Hair Dye - Damaging/unsafe?

[CageCardinal]

Hello

I've been dying (heh) to try one of those temporary hair dyes but I'm a little anxious. I bought Clairol's natural instincts hair dye at a Shoppers Drug Mart in the wintertime and I still haven't gotten around to even testing it. I have sensitive skin and a history of eczema - my scalp is still itchy pretty much every day, though I used to get lots of scabs and gross stuff on the top of my head. It's not nearly as bad as it used to be - my scratching used to disturb a lot of people. So really, I've got a few questions here:

1. Is this product safe to use?

2. Is this product really damaging to hair? It says temporary, though I've been told it will stain hair, especially if its lighter. I was concerned but my desire to test out red hair is kind of overpowering that :P This is the cinnaberry shade (number 22) and I've got dirty ("honey") blonde hair that's never been dyed or treated before.

3. How is it actually going to turn out? It's recommended for people with medium brown hair but my hair is fairly lighter than that.

[Angel]

Clairol seems to be pretty common and I haven't heard good or bad things about it. I assume it's safe to use, but you may want to pay particular attention to the ingredients listed on the box. If you have extra sensitive skin, it may not be the best idea to use hair dye, especially if you have any open wounds on your scalp. Hair dye isn't really good for hair, but doing it occasionally usually doesn't cause extreme damage like you see in people who constantly bleach their hair. Just make sure you follow the directions and not to leave it in for longer than necessary. You may want to read this before you proceed in dying your hair. Since your hair is lighter, the colour may show up better and it may take less time for the dye to work.

Have fun!

[Nicole!]

1. It is safe to use, but as Angel said if you have any open wounds you may want to make sure those heal up first. Hair dye isn't too damaging on hair, and it won't do much especially if it is your first time and if it is only temporary. Just make sure to condition your hair well and maybe look into getting a split end protector if you're concerned.
2. If your hair is blonde, then it will turn pretty close to the red color that is on the box.
3.However, since you bought it in the winter time, it may not work as well as it would if it is fresh. Usually its best to use hair dye soon after you buy it as the color can get distorted.