How to Dye Your Hair at Home Like a Pro
As the days of being homebound turn to weeks and months, many of us with color-treated strands face a choice: Embrace Little Edie headscarves or venture into the uncertain territory of DIY hair dye. Thankfully, there are an array of salon and drugstore at-home-color options that make it easy to take previously pro-only services such as root touch-ups into your own hands—albeit cautiously. Now may not be the time to experiment with balayage or test-drive being a redhead, unless you’re okay with wild card results, says Parisian colorist Christophe Robin, who tends to the tresses of Lea Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, and Catherine Deneuve. “Don’t get excited when see all of the colors in the shop and decide to try something you’ve never done before, because you don’t know how your hair is going to take the dye. I also wouldn’t recommend doing highlights at home. But if you just need to cover up grays or blend your roots, you can get good results.” Here, a pro guide to doing it right.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST SHADE
First of all, says celebrity stylist Harry Josh, “Don't be afraid to ask your colorist for help. Some salons are now offering at home kits, but they can also advise you on the right color to select and the right type of product to use.” Other options for pro guidance include Madison Reed, the high-tech home hair color company that assesses your shade requirements via questionnaire, then sends products to your home with detailed instructions.
Going rogue in the drugstore? “Never trust the face on the front of the box,” says Robin. “Always turn it, and look at the chart on the side that shows what the result will be depending on your base color.” It’s also better to skew too light than too dark. “I recommend going one or two shades lighter than what you think you are,” Robin says. “People tend to think their hair is darker than it actually is, and when people come into the salon unhappy with color they’ve done at home, it’s always because it’s too dark.” It’s also much easier for your stylist to correct the color later if something goes wrong since, as Josh notes, “it’s easier to add color than it is to take it away.”
One final note: If your main concern is grey hair, reach for a cream formulation over a gel or mousse. Robin recommends L’Oréal Excellence: “If you have more than 40 percent grey, it’s the best.”
APPLICATION BEST PRACTICES
Start by smearing Vaseline or a heavy cream along your hairline to protect skin and baby hairs that you don’t want to dye (this helps prevent a “helmet head” effect, according to Robin), then section out hair, working from front to back. “Just be sure to really saturate the color and don’t be afraid to use too much,” says Josh. “If you are covering up grays, try to really get into the root, and if you have someone with you who can help, have them get the top and back of your head.” Applying color with a small brush or toothbrush can help prevent dripping around the face, but it’s fine to use the nozzle dispenser that comes with most kits.
KEEP COLOR OFF YOUR ENDS
Make sure you’re applying color to the roots, and only the roots. This will prevent any muddying, and will preserve any highlights and dimensional color that you like in the rest of your lengths. Rob recommends coating hair from just above the ears down to the ends with a conditioning oil—or even with olive or coconut oil—before applying color, and leaving it on throughout the process. “It’s a good way to treat your hair at the same time that you’re coloring it, and it will keep the color from grabbing onto the ends when you rinse it out.”
PAY ATTENTION TO TIMING
“Respect the timing” that’s given in the instructions, says Robin. “It’s easy to forget, especially when you’re at home, and start reading or watching TV. But if it says 20 minutes, leave it on only 20 minutes. If you leave it on too long, the product will oxidize and it will turn your hair dark.”
MAINTAIN AND PROLONG YOUR RESULTS
Shampoo and conditioner formulated for color-treated hair, as well as a weekly deep-conditioning mask, are musts if you want to keep strands looking vibrant. Color-depositing conditioners and glosses can help minimize any color differentiation as roots grow back in—which they will, in about four weeks. Powders and sprays can also help you along—especially if you have little to no grey to conceal—until you can get back into the salon and return your mane's maintenance to a much-missed pro.
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