My hair is dark brown so it takes a good bit of lightening for vibrant color. I go to a stylist who specializes in fantasy hair color and she is knowledgable about lightening it without damaging it. She’ll even tell you that she’ll get you as close to what you want as possible but she’s going to work with what your hair can do and she isn’t going to push it too far just to get the exact shade of color. From what I can tell with anything that’s not bleach will only lighten a little bit, which isn’t ideal for vibrant color but will soften the brown

Yes! ...ish. You can try lightening it a little. You don't have to go for a full peroxide bleach. I have dark blonde hair and use arctic fox dyes which have great coverage. I can't get a bright colour because my hair isn't light enough, but it is vibrant. You could still do purples and reds really well.

Tips I learned from hairstylists: Use a clarifying shampoo and no conditioner before dying, and wrap your head in a plastic bag after applying the dye. The warmth of your head and moisture trapped under the bag help the dye sink in.

Then, I mix some leftover dye with my conditioner, let it sit for five minutes every time I shower, and rinse with cold water - this helps the colour last longer.

For everything else, I have wigs. You don't need to spend a lot on a wig for a good, comfortable fit. My best one I got used from a drag queen for $20 and it's fabulous. I like being able to switch up my style without destroying my hair.