Hair Coloring at Home 101: 7 Tips

August 10, 2012 | Filed under: Fashion | Posted by: kcooper

While it would be nice to make an appointment at the hair salon for all of your hair care needs, that may not be in the budget. For many of us, coloring our hair is a regular part of our beauty regimen and we take care of the task at home to save some cash. Dying your hair at home can be a successful endeavor if you follow some easy tips.

Avoid Permanent Hair Dye

If you are new to the dye-your-hair-at-home game, or you are making a departure from your usual colors, and you really do not have the funds to fix a screw-up professionally, avoid using permanent hair dyes—the color can last up to two months and possibly longer. Temporary coloring lasts for six to 12 shampoos while semi-permanent dyes are good for 20 to 26 shampoos.

Know What You Can and Cannot Handle

For most of us, doing our hair at home will not be a problem and we can get great results. Sometimes, however, it may be better to leave the dye job to the professionals. You may want to avoid a do-it-yourself job if you want to go more than two or three shades away from your natural color, add low lights or add highlights to red or dark hair. If your hair is extremely damaged, booking an appointment at a salon might be a good idea as well. Damaged hair will really suck up the dye compared to the healthier parts of your hair, resulting in uneven patches.

Dye Unwashed Hair

Most experts recommends waiting at least 24 to 48 hours after you last washed your hair before applying hair coloring product. At this point, your hair has a sufficient amount of the oils needed to optimally absorb the product.

Wear a Shower Cap to Penetrate Greys More Deeply

If you are coloring grey hair, put a shower cap on after applying the dye. The added heat will help the product penetrate the greys more deeply, ensuring optimal coverage.

Section off Your Hair

If your hair is long and/or thick, it can be easy to miss spots or apply the dye unevenly. Section off your hair with clips and do one at a time to make sure you get it all. Take down one section at a time and pin it back up when you are done.

Use the Right Application Tools

Instead of using the requisite squeeze bottle and gloves that come with the dye, opt for a plastic bowl and paint brush to apply the product. You can easily find these inexpensive items at any beauty supply store. This method more closely mirrors the professional application process and will result in better distribution of the dye throughout your hair.

Fixing a Too Dark Dye Job

If you went darker but your hair ends up being a bit too dark for your taste, a simple at home fix involves nothing more than dishwashing liquid. Two or three washes will bring your hair down a couple of shades.

Kelli Cooper is a freelance writer who specializes in health, wellness and beauty content. If you are in the market for quality hair dye to cover your greys, check out http://www.getawaygray.com/.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/carebearquelly/

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Posted by kcooper on August 10, 2012. Filed under Fashion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry