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Make Your Head Glow By Mary Spicuzza Admirers of hair colors like Pimpin' Purple, Vampire Red and Deadly Nightshade, beware. Overly impulsive action when breaking from boring locks can have catastrophic results. A trusted hair stylist usually provides the safest means to crisis-free dying. But most 20-something Goths and punks, save trustifarians (members of the trust fund tribe) and code-crunchers at dotcom start-ups, aren't raking in enough cash to feed an expensive salon-dye habit. Self-sufficient minions have remained devoted to Manic Panic for years. Tish & Snooky's NYC Inc., creators of this semi-permanent color, fill their user-friendly website (www.manicpanic.com) with helpful directions for dying, including warnings against applying Manic Panic to eyelashes and eyebrows. Like most dye-makers, Tish and Snooky advise preliminary bleaching to make hair more porous. Bleached-out hair absorbs more dye and stays closer to the true shade than "virgin locks." For example, electric blue can easily transform into avocado-toilet green if applied to blondish hair. Less established brands, like Fudge and Special Effects, are gaining Goth fans by the dozens (www.amphigory.com) because of their notoriously shocking shades, boasting colors like Bright as F@#! Yellow and Cherry Bomb. There are certain rules to follow whichever brand wins out. Preliminary patch tests can ward off an allergic reaction, and strand tests help predict the color outcome of any dying experiment. When doing a dye job, supplies like plastic gloves and tint brushes are a wise investment. Streamlined Living: Pare down and live simply. Put Up Yer Dukes: Don't get mad, get even. Cruising: Transit made simple. Soul Relief: Free your inner self.     Make Your Own Blockbuster     Get Away Now     Non-Profiteer     Digital Rocker Get in on the Gold Rush: Grab a fistful of cash and join the party. Domestic Bliss: Make your house into a home. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]