by BR Amelia
Taking your hair colour into your own hands is a brave move. It can result in your loveliest locks ever at a bargain price... or in a follicle fail that'll see you spending a fortune at your hairdresser to hide the horror of your at-home dye job gone wrong. So, what are ten tips that'll reduce the chances of creating terrible tresses and enhance your chances of style success? Check these out...
1. The first tip? Choose a colour that will work with your natural hair colour. At home is not the place to take your hair from black to platinum blonde; it's safest to go a few shades lighter or darker to avoid any major disasters. With that in mind, you'll also want to work with your natural tone. Not sure if you're warm, cool or neutral? Check out this helpful article.
2. Colour sorted? Don't go all in without reading the instructions first. Make like a scout and be prepared.
3. The instruction that mentions 'patch test' needs to be adhered to. It's better to patch test on a small area of hair and scalp and discover you're allergic, than suffer the pain of a full head of hair allergy.
4. Colour chosen and instructions read? Patroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) is about to be your best friend. Apply it generously along your hairline and around your ears (don't forget the tops) and it will help stop the colour from staining your skin.
5. Next, line your floor with towels or newspaper. In my experience, at-home colouring tends to result in spatters, and cleaning dye from grout can be a painful process. Also have a damp rag ready to quickly swipe any blobs that might end up on the wall.
6. Now that you're all prepped, it's time to get colouring! Get the gloves on (yes, they're unwieldy and often a really strange shape, but they are a must), mix up the colour as per the instructions, then apply the colour from the roots down to your tips. I also like to brush my hair at the end of the process with a wide tooth comb to ensure even coverage.
7. Got an old shower cap hanging around? Pop it over the top of your hair once you're done with the dye. This'll stop errant drips from hitting the floor or furnishings as you wait for the colour to do its thing.
8. Speaking of waiting for the colour to do its thing - while being a little early or a little late isn't the worst thing in the world most of the time, it can be disastrous when it comes to at-home hair colouring. Take it off too early and the colour won't penetrate the hair properly, leaving you with a lacklustre result. Leave it on too long and you run the risk of damaging your hair, or even ending up with a result that's darker than you'd like. When it comes to colour processing, stick to the time on the box.
9. Ready to rinse? Rinse your hair with warm water until the water runs clear, then use the conditioner that comes with the colour to give your hair a nourishing boost.
10. Lastly? If any of the above seems a little overwhelming, the best advice I can give you is to see a professional, or get a friend who's comfortable with colouring hair to help you out. Hair colouring doesn't need to be a hair raising experience, nor should it become one.
So, do you consider yourself an at-home hair colourer of epic proportions? What are your tips and tricks? Sharing is caring so chat below!
Have coloured my hair for many years and the best tip is that colour removes colour. Before rinsing your hair use the dye from your hair to rub along your hairline and scalp then add a little water each time and you won't have any marks to show you did it at home. With this method I don't need Vaseline.