Coloring Your Own Hair
A reader (Sunny) asked how to color your hair at home. It was costing her about $100 every four months to color her hair and she wanted to save money. I am not a professional but this is what I and others I have known have found to be true.
The reason a lot of us don’t do things like color our own hair is because we don’t really have a clue what is involved and we fear what horrible things we might do to our hair.
I know what it is like to have hair disasters. I have gone to some expensive places and had just as much, if not more, trouble with awful looking hair than when I did it myself so, either way, there is no real guarantee.
It really is very easy to color your own hair. If you can shampoo it, you can pretty much color it.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
I would start with a semi permanent hair color the first couple of times you try it. It says semi permanent on the package. These last for about six shampoos so if it isn’t the color you like or something is wrong, just shampoo your hair six times. This takes away some of the fear of being seen looking awful for six weeks.
This also helps you to find the color that will work best for you without being stuck with a particular color for weeks on end. Semi permanent color is also milder on your hair. My hair color is a light blonde with gray. When I first used hair color, I tried the ash blonde colors which looked awful because they were a brassy yellow, which doesn’t suit me at all. I have now found that I do best with Champagne blond colors.
Usually, there are pictures on the boxes that show what you hair looks like before you color and what it should look like when you are done so get as close to that as you can. Have someone go with you to help you pick your color if you can. Picking out the color you want will be the hardest part.
The most expensive color is not necessarily the best. I pick the brand that has the best color for me.
The actual coloring itself is easy. Don’t let the instructions scare you. They have to go into great detail and are extra cautious to protect themselves. Just read all the directions and follow them step by step.
Here’s what most of them instruct you to do:
- Drape you shoulders with a towel (To me, the hardest part is keeping the towel on. I have found pinning or clipping it helps.)
- Mix the two bottles of stuff. Squirt it on your head starting at the front.
- Leave it in for the number of minutes the directions say.
- Rinse and condition.
I don’t even use the gloves they give you anymore because I just wash my hands when I’m done and it never stains. Note from Tawra: I do use the gloves because my color is brown and it will stain me.
To be honest, I have had more hair disasters when I went to a salon then when I colored my own hair. Years ago, I decided to go have a perm done instead of doing it myself. By the time the woman was done, I was getting a bad headache so she said, “Let me massage your head with this electric thing.” The next thing I knew I was looking at the bride of Frankenstein in the mirror. Even the word fuzz head didn’t describe me. Note from Tawra: Yes, it was BAD!
The lady couldn’t fix it and said to come back tomorrow when someone else might be able to do something to correct it but first she would wax my eyebrows for free. Lying with my eyes closed, I heard her say “Oh! NO! I can’t believe this!” I gingerly opened my eyes and there were 7 women hanging over me staring in horror. She had ripped the whole center of my eyebrow out. :) (Note from Mike: This could only happen to MY mother in law… Don’t let her story scare you…)
I ended up having to have my hair, which was down to the middle of my back, cut very short (to only two inches long) and I had to use an eyebrow pencil for quite a while. : )
-Jill
Note from Tawra: Don’t go swimming the day you color your hair. I did that once and my hair turned orange.
Another note from Tawra: if you’re afraid to try it on yourself, try it on the dog first, hee hee hee.
photo by: psyberartist
Jill,
Please tell me that you didn’t have to pay the woman that ruined your hair and ripped out your eyebrow.
Thank you for all that you do to help others, it’s inspiring.
Yes I had to pay for the perm but not the haircut the next day. It was one of those times I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Leave it to my teenage kids at the time though. They found it hysterically funny even to the point of bringing their friends over that night to see mom’s hair and eyebrow.: )
Jill
I’ve had my hillbilly-brown hair every color except jet black and platinum blonde. 1–the ash blondes are brassy. Light ash brown is not. HOWEVER–the new Dollar General Hispanic line of light brown comes out reddish-auburn–not my cup of tea– and it dyes uniformly, meaning it looks a little fake.
I deal with the uniformity issue by bleaching a few streaks in with lemon juice.
I’ve used cheap and expensive, and the cheap stuff does fine. CVS has a rebate deal on it this week.
Jill-
I am a dark blonde and have natural highlights. I found a recipe for a chamomile tea rinse that naturally lightens the hair shaft. It’s subtle, but that’s all I need anyway. They make expensive salon products with chamomile for shiny hair. Of course, no reason to pay for the products when you can just pick up some tea at the store. I love homemade tricks like this. Makes me feel smart.:)
For those of you who have our Dining on a Dime book and have maybe forgotten, check out our beauty section in there. A lot of people don’t realize it isn’t just a cook book but we also have a section on making your own cleaning products and a section on making homemade beauty products.
Jill
When I was colouring my hair I used Miss Clairol. I knew the name from TV and it was easy to come by here in town.
My problem was I could never recall the # of the colour so every month it was a different shade. Always somewhere around a medium grey.
About 6 months ago my husband said why are you doing it. I said since I was almost more grey than brown. He said he liked the colour and it made me look nice. So I haven’t coloured my hair since.
I was told by my hsirdresser that he could colour my hair for %60. but he wouldn’t. He said the way my hair grew so fast I would be back for touch ups every other week and he didn’t want to have me pay that much. Nice guy. He told me some women could go a couple months with no problem but for me it would be a sin.
I once took a make up class at night school and had my hair streaked blonde. It looked wonderful and I had a similar look when my grey really took hold.
My kid sister was about 15 and decided she wanted to dye her hair. My parents said no way. Well she being stubborn bought a bottle of peroxide and poured it on. Her hair was the colour of dirty bean straw. She kept this up for about a year and her hair was so dry and yucky it has never been the same since and she is now 53.
dont feel bad jill .. one time my daughter took me to get my hair cut and well the lady only cut one side of my head .. and i kept telling her she needed to do the other side .. then she wanted to wax my eyebrows and i said no .. she said you will look great! .. and i told her that if she couldnt cut the other side of my hair i wasnt going to let her even breath on my eyebrows .. then she decided to help my daughter instead and well cut off most of her hair .. (we were on opposite sides of the place so i couldnt warn my daughter) .. not sure what happened to her but it was a site to see for sure! (sorta like getting a free makeover at the cosmetic booths in one of those high priced stores and htey only do one side of ur face bc the other side you have to pay to have done, they dont tell u that until u r only half made up with makeup and yes that has happened to me too) ..
oh and tawra, the frizz perm? .. yes i had that one too ..u should have seen my hs pic .. i look like a bozo the clown’s sister with this huge ball of fuzz sticking up and i have poker straight hair! .. all i wanted was soft waves .. ..
and my daughter? .. this one is a real hoot .. she decided to color her own hair .. adn well, bc her hair is very dark brown (almost black) but she decided she wanted light brown .. i dont know how htis came out but she had orange stripes going across her hair (not up and down) .. and htey were bright orange too! ..
hehehehee .. the things we ladies do! ..
and lets not forget the waxing .. another huge laugh of stories from her and her friend .. (i dont wax .. i dont like pain) ..
but i can tell u what my son and his friends did when they were just starting to shave .. they decided that it was more of a pain to keep shaving (after begging to start!) and decided to wax their face instead .. well, after they each did one strip and screamed like a woman giving birth (if you know what i mean) .. they were left with this open patch of hairless space on their face .. it took a very long time b4 their hair would grow back in this one spot ..
hehehehehe .. kids! ..
:D
After coloring my hair for many years, I recently decided to let the color grow out and go with my natural color. I couldn’t be happier with my decision. My hair looks beautiful. Sure, there is some gray…but I’m not a youth worshipper. I don’t believe people have to look younger at all costs. Look around and you’ll see many lovely women with silver threads among the gold (or brown). They look wonderful. Why do we get caught up in trying to be different than we really are? Try it, you just might like it like I do! :o)
Jean, I would love to do that. The problem is my hair is so dark brown that it’s almost black and it just doesn’t look that great. Mom always jokes that I had to start coloring my hair in my early 30’s and she didn’t until her late 40’s but when your blonde you can get away with it! :-)
I will be 30 this year and I have been coloring my hair for a 6 months or so because I have tons of gray hair. I love my natural hair color (brown) only if gray wouldn’t be in it. If I would be like 45, I would be ok with it, but I don’t want to look like a grandma playing with my little kids.
I’m about to turn 35 and my gray-hair plucking is starting to be less and less effective! (I’m lucky because my brown hair is so thick that many grays don’t see the light of day. Unfortunately I can’t keep up with all the wiry strays and it’s starting to look silly with my otherwise long hair!) I’m at the point where I either need to embrace the streaks or choose to color. I’ve been too chicken to try coloring – so your counsel gives me hope! And thank you for the laugh about the hair disasters – I’m sure they are only funny in retrospect! Thanks for all of your frugal tips!
I used to be “blonde” with rather long hair and began to look around at women my age and decided to make a rather drastic change. I let it grow for about 6 months without coloring and went to a new stylist and had all the color cut off and went totally short and gray. I’ve never looked back. I feel that being attractive for me was not about hair color but more about attitude, energy, friendliness and always, for me, laughing. Some liked it, some not. My husband and children were fine and more importantly, I was and am.
I haven’t colored my hair much. Like Tawra said I am blond and I don’t worry about my color much just because being sick I have to let some things go. But about once a year or every 2 years I will color it.
I was trying to decide if I should color it this past week just for fun and something different when someone said to me, “You have the most beautiful hair color. Who puts those highlights in it for you?” Yuhhhhh???? Well maybe I better not mess with a good thing. I am tempted just once in my life though to dye my hair coal black just for the shock factor on my kid’s faces. :) :)
Ha! I dare you mother dearest. hehehe
Hello! I have been coloring my hair for many years, I am 36 and started coloring at around 24. I have black hair and went gray very young. At 36, I am probably about 90 percent gray, actually a pure white, but I am too young to let it go yet :) So anyway, I have used most if not all hair color products. I agree that most expensive does not always mean best and to be honest I use what I can get for free or mostly free with coupons and rebates. My tip for beginners would be this. First, start with a color very close to your natural color unless mostly or all gray, this is the safest bet. Read and follow all directions, they are listed easily with illustrations. Make sure to use a timer and do not leave on any longer than recommended. Rinse the color out very thoroughly.
Since I color about once a month and for those who do, only color the roots monthly or so, repeated dying on the ends will make for unhealthy hair. I went to Sally Beauty supply and bought a measuring cup, a tiny whisk, and a coloring brush (looks like a flat paint brush with pointed end)for this, very cheap. I start at my center part and using the pointed end of the brush I make small parts to either side one at a time and paint the roots. In doing it this way, I can make one box of dye last 2 times, make sure to reseal the ends well. One box of dye has 2 oz. of developer and 2 oz. of color. Measure 1 oz. of each and mix well with the whisk. Sorry for the long post but I hope this info helps.
My natural color is brown, with steadily increasing strands of gray (since age 28). I’m now 41. I mostly color my hair because I find my own color boring (DH doesn’t care what color my hair is). Right now, I’m at a gold/strawberry blonde. I was trying for gold. :)
I tend to stick with red or sometimes blonde, which works on me. I once tried black, which didn’t (I was 18 and rather dramatically depressed).
I used to have a friend help me with it, because I didn’t think I could get the back of my head evenly. Now I found a foaming hair color that Clairol makes. You shampoo it in and it comes out even. It’s fool proof.
Karen that is good to know. My neighbor just discovered it a few days ago and said she was going to try it too.
My mother started coloring her graying hair at 35. She mostly had it done at hair-dressers. But I did it for her when I was at home. She used darker and darker until it was almost black (her natural color was a beautiful auburn). I was 14 at the time and she let me use temporary rinses. I’m now in my 50’s and wouldn’t even think of not coloring my own hair. My hair was non-descript, a dishwater blonde with varying reddish highlights, with lots of gray now. I had it colored at a salon once and went darker than usual. It took me forever to get rid of that awful color, it lasted so long. If I had liked the color I probably would have used hair-dressers more. I learned that doing it myself was easier, cheaper and turned out better. I can change the color according to the seasons, darker in winter and lighter in summer, like natural hair. I can do it more often and on my schedule (often in the middle of the night). I use Revlon, which is the cheapest, I think, that Wal-mart carries. That’s not why I use it, I just really like it. I also shampoo (haven’t gone poo-less, yet) with my shampoo after I rinse the color out, no matter what brand I use, to prevent that first day of glaring color, and then use conditioner. I seldom do the root application; it works out fine using it the regular way since my ends don’t get dry.
I am wary of dark colors because my mom used them for around 25 years and died of cancer. I have read about dark dyes causing cancer and the doctors didn’t really know where her cancer started. It was throughout her bones before they found it. She’d just had a mammogram and it was clear. I don’t want to scare anyone but help them be informed. They have improved colors now; she had her hair colored between 1968 and 1994 (the year she died). I’m also wary of very red lipsticks (which my mom always wore, because of lead content). You can Google it and find out more information. Blessings, Wanda
I knew I wasnt alone…. I had such a bad perm when I was 14 that my dad felt so sorry for me he turned the car around and brought me back home instead of making me go to school. Yes, it was that bad. Then when I was about 23 I colored it from blonde back to a light brown… but it was more of green green. So much so, that my friends called me mother nature. Word to the wise, there is a help number on the box. If you are unsure of of how to go from one shade to another, call them. They may recommend mixing 2 different colors. It brought me from green back to a nice light brown. Blessings.
I’m a beautician, it’s how I earn money to live. It’s rather disheartening to read all the hairstylist bashing. We’re not all incompetent, money-grubbing losers out to get as much money as possible out of you while doing more harm than good. Most of the time my ladies [and men] walk out of my shop looking MUCH better than when they walked in. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been asked to fix up what someone has done at home, whether it is a haircut, perm or color disaster.
I wish I could afford to have my hair stylist color my hair. Its just too expensive. I need to do something though because my roots are looking bad. I tried using cinnamon but that didn’t lighten at all. Guess I’m gonna get something from Walmart. Bad as I hate to.
I have “clear” color hair—don’t ask it has been explained to me that there is almost NO pigment going on in there. All of the women on my mothers side of the family go grey VERY early—most go very white but I went–cellophane! For a while it looked OK to others—in Texas I was asked repeatedly where I got my color done!—but I live in NY State and I learned to hate it. Very aging too. So one day I decided to color. Tried the closest to my “natural” shade of honey brown—yeah right looked like a space alien. For kicks one day I got a box of my mothers “natural” deep red and I have never looked back. I have the pale—ok almost albino!—Irish skin and blue eyes so I can pull it off. And no one expects me to have this when I pull off my motorcycle helmet.
As to disasters—I recently needed to touch up and the store had run out of the shade I like so my daughter got a “similar” shade from another line from the SAME company. Lets just say this turned out to be NO SHADE EVER SEEN IN NATURE. I called the hotline and they told me to get another box of a certain different color and mix half of that with one ounce of shampoo, And that they would refund the cost for BOTH boxes (which they did). However by the time I got done with this—and BTW the color from the first application REFUSED to wash out!!!! Even DAYS later it was coming out of the hair!!!! my hair was still a glowing unearthly ORANGE. I finally managed to find a box of the color I had wanted and after repeated shampoos—my hair holds the color very well usually—to get the excess orange out I colored over it with the auburn. IT was still a bit orangy but it was MUCH better.
I like being a Fierce Redhead!!!!!!!
But I do find that shampooing after you rinse the color out cuts the “new color” look and seems to un-lock some of the excess color from the hair shaft. Then condition and if you can go a few days afterwards before you shampoo again the color will stay for longer and not fade as much. Those pesky roots tho!!!!!! Because of the extreme lightness of my “natural” color I look like a weird skunk if I don’t keep on top of it. A silicone (small) cooking basting brush is a big help for root touch ups by the way!!!!
And (product placement here!) Paul Mitchell Hair Serum is AMAZING at keeping hair shiny and not stiff and not frizzy. A bit expensive at the salon but you can find it on line and anyways a bottle will last and last and last as you only need a few DROPS for great results. Just wash your hands real well after applying as it will leave your HANDS all “shiny and silky” TOO!!!!
I have been coloring my hair with Clairol’s Natural Instincts for about 4 years now and am very pleased and have gotten many compliments. I have short hair so it is pretty easy to do at home and since my hair grows very fast a hairdresser told me it would be foolish to have professionals do it.
Anyway…my tips are these: Use a haircolor one shade lighter than your natural shade as the color is always darker than shown on the box. If you have very dark brown hair chances are you could go to a dark auburn tone which will give you more highlights and look less “severe”. Dark black/brown hair dye makes everyone look older as it emphasizes your facial wrinkle lines. I use the semi-permanent as it is gentler on the hair and for me with careful washing lasts a month longer than what the box recommends. I color my hair about 4 times a year by using a shampoo for colored hair and not washing daily.
FYI..I used to work upscale retail and a tip we always used when helping women with new wardrobes etc was to use a short colorful scarf at the neckline which softens wrinkles, fine lines and gives a boost of natural color to the face. Coloring your hair will take out the gray but not always the drabness our complexions get as we age. They especially look nice with sweaters and blazers. You may wish to use a longer scarf with a dress.
Little neckline size square scarves can be found in thrift stores for hardly anything. Keep them as sometimes they are “hot” and trendy but for the most part they are always in fashion.
I have found that if I cut holes in a trashbag for arms and around the bottom for the neck that I can use that in place of a towel. It stays in place and any mess gets throw away. U don’t have to worry about staining any towels if you are using a darker color.
We have Sally’s Beauty Supply in our area (San Diego) and their products are inexpensive to use and seem to last. U won’t always get the right advice from the people who work there. It’s easiest if you’re just doing one color rather than highlights you can do it yourself. Finding the right color is the hardest thing.
Jayne I’d love to hear your chamomille tea recipe for highlights.
Great tip about the trash bag! Thank you!
I have tried many different colors/brands and found that the Natural Instincts to be the best. I paid just 3.00/box for it recently using a coupon. As far as remembering the color, I get the one that reminds me of the kind of coffee I like….hazelnut. (At my age and stage, I have to use anything to help my memory.) I have to pay $50.00 when I get it done at the salon. I can’t tell the difference, but my budget can. I am about 100% gray without it and the teenage son does not want an old looking mama.
PS My husband has colored it for me to make sure it is covered.
I have found that going to a beauty supply store (Sally), you may be able to get more accurate color for you hair, as they have hair samples. I go one shade lighter than my dark brown hair so it doesn’t get too dark. I started using a #1 processor (whatever the white stuff in the big bottle is called), which is like semi-permanent. When I was happy with that, I bought the #2 = permanent. I start at the roots, leave it for a while, then add some conditioner to it and add it to the rest of my head…so it doesn’t get too dark…and I don’t even need to do that every time). I only use about half the bottle of hair color, so I’m only paying a few dollars each month to color my hair. As I was teasing someone about turning 40 and how much gray hair would be coming, someone looked at me and said, “Do you color your hair?”. I took it as a compliment that they could not tell! Recently started using a tube of Clarol…it’s not as drippy. Have never ruined my hair, but be careful not to let this stuff drip on your carpet!
I also highlight my hair with products from the drug store. I mix the “sample” batch and put highlights,
so my box lasts quite a while. This is the only time I
have messed my hair up, so I never do it right after I color, and if it’s too light, too red or brassy, then I put my regular color on it for a short while, and it comes out looking very natural. I actually got this advice from the gal that used to cut and color my hair, as she knew I couldn’t afford to have this done when I started staying home with kids. Let alone find the time!!
My hair is dark brown….so don’t have advice for blonds.
I would like the camomile tea recipe too and I will give you my little trick: Use a small spray bottle (appro 2 oz) filled with 1/3 peroxide and the rest water. Spritz on crown a voila! To think of the $$$$ I have spent to have my hair weaved for all of those years… I am now “sun-kissed” and content :)
I am blonde and can go a long time before touch ups if I want to. I keep my hair pretty short, too. I DO have a cost saving trick that works great for me. I use Nice and Easy-Clariol. I only use half of each bottle and mix them together in a cup when the box is new. I apply it to the roots all over and then pile my hair on top of my head and smoosh it all in. It works great! Next time I color I mix the remainders in the N&E bottle. I get two colorings this way from every box. There are coupons all the time in the paper, so my cost is really cheap.
Barb I too only use 1/2 the amount when I had short hair. It says you can’t mix it and then save it on the box but like you said you can mix up 1/2 of it and save the rest. Thanks for the reminder and tip.
Debbie-how long do you leave the peroxide mix on your hair? Terrific idea!
Barb,
When I spritz the peroxide mixture on my hair, I leave it in. I will usually do this after I shampoo and comb out my hair(just when I think it needs a “breath of fresh air”). My hair is blonde and natural looking. It is long and you wouldn’t know that I occasionally lighten it. I spritz it on the crown of my head and then comb it through, with a wide-tooth comb, the crown. I used to get away with lemon juice and sunshine but not anymore!
Jill,
I don’t know when finally dawned on me I could mix the two in another bowl, but I felt pretty stupid for not figuring it long ago!
Debbie-thanks for sharing your tip. Brilliant-just like your highlights!
Barb I save and wash out a plastic bottle from the hair coloring and then use it the next time to mix in. I can use it over and over.
I have been coloring my own hair for years now. One thing I didn’t like was when the color would get on my skin around my face or ears. Now I put a thin layer of petroleum jelly on that skin before I color.
I too go to Sally beauty supply to get my hair color. If you are comfortable coloring your own hair I think this is a great money saver. If you have a Sally’s card you get a discount on the color as well. My hair is long and thick so it would take two boxes of color to do the job and it grows out quickly so I do it about every 4-5 wks. The box was costing about $8 a box and the Miss Clairol color at Sallys cost just 4.99.
I just recently started coloring at home and wondered about geting it at Sally’s but will they sell to you if you are not a licensed hairdresser? I always thought in order to purchase any chemical types of product required them to see your license to do hair.
Yes, they sell to us regular folks! :-)
I experiment on my hair alot and have had some seemingly disasters like the time I clipped my hair the wrong direction in the back. I used my mascara to “color” the bald spot in and it did the trick! I color my own hair and have never had a problem with it. I have gone from brown to blond to red and it always looks professional (years of practice) I now use the Dollar Tree hair color and it works terrific. It is easy to apply and rinse out and it looks great! I buy one box for 1.00 and my hair looks fabulous!
Jill
You SHOULD dye your hair jet black! I bet it will take 20 years off of you!You will look beautiful (not that you don’t already) Try it at Halloween than if it isn’t what you expected…well it’s Halloween!
Jill, I used to color my hair at home. I now get it highlighted professionally twice a year – with a color close to what my own hair color used to be. Because my hair is extra thick, I have to use two boxes of hair color to make it work. By the time I pay for two boxes of hair color per month, I actually SAVE money by doing it professionally twice a year. So, sometimes doing it at home isn’t always the best.
But I have/do cut my husband’s and sons’ hair, and that does save money – enough for me to go to the salon!
i agree with eileen. i too am a beautician. i find these comments amusing. hairdressers charge the amount they do for many reasons which include, the cost of the products, the amount of time it takes, and the rest is profit. and let me tell you sometimes the profit isn’t very much because the cost of hair color is pricey! no one is wrong for doing their own hair at home, but perhaps the reason you’re paying so much when you go to the salon is because you may have made a mistake (most likely from taking advice from a non-professional) and a lot of the time box color and professional color do not mix, causing us to have to do a more lenghty and costly service to make you happy.
None of you give any hints on natural at home hair colors. When I was 16, there was a walnut tree across the street from where we lived. I would gather a bunch of the green walnuts that had fallen off the tree and peel the green part off. Then I would boil them and it made a beautiful brown hair color. Any more suggestions?
For blonde hair you can use lemon juice or mix lemon juice with chamomile tea or you can put some saffron in water and use it. There are quite a few ways to do it so maybe I need to do a post on homemade hair dyes if you are all interested in it.
You simply must mention “Kool-Aid” dyeing, if you do a post on homemade hair dyes. I’ve always found that one kind of funny. LOL
Definitely interested in some homemade hair dye ideas. Have light brown/dark ash blonde(?) hair, with some reds and blondes, and now too many greys. Recall reading one can use tea. Assumed that was regular tea, but wondered about other varieties as well. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.
That would be real nice Jill!
I have heard that tea will stain your hair. I know rust will, cause my hair was blonde and I put a barette in it and went swimming. The clorine rusted the barette–and thus my hair. It had to be rebleached. It WOULD NOT come out for anything I tried.
I have auburn hair and the grey is overtaking my natural color. For years I’ve colored it at home with Nice and Easy. Recently I wanted something more attractive so I went to the local beauty school and had highlights done. My husband loved it and it wasn’t expensive. The highlights last for two to three months then I color over them with the auburn hair color. I wait two to three weeks and go back to the beauty school for a few highlights. It stretches my salon $$ I get a lot of compliments about the color.
Coloring your hair isn’t hard. I learned at a very early age my mom had me do hers all the time so I learned that way. I had beautiful hair color through the years til it started greying then I went to blond which does not show the grey so much when it starts to grow out. It’s costs me around $3 to do my own hair.
If you are still considering coloring your hair at home, visit a local Sally Beauty Supply store. The sales consultants are normally very knowledgeable and helpful. It actually is cheaper than the boxed color because the developer can be used more than once. I color my hair at home and my hairdresser is always impressed with how good my color looks.
I use Revlon about $3.00 a box and have been coloring my hair for the last 20 years. I am blonde, well really I am gray, and use the natural blonde. I get compliments daily on my hair. The key is to properly condition your hair and only touch up the roots of the hair not the ends.
I would also drape a towel or sheet plastic over the sink. Mine is cultured marble, and hair dye will stain it. I use white towels for the sink and coloring my hair, because I can bleach them afterwards.
I didn’t make my way through all the comments. But a thing we learned in cosmetology school in northern NY was to always mix 2 colours. We had a good bit of snow bird clientele. And to help keep them loyal, they were able to get a colour from us that not only did they love, but that their salon in Florida just ‘can’t get right.’. True, visit sally beauty supply and get colour and developer. Use one ounce on ur chosen color and 1/4-1/2 ounce of a complimentary shade. (perhaps a smidgen of light mahogany with your light golden brown). Bonus: unless you share your exact colour combination with anyone, you have your own unique shade and don’t look like you opened a box…
I have very thick, fast growing hair. My first gray hairs showed up in my dark brunette hair when I was 15 but the gray really took off in my mid thirties. I started cutting it quite short then, and when it was short, the gray wasn’t as obvious. Now in my mid 50’s I have decided to grow out my salt and pepper hair (more salt, I think) to a shoulder length, so I have more options for styling. Some of the women in my church have never seen me with longer hair. My husband was recently approached by a young mother from the church, who wanted to know how I got my amazing colour (as in, what dye did I use?). I have received many compliments on my new length, but especially on the colour. I have not ever dyed my hair. I have never, ever liked my hair as much as I do now. I always say, “When I was a teenager, it was trendy to streak my hair, but I couldn’t afford to do it. When I got married, I still liked streaked hair, but couldn’t afford to do it, and was afraid to use a kit. Now, God is doing it for me, for free! He’s doing a great job!”
I have salt and pepper thin hair. If I let it grow out, bald spots show, so I bleach it then use a toner for color (champagne blonde). If you are going to bleach or dye your hair and have acrylic nails, wear gloves or you will stain your nails!
What if you don’t want a full color but just a highlight? Could you do that at home?? Thanks!
Yes you can.You use foil and other things to do it. Just google it and there are many videos on how to do that.
THANKS!