Color Your Hair at Home Like a Professional

Today's scary economy is making people everywhere figuratively pull their hair out. Men and women who are used to getting their hair dyed professionally are probably sitting there thinking “Maybe I could save some money if I did my own hair coloring at home?” Whether trying to save time or money, there are several things a woman should know prior to trying an at-home hair dye kit.

Things You Should Know Before Coloring Your Hair at Home

The following article is designed to help take the guesswork out of home hair coloring and give you results that even a professional hairstylist would envy.
 

It is important to know the history of chemicals that may have been used on your hair prior to using an at-home hair color kit.  What was the date of your last chemical service and what was done?  By chemical services, we mean hair color, perms, chemical straightening, bleach, relaxer or anything else you may have done to the hair involving chemicals. 

It is never a good idea to attempt an at-home hair color if a chemical service has been done within the past two or three months.  Using too many chemical services in a short time period can result in over-processed, brittle, thinning hair which can dry out and break easily and cause extreme damage.

It is also important to know the current condition of your hair before you dye it at home. If your hair is overly dry, weak or brittle it may not be a good idea to try an at-home hair coloring job. Never play colorist if your hair is in bad shape because dying it could make things much worse.  A professional colorist is able to assess your hair and determine whether or not it is feasible and safe to do a color service.  If it has been determined that your hair can withstand an at-home color kit, you can safely move on to finding the right color to best suit you.

What Hair Color Should I Choose?

The most important step in knowing how to color your hair at home like a professional is knowing which color would look the most natural and best suit your complexion and eye color. If you have persistent grays, then you will want to purchase a hair color kit specially formulated for strong gray coverage.   If you want to brighten up your natural color and add some shine to your hair, there are colors which are formulated to add multi-tone highlights and will impart dimension to the shaft and impart a healthy sheen.

If you would like to completely change your color it is best to avoid going too light or too dark. It is recommended that a woman does not try to do a drastic change in hair color with an at-home color kit. Select a hair color that is within a shade or two of your (used-to-be) natural color, do not go too extreme. If less red is desired, the color should be in the ash family which will neutralize the red tones.  If more red is wanted then a person should look for a color in the warm range which will add hues of golden, bronze and copper. 

If a person has fair skin the lighter or darker hair color can look lovely and give you the change you have been looking for.  For women with olive or yellowish complexions, sticking within a certain range of hair colors formulated for ethnic hair is the best option.  For African-American women, there are also products which are manufactured specifically for their hair type which will require more moisture and possible all-natural ingredients.  With a bit of preliminary research and the right information, any woman can get a great at-home color without damaging her hair in any way.

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.