How To Dye Your Hair Blue Like Kelly Ripa

After a fun experimentation with pink, Kelly Ripa's new blue hair proves the star is clearly enjoying the world of rainbow hair colors. If the new blue hair look Ripa's rocking has got you wondering how to dye your hair blue, I promise you can do it yourself! As a former aqua (and pink) haired gal with no previous experience dyeing hair, it's really not as intimidating as it sounds. I'm warning you though, once you start playing with rainbow colors in your locks, it's hard to stop.

Ripa's transition from pink hair to blue was smart. The dyes fade differently, and faint hints of pink/orange color are much easier to cover with a new shade than remnants of blue/green. But don't let that scare you from experimenting with wild colombre, cool pixelated looks, and sexy silver hair! Just do your research first with each new shade.

When I was debating whether or not to take the colored hair plunge, one of my best friends was like, "Girl, it's always gonna grow back. Just do it." Her statement was 100 percent correct, and even though my pink and blue colored hair experiments ended with me getting a cute summer bob, it was hands down worth it! I felt so free and gorgeous.

Here's one more pic of Ripa to convince you:

1. Bleach First

If your hair isn't naturally blonde, you're going to have to bleach it out so the color you want will actually show up. If you've never bleached your hair before, I would recommend letting a professional stylist do this for you!

2. Test Strip Color (Or Totally Don't And Say You Did)

Jars of Manic Panic dye (my favorite choice) advise you to dye a "test strip" of hair first to see what the color will look like once it's set. This is good advice, but full-disclosure, I've never followed it. Ain't no one got time for that.

3. Dye Your Hair

First off, if you're nervous about putting your own color in, you can find a salon that will do it for you. When I first tried out pink hair, I definitely didn't have the guts to do it myself and am really glad I paid more for a professional.

By the time I switched from pink to blue though, my confidence was up and I felt like I could do it myself. Whatever brand you buy will have specific instructions and you should obviously follow those, but a few general things you'll want are gloves, a brush you don't care about getting color on, and a shower cap. I think I purchased all of these at CVS for a grand total of $7.

As you're applying the color, start at the top and go downward so it distributes evenly. Once the color has saturated your strands, pop on the shower cap and keep it in until the instructions on your box say to rinse. Less time means less intense color, so ride out the full 25 to 30 minutes!

4. Use Cold Water

Once you've successfully dyed your hair, cold showers, minimal soap, and lots of conditioner are your best friends. Most important, though, is cold water. Piping hot showers will fade your blue or pink or whatever out in like, two weeks. If you really can't give up the heat, take a bath and then rinse your hair with cold water before you get out. Trust me, worth it. Because if not, your blue hair might turn green and suddenly match your friend's yoga pants. #Awkward/Amazing

5. Remember To Touch Up

To keep your color looking intense, it's a good idea to touch it up every three weeks or so. Just repeat the steps in #3 but don't leave the dye in as long. And if you find that your hair is getting really brittle, many salons offer moisture treatments specifically designed to nourish intensely dyed hair.

Last step? Have fun!

Image Credit: RyanTrygstadHair, Kelly Ripa, ManicPanicBinkDotz/Instagram, Author's Own