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Tinting the lace or the "scalp" on a silk based closures

Tinting the lace or the "scalp" on silk based closures

Part your own hair and the closure and compare the scalp color. Most people find that their scalp is actually not the same shade as their faces. IF you still think the closure needs to be darkened, then you can use one of the three methods described below to dye the scalp.

While the steps in the three methods outlined below sound like a lot of work, I suggest doing it this way because many ladies seem nervous about dying their silk closures. So the steps I outline below allows you to make the color transformation in a more gradual manner.

However if you are more comfortable doing this (as I am), you can speed up these processes and simply soak the closure for longer intervals. (Some ladies will soak for up to 45 minutes -- though this may be too long if you are using fabric dye). The best way to get an idea of how long to soak your closure is to do a test soak on some plain white or light tan fabric to get the soak time estimate.
DYEING THE "SCALP" ON SILK BASED CLOSURES

TEA/COFFEE STAIN METHOD

What you'll need:
  1. Regular tea* (Lipton, Nestea, generic...) Just make sure it's regular tea and NOT an herbal tea..
  2. Gloves
  3. Blow dryer
  4. Small plastic bowl
 What you'll do:
  1. Use 4-5 bags per each cup of water
  2. Let the tea steep for 10-20 minutes until it is PITCH BLACK
  3. Microwave the black tea for 45 sec (no longer.. you want to just get the mixture very hot to the touch, but NOT boiling)
  4. Once you have your tea stain, you should soak the closure in it for 10 minutes
  5. Take the closure out, and squeeze out the excess stain back into the bowl
  6. Rinse with cold water (to help set the stain)
  7. Blowdry the scalp to see the actual color (the color will look darker when wet)

If necessary repeat the above steps until the desired color is achieved. (remember to re-heat the stain if necessary.. Once you achieve the desired color, allow the closure to dry completely to set the stain, and then rinse to wash away any excess tea residue from the hair. (You must let the stain dry completely before you rinse the closure or you will wash the stain away before it can set.

SEMI PERMANENT DYE STAIN METHOD


Some closures do not stain well using the tea/coffee method. In this case you may achieve successful results by using a semi permanent hair dye. The steps for this method are as follows:
 What you'll need:
  1. Semi permanent hair dye of your choice.
    You may need to blend one or more colors to get the color you want. Make sure that the color(s) you use have a NEUTRAL base/underlying color versus a base/underlying color such as red, green, blue, etc -- if you do not know what is meant by BASE color, you should read this article -- http://www.style-hair-magazine.com/hair-coloring.html
  2. Vinegar (Distilled or Apple Cider)
  3. Gloves
  4. Blow dryer
  5. Small plastic bowl
 What you'll do:
  1. Measure 2 parts semi perm color & 1 part vinegar (Vinegar makes the dye bath more acidic which helps with color adhesion)
  2. Mix thoroughly until blended well
  3. Microwave the mixture for 45 sec (no longer.. you want to just get the mixture very hot to the touch, but NOT boiling)
  4. Once you have your dye bath, you should soak the closure in it for 10 minutes
  5. Take the closure out, and squeeze out the excess dye back into the bowl
  6. Rinse with cold water (to help set the stain)
  7. Blow dry to see the actual color of the scalp (the color will look darker when wet)
If necessary repeat the above steps until the desired color is achieved. (remember to re-heat the dye mixture if necessary. Once you achieve the desired color, then rinse to wash away any excess dye from the hair.

FABRIC DYE METHOD

Some closures do not stain well using the tea/coffee method. In this case you may achieve successful results by using a semi permanent hair dye. The steps for this method are as follows: What you'll need:
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  1. Powdered Rit dye (You may need to blend one or more colors to get the color you want)
  2. Vinegar (Distilled or Apple Cider) or salt
  3. Gloves
  4. Blow dryer
  5. Small plastic bowl
 What you'll do:
  1. Follow the manufactures directions for mixing the dye. Add either salt of vinegar to the dye bath. (Salt or vinegar makes the dye bath more acidic which helps with color adhesion)
  2. Microwave the dye bath for 45 sec (no longer.. you want to just get the mixture very hot to the touch, but NOT boiling)
  3. Once you have your dye bath, you should soak the closure in it for 10 minutes
  4. Take the closure out, and squeeze out the excess dye back into the bowl
  5. Rinse with cold water (to help set the stain)
  6. Blow dry the scalp to see the actual color (the color will look darker when wet)
If necessary repeat the above steps until the desired color is achieved. (remember to re-heat the dye bath if necessary) Once you achieve the desired color, then rinse to wash away any excess dye from the hair.