I get so many of the same questions about Pravana on a daily basis, so I decided to answer all the questions in one post so that those who needs answers will have something to reference to.
- Do I have to lighten my hair to use Pravana Vivids?
No, you do not technically need to, but if you want that exact color or something more vibrant and bright, then yes. What will happen if you do not bleach or pre-lighten your hair is that it will just mainly show up in sunlight or bright lights, aka, it will just tint your hair.
- How do I prevent it from bleeding and staining?
Wear dark clothes and have dark sheets! That’s what I do, anyway. There is no way around this and it is going to happen because the color does not actually penetrate the hair. This is a statement from an actually Pravana stylist, “Because Vivids aren’t a permanent color they don’t penetrate the hair, they are designed to wash gradually from the hair each time the hair is shampoo’d. Sometimes, especially when the color is new even when the hair gets wet (swimming, excessive sweating etc.) there can be a little color transfer.”
- Where do I buy Pravana Vivids?
You can purchase it at Salon Centric IF you have a license in either cosmotology, nails, or esthetics. Other than that, it is a professional color and you must visit the Pravana website in order to locate a salon near you that uses the brand. Other than that, I have no idea where else to purchase it. Some have stated they buy it off ebay, so maybe you could find it through there!
– My hair is black/brown/other color and I want to get my hair red like yours. What do I use/what level are you/how many times can I go over my hair/etc.
I have nooooooooo idea!!!!!!!!! Please remember my STYLIST does my hair and I do not have a cosmetology license (as I have stated many, many times before). I am only licensed as an Esthetician (skin care). As much as I would love to help you all achieve what you want, most of what I know is only through my personal experience with my own hair and what my stylist has educated me on, or what I have personally contacted Pravana professionals to help me answer. As far as whatever you all need to do, please go to a professional hair stylist for questions other than something I am experienced in!
- My hair fades too fast. Is there any way to prevent this?
I have two articles focusing on this.
1) ALL About RED HAIR; Semi-permanent Dyes, Maintaining your Red Hair color, and Do’s/Donts!
2) Tip for Red Hair! Reviving Your Color Before Your Next Dye
- What hair dyes do you use?
I have an entire article on it that could be found by clicking here.
I can’t think of any further questions, but if you have any, below would be the perfect spot to ask them so I can start directing people to this post! I will try to answer them the best that I can, but if they are not something I feel comfortable asking, I will advise you to seek professional stylist help.
You can buy Pravana Vivids online at discountbeautycenter.com. I’ve been getting mine there for months, and they ship super fast, even with the cheapest shipping. I get it within two days, and they ship by UPS. It’s $7 a tube, and the tubes are big. I have very thick, just-past-chin-length hair, and one tube is enough for me. I also pre-lighten with L’Oreal HiColor in red or magenta, and that helps keep my hair red longer. Pravana is BY FAR the best color I’ve ever used!
Thanks for the other option!
Hopefully that will help a ton of people out. And yes, I love L’oreal HiColor! Been using it for years!
Nice name!
Thanks for this comment, I wanted to order stuff from there and couldn’t find anything on Google about how legit (or not) they were.
Hey Sara,
Do you use Pravana Vivids on your eyebrows also? I actually have very sparse eyebrows , so I am not sure it would look as good on me
Stay tuned for an eyebrow post/tutorial this week
Have you tried mixing two pravana dyes together? I used just the red and it was too pink. I was wondering if mixing yellow or orange would help.and make it more of a warm red. Any ideas?
Yes, I always mixed my dye colors. I rarely ever dye my hair only using one color. Try it!
Do you have any idea as to what would work better yellow or orange for a warm red?
Thanks
My opinion, Orange
Thanks for your help !!
Did you dye your Hair L’oreal Hicolor Hi-lights in Magenta color to lighten your hair, then apply The Pravana dyes??
Yes!
Hi, I’m so glad I found your website, it’s so helpful, thank you! I’m soon to be a redhead, aiming for a deep blood red colour, but I have trouble finding a good non damaging, non bleeding (at least, not much) and long lasting dye. I’m really put off by the fact that semi-permanent dyes bleed A LOT even when just wet and the price they cost here in France (14€ for a pot of Manic Panic !!). So I’m REALLY interested in this brand but have a few questions. Does it bleed at lot? I know it bleeds when you freshly dye your hair or after the shower because of shampoo but will it stains your skin/clothes while being wet just from rain or sweat? Can you wear white clothes after a couple of days or weeks ?
Hey Sara! The salon centric in my area have all the vivids color except red! But they do have the regular pravana (the one in the purple box) in red, do you think the color is similar? Thanks (:
What kind of shampoo/conditioner do you use?
Pravana!
Hey, my hair right now is dark red. Somewhat, burgundy.
Could I just use the pravana hair dye out the tub and into my hair? Will this make my hair a brighter red?
You need to lift your color to get a brighter red.
Love your blog! Thanks so much for doing this blog post and all your other posts on Pravana vivids! I’ve been using Loreal High Color for years and have been looking for something gentler. I can’t wait to try out Pravana!
Thank you so much!!
)
I love my Pravana but need a change I’m trying to get my brown hair back. I’ve tried to remove the purple but have not been able to. My hair has lightened but still has a green tint to it, Please help.
Pravana doesn’t come out of the hair. You have to grow it out and cut it. If you’d like, you can ask the educators on the Pravana facebook page
What developer do you initially use with your l’oreal hi color Hilights? I’m going for a deep dark red, almost a maroon. I’m also curious if you have any suggestions of what color Pravana provides that will achieve this hue of red. Thank you ^_^!
my stylist uses a 30 volume but a 20 volume does just fine! I suggest looking into their Vivids red and wild orchid to mix for a darker color!
I have dark brown hair.. In the past I highlighted my hair & put magenta & violet in. It looked amazing. Now I’m back to dark brown but I want a purple tint in it. I tried a pravana color but you couldn’t see it but it lightened my dark color a little. I don’t want to bleach it again.. Do you think if I put the vivids violet color thru all of my hair (after I touch up my roots, wash & dry my hair) & leave the color on for a while it will tint my hair purple? I can’t have bright colors for work
so sad but I still want a subtle color that you can notice but won’t be extremely bright. What do you think!?
I can’t say how noticeable it will be but it will definitely tint your color and show more in the sunlight
I’ve just recently become a redhead and I LOVE it. my stylist told me to use the pravana red between visits to maintain the brightness and fight the ever present fade… she didn’t really tellme much about how to use it, but from reading all the Q&A on here, it seems simple, just toss it in and let it sit. I’ve also been reading questions about lightening and such. I have naturally light brown/dirty blonde hair, I understand you aren’t a hair professional, but would you think lightening would really be needed to make the vivid color take and be truly vivid? I’m heading to salon centric in my town, I have a massage license and they said that was good enough to get me “on the list” haha, but I’m trying to make a shopping list and would rather decide before purchasing and using the pravana if I should lighten too… sorry for the essay!!
also, I have fine hair and it seems to take color pretty well.
I would definitely say that you’re going to get a much more vibrant and true red color by lifting your hair