditional hair dye.

When dying hair, it's recommended to wear gloves to prevent staining the hands.
When dying hair, it's recommended to wear gloves to prevent staining the hands.

Other kinds of hair spray dye are designed for people who want to temporarily change their hair color for events like parties, theater productions, or costume events like Halloween. While these customers can find dye in traditional hair colors like brown, blond, and even gray, such dyes are also available in less conventional colors like purple, green, and blue. Some of these types of spray dye even feature glitter.

Most hair spray dyes can be completely washed out of hair in a single wash.
Most hair spray dyes can be completely washed out of hair in a single wash.

Similar to hair spray dye designed for serious use, these kinds of sprays provide varying degrees of coverage. Some offer a thorough, matte coverage. Others perform more like colored hair spray, providing a semi-transparent or glossy coverage rather than opaque coverage.

Typically, where a customer purchases the hair spray dye depends on their intentions for the product. Many retail locations that sell traditional hair dye and other beauty and cosmetics products also sell spray dye. For example, a customer might find the dye at a local drug store or pharmacy, a beauty supply shop, or a larger department store. Too, many costume and party stores sell hair spray dye. Usually, customers who want to temporarily change their hair color for fun or dramatic, rather than serious, reasons have more luck at such shops.

Discussion Comments

pastanaga

Personally, I'd rather use a wig or a few colored hair extensions than use those colored dyes.

Especially the cheap ones, I don't trust any company that sells a hair dye, even a temporary one, for only a couple of dollars.

People often get allergic reactions to hair dyes and they can be really awful, because it's difficult to wash out all the dye before it reacts with the entire scalp.

If you are going to use it, at least do a patch test before you stick it all over your head. I've seen people who have had allergic reactions to hair dye and it is not a pretty sight.

croydon

@browncoat - That's a really good idea for people who want to support their local team as well. I have a few friends who use hair spray dye whenever they go to football games, I guess so that they can attract the attention of the cameras and maybe get on the big screen.

The only thing you need to be aware of is that often the cheaper ones use quite strong dyes. If you use a dark color, like purple, on blonde hair, or damaged hair, you might end up with a more permanent color than you want.

I had a friend who had blonde hair who used a dark green dye, which looked fantastic, but she took a long time to wash out.

She had a kind of green tinge for a couple of weeks even though she washed it over and over trying to get it out.

Luckily she was a student so it didn't matter too much, but someone who is a professional might not be happy about having to go into work after an exciting weekend, with multi-colored hair.

browncoat
You can get party hair spray dye at the local dollar shop. At least, that's where my mother gets it whenever she needs it for a school function.

She's the principal of a school where the students are divided into Houses, like they are in the Harry Potter books, and each house has its own color.

So, being the principal, she can't choose favorites and she always gets one can of each color and sprays her hair into stripes for every sports competition.

The kids adore her for doing it, and lots of them wear wigs and things as well. It washes out at the end of the day, although the pictures people take of her last longer than that!

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    • When dying hair, it's recommended to wear gloves to prevent staining the hands.
      By: steinerpicture
      When dying hair, it's recommended to wear gloves to prevent staining the hands.
    • Most hair spray dyes can be completely washed out of hair in a single wash.
      By: Roman Gorielov
      Most hair spray dyes can be completely washed out of hair in a single wash.
    • Some people can use dye that comes in an aerosol canister.
      By: m_dinler
      Some people can use dye that comes in an aerosol canister.
    • Spray dye may be available in blonde hair color.
      By: soup studio
      Spray dye may be available in blonde hair color.