At-home color is something many women are petrified of, and with good reason. Coloring your hair at home can have dire consequences, but with preparation and hair dye knowledge, it can be a great way to save money and get fabulous color results.
Choosing A Color To Match Your Needs
The first step is deciding what color result you are looking for. Some women only want to color grays, while others want a complete change in color. Some women want permanent hair color, while others may choose a semi permanent dye, or even one that only lasts a few days. Knowing in advance what type of hair dye to look for will start the at-home coloring experience off right.
Choosing The Right At-Home Hair Dye
This is the place where many women (and men) make their first mistake. Expecting hair dye to work miracles is a setup for disappointment. The hair color a woman chooses should be within a few shades of her natural color (or whatever color her hair currently is). If she has jet black hair and she chooses a golden blonde hair dye, she will absolutely be upset when she sees that the final result is more orangey brown than the model on the cover.
Never expect the exact color seen on the cover of the box. On the sides of most hair dye boxes there is a chart which shows the different results for different starting colors. This is a much better guide, although the results still won’t be exact. Keep in mind that at-home color has a much harder time lightening hair than darkening it. Blondes wishing to go to brunette will have a much easier time getting results that vice versa. Color will also be much more true on virgin hair, versus hair that has already been colored.
By choosing the color wisely, it will be much easier to be satisfied with the end result. Women who aren't sure what color to choose should start with a smaller, less drastic change. Women who have hair that is very thick or longer than their shoulders should be prepared to buy two boxes of at-home color to make sure they don't run out of hair dye half way through.
Getting Prepared For At-Home Hair Coloring
It's hard to know if everything is prepared for the at-home color experience. An open space with a floor that can get dirty is very important. The floor space can always be covered with old towels or an old sheet. Have a comb or a pick ready, this will be a vital tool. Hair should not be freshly washed (finally a day where greasy hair is a plus!) If there is some Vasoline around, rub it on around the hairline to prevent the dye from staining the skin. Make sure to put on the gloves that come with the dye, read the instructions and prepare the hair dye accordingly.
The Do It Yourself Dyeing Process
- Part hair down the center with a comb or pick.
- Then squeeze a line of hair dye down one side of the part. Focus only on the hairline to the top of the back of the head, not the entire back. Gently rub the hair dye onto the hair about a half inch out from the line. Make sure not to rub the dye into the scalp, but only spread it over the hair.
- Now take the comb or pick and make a new part about a half inch to the left or right and repeat this procedure. When you have reached the ear, reset the center part and do the other side of the head. When this is done, the hair should look like its disgustingly greasy. That’s perfect.
- Now tip the head forward and make a center part down the back of the head and repeat the same procedure that was done on the top.
- If you haven’t already gotten your hairline, go ahead and do this now. This procedure is a bit time consuming but it is well worth it to make sure all of the roots are covered.
- Section off the rest of the hair into four sections, top left, bottom left, top right, bottom right.
- Working one section at a time cover the rest of the hair with the dye. When all of the hair is covered, use any remaining color on the ends. Since the ends of hair are typically drier than the rest, they have a harder time absorbing the color and this will help. A quick note- the color of the dye on the head is NOT the color it will come out, so a purple head at this point is perfectly normal.
- Now simply wait the allotted time that the instructions say. When its time to get in the shower, rinse the hair thoroughly, and then rinse it some more. Make sure the water is running totally clear before applying the deep conditioners that come with the dye. The tiny bottles of conditioner say they should last six weeks or so, but it is a much better idea to use almost the entire thing now, and following up with another color friendly shampoo and conditioner later.
Gorgeous At-Home Color Results
Take the time to blow dry and style that gorgeous fresh new color. On the dry hair the new at-home color will be at its brightest. Embrace this stylish new you! At-home hair coloring is a great way to enhance and embrace beauty, and now it can be done again and again, without the fear of dyeing!
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