The creative ways we use to dye our hair are at an all-time high. Almost every week, there is some new technique or effect that makes us want to book another hair salon appointment ASAP. Recent favorites include oil slick hair, a multidimensional effect that makes dark hair look like spilled oil mixed with water and opal hair color, oil slick’s lighter cousin, which leaves your hair with as many tones as the actual stone. The hair dye trend of the week is hand-pressed hair color, and it isn’t like anything we’ve seen because it uses an interesting tool–plexiglass.
It sounds strange to be using a piece of plexiglass for your hair color, but it produces a soft blended effect. Another great thing about it is that it requires less time than traditional dyeing methods. That means less time sitting in the salon on your day off and more time shopping for your new fall wardrobe/having TV box set marathons, perfecting your contouring.
The brain behind hand-pressed hair is Redken Colorist Chiala Marvici. Chiala told Allure that the idea for hand-pressed hair color actually came to her overnight. She explained, “I know it sounds strange, but I had a dream where I saw multiple layers of patterns and sheets of color, one in front of the other.”
The technique involves painting blobs, swirls, and shapes of different hair colors on a clear six-inch piece of plexiglass. A section of hair is laid over the top of the color. Then this is where the “hand-pressed” part comes in. Chiala uses a plastic putty knife to smooth the hair and colors together on the underside of your hair. The final result can vary depending on how many times you have done this imprinting process. Want to see exactly how the technique is achieved? You can see Chiala doing it on her Instagram and check out the video at the bottom.
(Related: Introducing Oil Slick Hair, The Rainbow Hair Dye Technique For Brunettes)
Chiala explains that you can combine the technique when you’re getting your roots touched up because the hand-pressed hair application is so fast that and it will process in the same time as your regular touch-up. The application normally takes about 20 minutes; then, she allows the hair to process for 30 minutes.
You can use different hair colors, from natural shades to bolder rainbow hues. Short-haired girls will be pleased to know that as long as you don’t have a super short buzzed style, you’ll be able to get the look. Check out the above hand-pressed hair look for proof.
This blue and gold hand-pressed hair shows how subtle, bold tones can be. It gives your hair a subtle multi-tonal effect that will look beautiful when the light catches it. Because it has a blurred finish and is applied to the underside of your hair, you don’t have to worry about getting it touched up as frequently as a lot of other looks.
If you want to try hand-pressed hair, Chiala has been traveling around to different salons to show hair colorists how to perfect the technique. If you want to try something different than your dip-dyed ends, wait a bit before you book your next color appointment. It won’t be long before salons are offering hand-pressed hair color near you.
Iskra Banović is our seasoned Editor-in-Chief at BlueFashion. She has been steering the website's content and editorial direction since 2013. With a rich background in fashion design, Iskra's expertise spans across fashion, interior design, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and culture.
