Damage Free Ways To Add Color To Your Hair

Don’t you wish there was a way to add color without damaging your beautiful hair? Coloring hair is always fun-- you can feel like a new version of yourself and enhance your confidence. From Katy Perry, Halsey, to Kylie Jenner’s colorful hair sprees, it’s time for us to say it’s our turn. We found 5 of the best ways for you to add color to your hair without the damage!

Colorful Hair Chalk

Hair chalk is all the rage right now for damage-free coloring! You can take any piece of hair (or even try your whole head) and chalk it up! You can buy hair chalk at almost any drugstore or beauty supply store near you. Applying it can be very easy, depending on the brand you use. When applying, you want to have damp hair; not too dry or too soaked. Another good tip is to make sure your hair is clean. This means no hairspray, leave-in conditioner, hair gel, etc. While applying, make sure to go from top to bottom, not in a back and forth motion. You won’t get the result in one swipe, so make sure to go over it as much as desired. Chalk it up and bring your hair to life!

Photo by @briteorganix

Photo by @hannahstocking

Intense Color Conditioner

Using a color conditioner is another fantastic way to add color to your hair! A great recommended brand to use is Overtone. It is vegan-friendly, gluten, paraben, ammonia, and sulfate-free. This brand also uses natural ingredients like jojoba, avocado oil, and shea butter (just to name a few!). It is a little on the pricey side, but it is definitely worth spending! If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, you can also use brands like Punky Colour 3-in-1 Depositing Shampoo and Conditioner or Keracolor Clean + Clenditioner. You are able to purchase these brands at your local beauty supply stores. Either way, you will still come out looking like you went to the salon!

photo by @OvertoneColor

Natural Colored Extensions

If you don’t want to use color conditioners or hair chalk, you can also use extensions! Any type of hair extensions can work, whether that be tape-ins, clip-in sets, weaves, u-tips,(clickable links), etc. This is a great way to add in color, without having to worry about the full commitment of dying your hair! Clip-in hair extensions are always perfect, you can put them in and take them out whenever you choose. A great example is if you have dark hair and want to add some lighter brown highlights for the summer. It also works vice versa!

Vibrant Hair Paint Wax

For all my natural haired beauties, hair paint wax is the new rave to adding color to your hair! This wax is great if you want a quick fix of color. It’s non-harmful and it washes out after one wash with shampoo. It uses natural ingredients like beeswax, castor oil, and tea extract. Apply the color to damp hair and it can last up to 3 days or more!

Bold & Beautiful Wigs

Wigs are a great way to try color without actually altering your hair! Colorful human hair wigs have been very popular in the past couple of years and that popularity is soaring through the roof today. It gives you the freedom to look like a different person for a day or so. Wigs can range from natural to bright and colorful! You can braid your hair down or put it into a low bun to have a good foundation, apply a wig cap so that your hair is not seen, then slip on the wig. Voila! You are a new woman, that’s ready to conquer the world!

Adding color is a fun and easy way to bring your hair to life, especially when you can avoid damaging your hair color. Brighten up our comments below by telling us your favorite way to add color to your hair! Add a picture and you may be featured on the Perfect Locks Instagram page, @perfectlocks!

Color Without Compromise: The Complete Guide

"We see so many customers who damaged their hair chasing a color result and then needed extensions to cover the breakage. The irony is that many of those results were achievable without the damage. Extensions and color-safe techniques together give you the best of both - the color you want and the hair health to enjoy it."

- Priyanka Swamy, Founder of Perfect Locks

The Lowest-Damage Color Options Ranked

Colored extensions: Zero damage to your natural hair. Our clip-in extensions come in balayage, ombre, and highlighted options that add dimension and color without a single chemical touching your natural strands. For women who want a color result but aren't willing to risk their hair health, this is the most logical starting point.

Semi-permanent color: Deposits color without lifting the natural pigment, so no developer is required. Washes out gradually over 6-12 shampoos. Zero damage risk and easy to change if you don't love the result.

Gloss treatments: A professional gloss adds shine and a slight color shift without significant chemical processing. Great for enhancing your natural color, adding warmth or coolness, or refreshing faded color. Minimal damage risk.

Highlights with foils: More commitment but when done by an experienced colorist, significantly less damaging than all-over bleach. The foils protect surrounding hair, and precise placement means only the sections you want lightened are processed.

All-over bleach: The highest damage risk. If this is the look you want, go to a professional, space out the sessions, use a bond protector like Olaplex, and commit to an intensive moisturizing routine afterward.

Protecting Your Extensions When Coloring Natural Hair

If you color your natural hair and wear extensions, there are a few things to know. Remove clip-in extensions before any color treatment. For tape-in or semi-permanent extensions, your colorist needs to know they're in place - color application near tape bonds or bead rows requires a different technique. Never bleach or lift extension hair with at-home products; if you want lighter extensions, have a professional handle it.