How to Do At-Home Hair Color

Once you have chosen the appropriate color for your hair, the next step is to determine how much product you will need.   For shorter hair, one box will be sufficient, for longer hair lengths, it is advisable to purchase two boxes of color.  Before coloring her hair, a woman needs to read the instructions that come with the box of hair color and make sure to have the proper supplies on hand. 

Always wear a shirt that you do not have to be scared of ruining, color will stain and clothing will become ruined if it comes into contact with hair color.  Prior to applying any type of bleach or color chemicals to the hair, a woman should do a 24-patch test on the skin for allergies.  The box will also advise a woman to dye a sample test on a small patch of hair to make sure the color will not react oddly.  If the patch and dye test comes out okay, you are then ready to proceed with your at-home color kit.

Begin by putting gloves on the hands to protect against color staining.  If you have never colored your hair before you have what is called “virgin” hair, hair that's never been touched. In this case, color can be applied liberally all over the head without fear of damage. Brush the hair out but not the scalp which could lead to irritation and inflammation. Hair should be dry and a woman should apply petroleum jelly around the hairline, ears and back of the neck to protect the skin against staining or irritation.

For chemically treated hair, it is going to be more porous and will absorb color more quickly than virgin hair.  Hair that has been previously color treated should have color first applied at the roots.  A woman should make small sections all over the head using a rat tail comb, starting at the back of the neck and moving around the sides of the head.  Apply color evenly over the entire head and do the top last because this is where color will develop the most quickly due to heat from the scalp.

Most at-home color kits will process within 10-20 minutes on the roots only; at this point color should be applied to the rest of the head and allowed to sit for approximately 5 minutes more. Before rinsing your hair, shampoo should be added to any parts of the skin that may have come into contact with color to remove the residual dye; these areas need to be rinsed liberally with warm water.  After these areas have been rinsed well, a woman should then proceed to rinse the rest of the color out of the hair until the water runs clear.

Once the color has been rinsed out, there may be a conditioning cream in the kit, which can be applied to the hair to maintain softness and shine. When the color is rinsed out of the hair, it is normal for wet hair to appear darker, do not be alarmed.  Hair will normally lighten up within 3-4 washes and if hair is too dark, repeated washing with a clarifying shampoo can remove some of the darkness and should remove enough of the color to make it the shade you desire.

Overview of dying your hair at home

It is possible for you to color your hair at home like a professional, with at-home hair color kits it is not rocket science.  It is very simple when a woman sticks to a shade within her normal range and does not try to go with too drastic of a change.  At-home hair color kits have come a long way in the past few years and will not over process because of having an automatic shut off time.  By following the directions and choosing a complimentary at-home hair color, you too can maintain your mane and cut the cost of having to defer to a professional colorist.