Meet Trisha Reibelt, hair colorist extraordinaire from North Queensland, Australia.
Take one look at her Instagram feed, and it’s clear as day that she’s no stranger to hair dye.
If you’re like us, and are considering trying out a different hair hue, you’ll appreciate the sound and fascinating hair advice Trisha offered exclusively to Sweety High.
Scroll below to see just how she maintains her locks and what you can do to achieve a long, lush mane as magical as hers. ????
Sweety High: You have such amazing, long hair! How do you take care of it without damaging it, especially with all of the dyeing?
Trisha Reibelt: The only damaging part of coloring my hair is the bleaching process. To keep the damage to a minimum, I only ever use bleach on my regrowth—I don’t use bleach to remove the dyes as not only is it damaging, but it can push the dye pigment further into the hair and that will cause staining. The dyes themselves are actually just highly pigmented conditioners so they’re not at all bad to put on hair!
SH: Do you dye your hair by yourself? What is that process like? How do you come up with the color combinations?
TR: I normally dye my hair with the help of my best friend. If I do it on my own, it easily takes twice as long (more than five hours)! Depending on how I’d like the outcome to look is how I approach coloring it. When I did my fire hair, I started from the top and worked my way down the lengths, blending the color. When I did my Easter hair, I worked on the hair from the bottom of my scalp in triangles, making my way to my face. It’s always different. The color combinations depend on what I feel like trying next, while working around the colors that are leftover in my hair from my previous color schemes.
SH: Which colors do you recommend for a beginner? What color (or group of colors) is your favorite for your hair, and why?
TR: For a beginner, I’d suggest going with reds and purples. These colors go well over natural hair, for those a little bit scared to bleach, and are more accepted by society. I personally love using all colors on my hair, though I think my favorite was probably my fire hair scheme. The fire hair was my first move away from doing single colors so it will always be that little bit more special to me.
A photo posted by Trisha Reibelt (@treelocks) on
SH: How often do you color your hair?
TR: I only really do two color schemes a year and spend a long time fading them out. I really enjoy seeing what colors the dyes fade to and I get just as many compliments on my faded hair as I do with freshly colored hair!
SH: What does your daily hair routine look like? How long does that take, and what are some of your favorite products?
TR: My daily hair routine is actually very simple. I give it a quick brush before dividing it so I can do pancaked braided pigtails. I’ll then wrap the braids around my head and pin them in place so I can keep my hair out of the way for work. It only takes about 10 minutes to do. Because things like hairsprays contain alcohols, I avoid using them as they can make dyed hair fade faster.
A photo posted by Trisha Reibelt (@treelocks) on
SH: How did you decide to grow your hair out really long? When did you start dyeing it fun colors?
TR: I decided to grow my hair long because my mum also has long hair. I’ve actually grown it long a few times now and normally get it cut to around my shoulders before growing it long again. I’ve been playing with little bits of fun color in my hair since high school, but didn’t take the plunge to do all of my hair until about seven years ago.
SH: Have you had any regrets about any of the styles you’ve tried?
TR: I’ve actually really enjoyed all of the color schemes I’ve done. The only regret I have is that I keep using turquoise when it’s the hardest color for me to get out of my hair. It’s so pretty not to use though!
A photo posted by Trisha Reibelt (@treelocks) on
For more uh-mazing hair pics, check out Trisha’s Instagram account, @treelocks!
Love the colored look but not ready to make the commitment? We’ve got the solution! Check out THESE three easy alternatives to fully dyeing your hair.