Dip-Dyed Hair Is Trending. Here's How To Pull Off The Colorful Look

Accent hair colors are always trending on social media, and some trends are worth a second look. Years ago, dip-dye was all the rage, and although it never really went away, the color application is back in the spotlight and better than ever. 

Dip-dye color is when a new hue is introduced into your mane, but only on the edges. It's designed to look like you tipped just the ends of your hair into a bowl of hair dye. The color is usually a contrast to the rest of your tress shade, and has a straight, defining border. You can also double dip with more than one color, like two shades of blue on a platinum-blonde base.

The trend is not only visually stunning, which makes it a popular choice for bold-hair lovers, but it comes with super-easy maintenance. There's no grow-out to worry about, since the color isn't anywhere near your roots. And, when you decide to try a different mane design, all it takes is a quick snip and the dip-dye hue can easily be cut away.

For a bold take on the trend, choose a dip-dye color that stands out from the rest of your mane shade. While you can start with any vibrant base, dip dyes can be stunning on natural-hued tresses, too, like tangerine-yellow on black locks.

If you have very dark hair and want a very bright color, you may have to lighten your hair just a bit before the color application. However, there are myriad hues that will work on any base shade. Darker tones like purple and red can be added to brunette tresses with little pre-prep, while just about any color will look bold and bright on paler blonde tones.

And while you could just color an inch along the bottom edge of your hair, if you really want to make a statement, you can let that bottom color rise up two or even three inches. Bonus: When it's time to cut your hair and trim a bit off the edges, you'll still have the dip dye in full effect.

While dip-dyed hair lends itself especially well to straight styles, you don't have to have a bob cut or blunt edges to wear the look. In fact, if you prefer a more customized version of the trend, you're better off without all the precise borders. The application is the same, applying color on the ends of your strands, it's just that your ends don't have to be all the same length.

A long, layered haircut offers up several edges on which to apply the color. You might have a few dip-dyed ends framing the face with shorter layers, maybe a few at shoulder-level, and then a few more colored edges a few inches further down. For even more customization, you can decide which layers get the added color, and how many inches (or centimeters) of the hue to add.

Layered snips can also lend a certain subtlety to dip dye. If you chose a hue close to your locks (like pastel lime or lemon on blonde hair), the second hue will add gentle pops of color throughout your hair, instead of one defining line of contrasting color in one prominent location.