My mama did it. Her mama did it. Home hair color is not a new concept, just newly improved. Believe me when I say that it”s not always “nice and easy” just because the brand says so! Here are some helpful tips.
Just choosing the best shade from all those little boxes on aisle nine of the drug store or supermarket is enough to cause your hair to turn gray. The first thing to consider when selecting the ideal shade of beautiful for your locks is how far you want to go from your current shade. The best thing is to determine where you are now by using the easy-to-follow shade selector on the side of the hair color box, and try to stay within two to three shades of that color.
If your hair tends to have natural warm tones like red and gold, then by all means choose a hue that is within that range. Look for words on the box such as sun-kissed, golden, or bronze and please do not try to go from a medium dark brown to Cameron Diaz blonde via one box of Miss Clairol and 45 minutes of processing time. Nine times out of ten, you will not be happy with the results, especially after flaming orange roots appear, 10 days of tears, and a hefty price tag after a long day of corrective color at a local salon.
With the same caution in mind, for light blondes “dyeing” to go Angelina Jolie dark, it”s best to start with one of the easy do-it-yourself highlighting tools on the market. Think subtle streaks of lightness near the same color that you are wearing now. If you want more drama, trust the professionals to help you get there, please.
I have seen home hair color horror stories that left ladies green, and not with envy — dried, dyed and laid aside with no hope for gorgeous other than starting over with a short chop and hot oil treatments. Then again, my mama never had a problem, and many of my lovely haircut-only clients in the salon report amazing results by thinking inside the home color box. My suggestion is to ask your stylist for his or her recommendations for some totally terrific tips in home color, or you might find that color in the salon is a luxury you can and would prefer to afford.
With all the new advances on the market these days, and with the free information available from the experts, you can save a few dollars by doing it yourself or alternating between home and salon color. When in doubt, seek the help of a licensed, experienced colorist. You should not need a lucky rabbit”s foot for radiant color, either in the salon chair or on your kitchen bar stool.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
