At-home Hair Color: Seven Tips for Great Results

Doing your own home hair color for the first time can be intimidating, to say the least. Have I chosen the right color? What if I make a mistake and wind up with green hair? What if I end up with overprocessed, dry damaged hair?

The fact is that you can achieve excellent results and save a lot of money by coloring your hair at home as long as you know a few basics about how to select the right color and apply it correctly.

Here are seven of the most common questions and my advice on hair coloring at home.

Advice on Permanent Hair Coloring at Home

1. How do I know whether I should color my hair at home or go to a salon?

Most people can successfully color their hair at home but there are exceptions. You should get a professional color job if your hair is in poor condition - coloring dry damaged hair at home can result in uneven color. Also, if your hair has different shades and you want one even tone, a hairdresser can apply different formulas to the different areas. Finally, it's best to leave it to the experts if you want to make a drastic change to your hair color, say dark brown to platinum blonde, or you want special color effects or highlights.

2. Are drugstore hair colors just as good as salon hair color products?

In general, salon hair colors contain higher-quality ingredients than the drugstore brands. Salons also offer a wider variety of colors and tones. But home coloring kits are getting better all the time and can deliver good results if used properly.

3. How do I pick a color that will look natural on me?

When choosing a hair color, your skin tone and natural hair color are the two most important factors. Whether you're going lighter or darker, stay within two or three shades of your natural hair color. Here is a guideline for selecting a compatible hair color for your skin tone:

Dark/olive skin: Stay with darker hair colors.

Yellow skin: Dark, rich colors like deep auburn.

Pale skin: Almost any color.

Pink skin: Neutral tones like sandy or beige blonde or chocolate brown are best. Avoid reds or golden tones.

If you know what clothing colors suit you, you can also use that to help in choosing hair color:

If you look good in warm shades like red, orange, golden yellow, cinnamon brown, olive green, and rust, then warm hair tones like golden blonde, golden brown, strawberry blonde, and auburn will suit you best.

Cool color favorites like bluish red, fuschia, black, royal blue, and pine green indicate that cool hair tones are best for you: platinum, ash blonde, ash brown, burgundy, and jet black.

If you look good in true red, purple, charcoal grey, periwinkle, and teal, then neutral tones like sandy or beige blonde, chocolate brown or mahogany will suit you.

4. How do I get ready to color my hair the first time?

It's a good idea to gather a few materials together before starting: an old T-shirt, a few old towels and a washcloth that you don't mind getting stained, some hair clips for sectioning your hair, a timer, and a hand mirror to see the back of your head.

5. If I color my hair at home and hate it, what can I do?

There are some home hair color products you can use to repair the damage, but it isn't easy. The problem is that if you used a home hair color kit to obtain a lighter color, your hair has been bleached and colored in a single process. So the color needs to be added back in a process called "filling" before using the final color formula. Whatever you do, don't simply buy a box of your original color and try to cover over a bad dye job... it won't work. Fixing hair color gone wrong is a multi-stage process so a trip to the salon may be in order.

6. I already have permed hair. Can I color it without damaging it?

If your hair has been permed or relaxed, color has to be applied carefully or it can weaken the structure of your hair. Salons have colors specially formulated for treated hair. But if you insist on home hair coloring, choose a shade darker than you want since processed hair may come out lighter than expected. Then do a strand test to make sure your hair can handle the chemical stress.

7. I love my new color... now how do I keep it looking good?

You'll probably want to recolor every four to six weeks. Make a record of the hair color product and shade you used, and how long you left it on the ends and the regrowth. Use shampoos and conditioners formulated for color-treated hair to prevent fading. Stay out of the sun and chlorinated pools. Hair that has been previously been bleached is prone to such effects and should be rinsed as soon as possible. Don't use heavy conditioners and oil treatments after coloring... they can lift the color.

Now go out and enjoy your new look and all the money you saved by doing it yourself!

Nancy Faizabadi is a professional hair stylist and the founder of http://www.short-hair-style.com where you can find free tips on short hair style and color ideas, hair color trends, hair products and much more. Whether your hair is fine, thick, curly, straight, processed, colored or in need of a new style, short-hair-style.com has a section for you.

---

Caring for Tattoos

Before You Get a TattooMake sure the tattoo parlor is... Read More

Personal Care Products Can Lead To Cancer

Our skin is a two way membrane. During perspiration toxins... Read More

The Hand Held Facial Steamer Is the Ultimate in Skin Care!

Finally a better acne choice than non comedogenic facial cleansers,... Read More

Its A Shame For You Not To Reduce The Appearance of Existing Signs Of Aging And Help Prevent ...

Countless people are now using an anti-aging complex that works... Read More

How to Reduce the Appearance of Age Spots

Age spots are mainly caused by long-term sun exposure. Although... Read More

Teeth Whitening: Home Treatments Not Without Some Risk

Before you start whitening your teeth, you must consider that... Read More

Color Toric Contacts - Good News for People with Astigmatism

If you have an astigmatism it doesn't mean that you... Read More

Looking for New Hair Styles or a Completely Different Look?

Maybe you need a Gia Makeover.When it comes to hair... Read More

Essential Oils Slow The Signs of Time From Your Skin

I enjoy pretty scents, don't you? I love working with... Read More

Advantages of an Indoor Tanning Bed

Think tanning and you will find a tanning salon just... Read More

Waxing Pain -- Tips for Withstanding Waxing Discomfort

First, the bad news: waxing hurts. Think of it as... Read More

Reversing the Aging Process

Many scientists would say that we don't know what is... Read More

Get Free Cosmetic Samples Just for Completing Offers

There's almost nothing more irritating than buying a lot of... Read More

Protect the Skin Youre In

Summer is approaching and thousands of people will be working... Read More

Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening is a process of lightening the color of... Read More

Beauty Tips for Luscious Lips

The last step in your makeup regime is lipstick application.... Read More

Aromatherapy Skin Care

When there is easy way to do your aromatherapy skin... Read More

What the Peat Bog People Can Tell Us About Beauty

Over the past centuries, remains of many hundreds of people--... Read More

Hyaluronic Acid vs. Collagen - A Growing Debate

The debate continues as to whether Hyaluronic acid or collagen... Read More

Hyaluronic Acid ? Newest Celebrity Beauty Secret?

We can always count on celebrities to serve as guinea... Read More

Rhinoplasty Facility Costs

No matter where the doctor and the anesthesiologist are going... Read More

The Many Faces Of Mascara

After finding the right foundation shade, choosing mascara is probably... Read More

Mineral Cosmetics from the Dead Sea

Does the idea of using chemicals and preservatives on your... Read More

Natural Skin Care Mask

Healthy skin is one of the most common health and... Read More

Liposuction, or Baggy Clothes?

Let's face it ladies. There are very few of us... Read More

Is Cosmetic Surgery Right For You?

For many of us, we go through most of our... Read More

A Crazy Life and Pimples

The factors contributing to acne breakouts are many. Hormonal influences,... Read More

Best Home Tanning Beds

It would be really nice to be able to tan... Read More

Beauty, Wrinkles, and the Science of Laughter

When most of us think of "memory" we think of... Read More

Treating Ingrown Hairs -- Product Comparison

Ingrown hairs occur when hairs that have been waxed or... Read More

Cleanse and Stimulate Your Scalp with the Right Shampoo!

Shampoo contributes to good hair care. In our quest for... Read More

Your Skin - Are You Creating An Asset or a Liability?

Skincare consists of Skin and Care ? obvious really, but... Read More

Flax Seed Oil and Wrinkles

Flax seed oil helps lubricate the digestive system and softens... Read More