Hair chalking is all the rage right now both with kids and adults, and why shouldn't it be, as it allows us all to have a little fun without the commitment or damage of living with permanent color.
We put a popular brand to the test to see just how easy it was, and found that it was so simple and so fun, that we noticed a little extra pep in our models' step the rest of the day.
- Purchase your hair chalk and color of choice, and be sure to have a can of hairspray or a spray bottle of water at hand. We found that most hair chalk can be found at any kind of drugstore at a pretty affordable price of around $5-8. Another option would be to search craft stores.
- Prep the hair. Make sure the hair is dry and without any kind of wax products. Taking one strip of hair at a time, lightly mist it with a coat of hairspray (or water). If using hairspray, allow this to dry before moving onto the next step.
- Apply the color. Take the compact of chalk and hold it in the palm of your hand with a twisted strand of hair on top. Pressing the hair into the chalk with your thumb or fingers, move the compact down the strip of hair to apply the color. Repeat as often as necessary until you achieve the desired intensity of color.
- Set the color. Lightly mist an additional coat of hairspray to seal in the color, and allow to dry.
- Repeat this process on additional strands until you have achieved your final look.
- (Optional) Apply heat either with a blow-dryer, flat iron or curling iron to seal the color even more.
When your child is ready to go all natural, simply wash it out. Hair may fade over a day or two if not washed, but whenever you're ready for a more natural look again, have your child jump in the shower or bath and get to shampooing away. Generally, with just one wash, the color should be permanently removed. (With lighter colored hair, it could take up to three washes, but a clarifying shampoo will work wonders.)
Additional Tips & Tricks
- When choosing your chalk be sure to avoid sidewalk chalk as well as oil-based pastel chalks, as these tend to be either too dusty or can stain clothing.
- Be prepared for the chalk dust fairies to fly by laying a towel around your child's shoulders to protect her clothing.
- If you're working with a lot of hair, get cozy sitting on the ground and give your child something to be entertained with. It will definitely make the process a whole lot more fun and comfortable. (Make sure to lay a towel over your lap to protect your own clothing from those colorful chalk dust fairies as well.)
- The smaller the strand of hair you work with at a time, the more intense the color will be.
- Either wear gloves or wash hands thoroughly with soap and water when applying color is complete.
- Brushing and combing the hair will cause the color to fade if not remove it completely.
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