Plenty of at-home hair color options available in the market, look amazing & worth giving a try… but one wrong move and your co-workers could mistake you for a traffic cone.
Before you decide to take the plunge and do it yourself, you should take into account the pros and cons of an at-home coloring to see if it’s right for you.
Pros
- Its a Bargain: Cost is one of the biggest reasons many women opt to dye their hair at home instead of visiting a salon. The average price of a single process color — which means an all-over color in one shade — is over $60-$80 in the US and in big cities like New York, most coloring appointments are well over $100. Either way, the savings are substantial.
- Convenience: Anyone who works a 9-to-5 knows how hard it can be to book appointment with doctors, dentists and even hairstylists. By doing it at home, you can update your look whenever it’s best for you—whether that means late at night, or early in the morning before heading out the door. Bonus: you can watch TV, check your email, or get caught up on your work while the color processes!
- It’s a Simple Process: At-home hair color kits are super straightforward and contain everything you need to get the job done. The directions are clear, concise and many kit providers have a help line to call if you have questions before and during the process.
Cons
- Miss Outs. Even with easy-to-use formulas, you can’t be 100% sure you’re coating all of your hair evenly unless you have a professional applying the color.
- Correcting a mistake will cost a lot. Our hair reacts differently to the chemicals needed to color hair. The home kits come in all one strength. Although most home coloring kits are nearly fool-proof, if something does go wrong, it will cost you most to have it corrected than it would have cost to go to the salon in the first place.
- The color might not turn out exactly as you hoped. A lot of factors — like your hair texture, whether you’ve previously dyed it— determine how your color will turn out and you can’t always go by the picture on the box.
- A Perfect Job: You can guarantee that a salon will do a excellent job, and that a professional will not screw-up in most cases.
- Color Desirability: The more drastic of a change you desire, the more chance the color won’t turn out the way you’d like it to. Adding highlights or lowlights: unless you plan to dye your hair with an all-over color, definitely see a professional. Otherwise, you could end up with chunky streaks — yikes!
Either way, the savings are substantial.
If you have decided to take a plunge. Then note these points:
- Buy the Proper Tools
For a more precise application, log on to a beauty store to buy the paintbrushes and plastic bowls used by professionals. - Practice
If you’ve never used at-home color before, take a practice run by using the tools and swapping your hair dye for conditioner. - Deep Condition
One week before you dye your hair, give it a deepconditioning treatment. If your hair is damaged, the dye won’t adhere as well (kind of like slapping paint on a cracked wall). - Don’t Wash Your Hair
If your scalp is too clean, hair color can feel uncomfortable, so make sure to wait a full day after your last shampoo. - Do a Strand Test
Gather a small section of hair above your ear and leave the color on for 15 minutes. Check the results to make sure you like the color before doing your entire head. - Protect Your Skin
Spread a natural oil like jojoba, coconut or almond along your hairline with a Q-Tip before applying your color to prevent it from irritating and staining your skin.
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Disclaimer
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
