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Does Dyeing Your Hair Black Damage It or Make It Healthier?

Published: May 25, 2022 by Kenneth Byrd · This post may contain affiliate links

African American female with light brown skin color and dark hair after dyeing her dark brown with jet black hair dye.

Most of us know that dyeing hair from dark brown to platinum blonde can be extremely damaging. But does this also apply when dyeing your hair black?

In this article, we’ll evaluate the effects of dyeing your hair black and share our top tips on keeping damage to a minimum. By the end, we’ll equip you with all the tools you need to get the stunning black mane of your dreams. 

Table of Contents

  • 1 Does Dyeing Your Hair Black Damage It?
  • 2 Does Dyeing Your Hair Black Make It Healthier?
  • 3 How to Dye Your Hair Black with Minimal Damage
    • 3.1 Opt for a Semi-permanent Dye
    • 3.2 Follow the Instructions Closely
    • 3.3 Use Strengthening or Repairing Products
    • 3.4 Get Your Hair Professionally Colored
    • 3.5 Take Care of Your Hair
    • 3.6 Never Mix Different Brands of Hair Dye
  • 4 Pros and Cons of Dyeing Your Hair Black
    • 4.1 Pros
    • 4.2 Cons 
  • 5 5 Gentlest Black Hair Dyes
    • 5.1 Related Articles

Does Dyeing Your Hair Black Damage It?

As a general rule, dyeing your hair darker causes far less damage than lightening your locks. Unless your natural hair color is light blonde, you’ll usually have to bleach your hair before dyeing it a lighter shade.

When you lighten your hair, harsh chemicals penetrate your hair cuticles and destroy or alter the pigments inside, leading to major damage. 

Cute lady with light brown skin tone and a 3C hair type wearing black dye on curls with dark brown natural color.

By comparison, darkening your hair is much less invasive. You don’t have to bleach your hair before darkening it, which significantly cuts down on damage.

Despite being less damaging, there is always some risk when you dye your hair with permanent or demi-permanent color. Your hair may feel dry or brittle after coloring it, depending on the dye used.  

Does Dyeing Your Hair Black Make It Healthier?

Although dyeing your hair black won’t make your hair healthier, it makes damaged hair look better overall by enhancing its shine and fullness. Microscopic dye molecules also fill in tiny holes and gaps along the shaft of your hair for visible smoothness.  

Dyeing your hair black is more like a band-aid than a cure. Even though your strands may look healthier, they will still need plenty of TLC to get back to their former glory.

Get regular trims and use moisturizing and repairing treatments while you nurse your strands back to health. Over time, your hair will transition from just looking better to actually being healthy. 

Relaxed young black woman after a dramatic change - dyeing hair black by a professional colorist.

How to Dye Your Hair Black with Minimal Damage

While coloring your hair comes with some inherent risks, there are measures you can take to make the process go more smoothly. Here are some tips to help you dye your hair black while keeping damage to a minimum. 

Opt for a Semi-permanent Dye

If you’re concerned about minimizing damage, choose a semi-permanent hair dye. Permanent and demi-permanent hair color penetrates your strands, which can leave tiny holes and gaps on the surface of your hair.

On the other hand, semi-permanent dyes coat the outside of your strands in a layer of rich color. That leaves the integrity of your hair intact and is much safer than penetrative dyes. 

Follow the Instructions Closely

Going over recommended time limits or incorrectly applying your dye can have disastrous consequences. Closely following the directions decreases your odds of facing severe damage and can keep your strands in good condition.  

Use Strengthening or Repairing Products

Chemical processing, like coloring your hair, can cause significant damage. Use products that improve and rebuild your strands to combat this.

There are even products, like Olaplex, that can be mixed directly into hair dye to reduce its damaging effects. After coloring your hair, follow up with strengthening treatments to keep your hair in excellent shape. 

Get Your Hair Professionally Colored

Getting your hair professionally colored is, without a doubt, the safest way to dye your hair black. Your stylists are equipped with high-quality tools and products to tackle even the most demanding hair coloring needs.

They’ll also be able to reduce your likelihood of needing potentially damaging corrective color. 

Take Care of Your Hair

The healthier your hair is, the more it will be able to stand up to the stress of coloring it. Avoid coloring extremely damaged hair, and implement a healthy hair routine before and after dyeing it. 

Never Mix Different Brands of Hair Dye

Each brand of hair dye has a unique blend of ingredients, and, unfortunately, not all formulas work well together. Using incompatible dye brands may cause a severe chemical reaction.

In the most extreme cases, the reaction can cause smoking and burning – it could even melt your hair off. Only mix dyes if they are the same type and from the same brand. 

A young black lady wearing her colored hair dark in a curly afro hairstyle as she lets her natural roots grow.

Pros and Cons of Dyeing Your Hair Black

Dyeing your hair black is a big commitment, so naturally, you might have questions about some of the advantages and disadvantages that come along with it.

Here are the pros and cons of dyeing your hair black. 

Pros

  • Your hair will look shinier and may appear healthier. 
  • Black hair dye can cover even the most stubborn grays. 
  • There is a wide variety of black dyes ranging from unnatural to natural shades. 
  • Black hair is lower maintenance than other shades of hair color. 
  • You don’t have to lighten your hair to go black. 

Cons 

  • Some hair dyes can damage your strands, leading to split ends and hair breakage. 
  • Black hair dye is extremely difficult to remove, making it more difficult to go lighter in the future. 
  • Black hair is very stark and can wash out your complexion or highlight flaws in your face.
  • Because lightening dyed black hair is so complex, you’ll likely have to go to a professional for color correction. Corrective color is more expensive and damaging than traditional color.  
Black female wearing her hair lighter after using dark brown hair dye to cover her natural roots.

5 Gentlest Black Hair Dyes

With so many dye brands on the market, finding one that’s gentle on your strands can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’ve taken all of the guesswork out of it and provided you with a list of five of the gentlest black hair dyes available. Here they are! 

Pravana Chromasilk Vivids - Black Unisex
Pravana Chromasilk Vivids - Black Unisex
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This paraben-free hair dye is one of the gentlest and longest-lasting black semi-permanent dyes you can find.

Chromasilk contains silk and keratin amino acids, which repair and strengthen your hair from the inside out. The silk amino acids also help drive color further into your strands for rich color that is vibrant and defies fading. 

Herbatint Permanent Hair Color Gel, 1N Black
Herbatint Permanent Hair Color Gel, 1N Black
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Eight different herbal extracts make this vegan permanent hair dye one of the gentlest options on the market.

Herbatint protects and nourishes your hair and scalp, leaving you with a natural-looking black mane. Its gentle formula was made with nature in mind and is free from resorcinol, ammonia, and alcohol. 

Madison Reed Radiant Hair Color Kit, Permanent Hair Dye
Madison Reed Radiant Hair Color Kit, Permanent Hair Dye
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Madison Reed's convenient hair coloring kit includes everything you need to get shiny, multi-dimensional black tresses. This permanent dye is infused with hair-healthy ingredients to improve your strands' condition.

Additionally, its super clean formula leaves out harsh ingredients like PPDs, resorcinol, parabens, phthalates, and titanium dioxide. 

African American woman wearing her curls a black hair color after undergoing the hair coloring chemical process.
ARCTIC FOX Vegan and Cruelty-Free Semi-Permanent Hair Color Dye
ARCTIC FOX Vegan and Cruelty-Free Semi-Permanent Hair Color Dye
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Curl Centric may receive compensation if you make a purchase using this link, at no additional cost to you.

Like other semi-permanent hair dyes, Arctic Fox doesn’t penetrate your hair. Instead, it coats the outside of your hair shaft, resulting in temporary, vivid color and virtually no hair damage.

The highly pigmented formula nourishes your strands and leaves you with stunning black hair that lasts up to eight weeks!

Clairol Natural Instincts Demi-Permanent Hair Dye, 2 Black Hair Color, 3 Count
Clairol Natural Instincts Demi-Permanent Hair Dye, 2 Black Hair Color, 3 Count
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Curl Centric may receive compensation if you make a purchase using this link, at no additional cost to you.

Natural Instincts blends away stubborn grays and delivers a healthy boost of shine to your locks. Its gentle, nondrip formula is enriched with coconut oil and aloe vera and is suitable for all hair types and textures.

Demi-permanent hair dyes gently drive pigments directly into your strands for radiant color that lasts for up to 28 washes.

Related Articles

  • Best Colors to Dye Black Hair
  • How to Bleach Black Hair at Home
  • Is My Hair Black or Dark Brown
  • Caramel Balayage for Black Straight Hair

We hope this article has answered all of your questions about dyeing your hair black. While it carries some risk, dyeing your hair black is significantly less damaging than lightening it.

Even so, remember that going black is a commitment. It’s notoriously difficult to remove, so be sure to consider your long-term hair goals before taking the plunge. Good luck!

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About Kenneth Byrd

Kenneth Byrd, with a BS in Accounting and Management Information Systems and an MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has over 15 years of experience and is a recognized authority in hair care. Co-founder of Curl Centric® and Natural Hair Box, Kenneth has dedicated himself to promoting ethical and scientifically-backed hair care practices. Rigorous editorial guidelines, industry recognitions, and features in numerous media outlets evidence his expertise. Kenneth’s commitment to transparency, quality, and empowerment has positioned him as a trusted voice in the field, empowering readers to confidently embrace their natural beauty.

Kira Byrd wearing short pixie cut

Hey, I'm Kira!

Curl Centric is a curly hair blog created by husband-and-wife team Kenneth and Kira Byrd. With over 15 years of experience and a community of 10,000+ daily readers, we share trusted techniques to help you embrace and care for your natural curls with confidence.

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CurlCentric.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher. Curl Centric® services, articles, content, and products are provided for informational purposes only. Curl Centric does not provide professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Curl Centric follows a strict editorial policy that produces accurate, factual, and honest content to help you make the right hair care decisions. Curl Centric has an affiliate relationship for some of the products that we recommend. We may receive compensation if purchases are made using our links, at no extra cost to you. CurlCentric.com is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. To ensure that we maintain our editorial integrity, our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our sponsors and advertisers. The product recommendations and advertisers that appear on Curl Centric are from companies that compensate us through an exclusive, full-service ad management partner. This compensation does not influence the content we publish or the product reviews shown on our site.

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