Pro Tips for Coloring Your Hair at Home

When it comes to perfecting your hair color, you can skip going to the salon if you are looking for a root touch up or a nice change in color. The right hair color can enhance your skin tone, cover grey roots and give your hair glossy finish.

Like most of us who can’t afford to visit a salon every some months, at-home hair dye products are readily available with an affordable price tag. So how to actually color your hair by yourself at home? Achieving the best hair color is not only about selecting the right shade, but the application technique should be mastered.

Before Coloring

Test a Strand. Before you begin do a strand test to know if you’ve selected the right hair color shade. If you’ve used the same hair color before, you can skip this step. For a new hair color you want to take a small section of hair from behind and apply your hair color. Leave it on for 15-25 minutes then check to see the results compared to the rest of your hair.

Skin Protection. Prevent your skin from staining and apply a thin layer of Vaseline or lip balm around your hairline and ears. This will create a barrier between your skin and the hair color. With darker hair colors and root touch ups, this step is important to get the best hair color from the root.

Mistakes to Avoid

Do not color on washed hair. If you’ve just washed your hair, wait a full day to color treat your hair. Since the scalp is free from oils, applying hair color can cause irritation and prevent hair color from locking to your strands. If you’re hair is very greasy, this can also cause uneven color application.

Consider Your Hair Type. Depending on the thickness of your hair, not all hair types require the same technique. If your hair is thin and limp, use a smaller amount of hair color. For thicker, coarse hair strands you will need more product and longer time frame to process your hair.

Tips To Consider

Grey Root Touch Up. If you’re grey roots are growing out, use a slightly darker hair color to cover the grey tone and match your hair color. To get the best results, apply the hair color with a brush and wiggle it into the roots. This will apply the hair color evenly and prevent patches. Leave the hair color on for 10 minutes longer than you normally would for a hair color. If your grey roots are very stubborn at touching up, use twice of the amount of hair coloring cream and a smaller amount of the developer instead of half-half ratio. This way you will get more color pigment and coverage.

After Coloring. A color protecting shampoo is a must if you want to stretch your hair color. A color-protective, sulfate-free shampoo can prevent your hair color from washing out immediately. With most shampoos that lather and contain soapy agents, this can wash your hair color out quicker.