HOW TO COLOR YOUR HAIR AT HOME

25 tips and professional tricks for quality hair coloring at home

INNA CODRU , NOVEMBER 13, 2018

Let's learn how to color our hair well and correctly. Hair coloring in a salon can be quite expensive and burn a hole in your pocket, especially if you want to dye your hair really beautifully. Thus, sometimes you will need to find your own way to dye your hair the color of your dreams. But the thought of dyeing your own hair at home can be quite intimidating, especially if you've never done it before. However, you really have nothing to worry about! Just follow these simple hair coloring tips, pay attention to professional tricks and hacks, and hair coloring will go like clockwork.

1. Test "one strand"

When it comes to coloring your hair, this is the very first thing to do before you start coloring. Test on a small strand of hair, near the back of your neck, applying the purchased dye to it and leaving it for the time indicated on the box. This will show you exactly what hair color you end up with, and there won't be any catastrophic results!

2. Don't trust the pretty lady on the box

This is the most obvious mistake beginners often make when it comes to choosing their hair color. Most make their choice by the color of the model's hair on the front of the box (hair dye). You will be surprised to know that your hair color is likely to be lighter than hers.

This is due to the fact that the coloring elements in piece hair dyes are stronger than the dyes used in salons. Therefore, purchased dye will make your hair lighter than those shown on the box. Therefore, when choosing a hair dye, the first thing you need to do is look for the color index on the side or back panel, which will show you what the final color will be on different base shades of hair.

3. Darker for permanent paint, lighter for semi-permanent

If you are coloring your hair with permanent hair dye, choose a shade that is a little darker than you want as the developer in the dye will lighten the shade on your hair. On the other hand, for semi-permanent hair dyes, use a shade that is slightly lighter than you need. This is because the longer you leave the dye on your hair, the darker and more intense the shade will be.

4. Two packs

If your hair is shoulder length and tends to dry quickly, then make sure you buy two boxes of hair dye instead of one. Otherwise, it probably won't be enough.

5. Hair texture

There are two things you need to keep in mind about hair texture when thinking about different hair color ideas. First, hair that is frizzy, frizzy, and coarse absorbs more color and tends to take on a "cold" tone when dyed. That is, any dye you use will look slightly ashy or bluish.

Secondly, straight hair, fine or medium textured, tends to get a warm tone when dyed. Thus, the color may eventually have an orange or copper tint. So, when you're choosing hair dye, look for warm tones like gold or bronze, which are lighter than your natural hair color. If you have curly curly hair, look for shades of cool tones like beige or ash blonde and go a little darker than your natural color if your hair is straight and fine in texture.

6. First rinse the ends of the hair, and only then the roots

When you dye your hair, you do it mainly because of the hair roots, because the hair grows and the hair roots immediately show their natural color. This is a bit of a challenge for beginners because the ends of your hair are porous and will stain more if you start rinsing the dye right off the roots. A quick and easy way to prevent this is to apply the conditioner FIRST to the ends of your hair, and only then rinse the color from the roots.

7. Proper hair separation

Proper separation of hair is of key importance when coloring hair to prevent a false result. The best way to part your hair is to first comb it vertically from the center of your forehead to the back of your neck, and then comb it horizontally from one ear to the other. This will divide your hair into 4 equal parts.

Now start coloring the hair from the very back of the head and work your way up to the front of the head. This way, the color will start working right from the back of your hair, which is longer and darker and takes a little longer to color than the rest of your hair.

8. "Shampoo + Paint" for dry ends

Since the dry ends of the hair are porous and absorb the dye very quickly, save them for last when applying the dye to the rest of the hair, but leave some dye in the bowl. Three minutes before you wash your hair, add 2 drops of shampoo to the color in the bowl and apply this mixture to the ends of your hair. This will give them shine, the paint on the ends of the hair will shine.

9. Water and massage

A great way to make your coloring more even and avoid streaks, spots or lines. To do this, add some water to your head and massage the dye into your hair before washing it.

10. Don't Ignore Hair Conditioner

There are two reasons why you should never skip conditioning after coloring your hair. First, it hydrates your hair after chemical dyes and shampoo have stripped your hair of much of its natural oils.

Secondly, and more importantly, it closes the hair cuticles that the dye has opened up to seep into the base of the hair. Thus, it does not allow your color to become darker than the desired shade.

11. Beware! Don't paint more than necessary

If you are not careful, you can dye not only your hair, but also a lot of things that you don’t want to dye at all! I've heard many sad stories about people ruining good clothes with hair dye, staining their white sinks and countertops. And all because they did not take the necessary precautions.

Here's what you need to do - cover all your work surfaces with trash bags or newspaper and put on an old shirt or old bathrobe before you start coloring. This way, you don't have to pull your clothes over your dye-covered head to start rinsing your hair.

12. Protect your skin from staining too

There is nothing worse than excitedly washing the dye out of your hair and suddenly discovering stains of dye on your forehead or on your ears. The best way to prevent this, frankly speaking, tragedy is to apply petroleum jelly (or any other similar substance) to the ears, also along the entire hairline around the forehead and back of the neck. If you do not want to get your fingers dirty with Vaseline, then use a cotton swab, which will help you to carry out this whole procedure more accurately.

13. Toothbrush for highlights

The best way to get beautiful highlights in your hair is to apply color to small sections of your hair with a toothbrush. The bristles of the toothbrush help to apply paint thinly and evenly. In this case, the highlights will blend perfectly with your natural hair color.

14. Apply dye to the roots first

Since the hair is darker at the roots, these areas will require more dye and more time to process. So, start by first applying the dye to the area at the roots of the hair, and then go to the rest of the hair with a hair brush, comb or your fingers.

15. Use two mirrors

Coloring hair at the back of your head can be tricky, especially if you don't have anyone to tell you if you're missing a section. So, keep a second, if possible, small, mirror on hand and use it to check if you have dyed all the sections of hair at the back of your head.

16. Shower cap

I know that we women always have a lot of housework that needs to be done during the day, and sitting around while the coloring process is just not an option. So, just tuck your hair under a shower cap to keep the dye from dripping and staining everything around while we go about our business.

17. Don't Forget Rubber Gloves

We all know that in such cases, you need to wear plastic or rubber gloves. But did you know that it's just as important not to take them off until you've completely washed the paint off your head? Yes, hair dye can stain your hands while you carelessly wash it off, just as easily as when you first apply it.

18. Do not color the tips when re-coloring

One of the leading colorists, Christina Silverman, suggests not to apply color to the ends of your hair when you color or recolor it, as this can make this part of the hair more saturated and heavy.

19. Pink shampoo to eliminate green tones

Your hair may, over time, acquire a green tint. This happens either as a result of the development of previously used paints, or as a result of the accumulation of chlorine products (if you often swim in the pool). Pink (colouring) shampoo and conditioner can help solve this problem, as pink is great at eliminating this green tint.

20. Eye shadow is also useful

When life becomes more and more stressful and time is sorely lacking, then things like the appearance of dark hair roots are no longer on the priority list. But that doesn't mean you have to put up with it. There's a little trick you can use when you're in a hurry, but it's important to look presentable. If the roots of the hair are darker, match the shade of the shadows to the color of your hair. Apply this eyeshadow to clean, dry hair roots about an inch above the color difference line for a more natural look for both hair roots and color-treated hair.

Currently, you can find ready-made palettes with a brush and a set of shadows specifically for the hair roots.

21. Secondary colors are easier to work with

If you're just starting out with different hair coloring techniques, or if this is the first time you're coloring your hair, it's best to stay away from basic colors (red, blue, yellow) as they are MUCH harder to work with. Start with secondary hues like pink, purple, coral or green.

22. Use Coconut Oil Before Washing Your Hair

I'm sure it's no news to anyone that the chlorine content in water can ruin your hair color and even damage its structure. You can protect your hair by using COCONUT OIL as it acts as a barrier between the nasty chlorine and the beautiful color of your hair. A thick, creamy conditioner based on coconut oil is also a great alternative.

23. Conditioner before shampoo

Now here's a rather unusual approach to washing your hair so that your hair doesn't fade too quickly. Apply the conditioner to damp hair and then shampoo over it. This method allows you to remove all the excess oils accumulated by your hair without coming into contact with the color. Then rinse everything off and use the hair conditioner again.

24. Olive oil and toothpaste to remove paint stains from the skin

Coloring the forehead and neck with paint is often unavoidable when dyeing hair. The easiest and fastest way to get rid of these stains is to mix a tablespoon of olive oil with some kind of whitening toothpaste, apply the mixture on a cotton pad and rub it on the paint stains on the skin.

25. Don't use metal bowls, spoons, or clips

The developer in hair dye can react with the metal and oxidize, which will inevitably lead to discoloration. There have also been cases where the reaction was so strong that the hair would simply break and tear down the middle. Therefore, when coloring your hair, use a glass bowl and plastic spoons and clips.

Now that these hair coloring tips have armed you with great knowledge, what are you waiting for? Let's go ahead and color your hair like a strong, independent woman without worrying that you might make a mistake that won't even ruin your first hair coloring experience!