Preparing to Color Your Hair at Home

As spring approaches, it’s not uncommon to feel the need to change things in our lives a bit. It’s one of the reasons for spring cleaning. Spring is time to put away our bulky coats, heavy knitwear, and sweatshirts and break out those cute dresses, sandals, and jeans jackets. We spring clean our homes, closets, makeup collections and probably start thinking about changing up our hair a bit. Should we get a new cut and color? Should we get bangs? It’s definitely not unusual for those thoughts to occur and with COVID-19 still going strong, maybe some of the desired changes are best done at home where you can be sure you’re not increasing your risk of contracting COVID 19. If, for whatever reason, you are considering changing up your hair color at home, let’s take a look at things you can do to help prepare for the process.

Do Your Research

The general rule of thumb is to go darker with your hair color for fall and lighter for spring/summer. But, at the end of the day, the only rule worth following is the one that lets you do what feels right for you.  If you are thinking about coloring your hair at home the first and most important step is to do your research. There are so many brands and shades of at-home hair color out there that it can feel daunting to select the perfect color for you. Research ingredients and look at reviews to help you make the right choice for you.   

Color Only Healthy Hair

Once you are decided on the color you want, it is to ensure that your hair is healthy enough for coloring. The process of coloring can be stressful for your hair and you’ll get the best results on hair that is healthy at the start. Your hair will look better and the process is much more likely to go smoothly if your hair is healthy and strong. Once colored, you need a color-safe routine that helps maintain the health of your hair and ensures that your color lasts as long as it can. So, your research should include not just what hair color you should choose, but the products to maintain your colored hair as well.

Find Your Hair Color Inspiration

The model on the box is not your friend when it comes to your end results and you are asking for trouble if you assume that’s how your hair will look at the end of the process. Your end result will largely depend on your base (starting) hair color so bear that in mind. A real-life individual who has your skin tone and starting color is a much better indicator of what your hair will end up looking like and with social media it’s a lot easier to see before and after photos to help you get a pretty accurate picture of what color will work for you based on your skin tone and the base color. Reach out to your hair color inspiration for advice on what they did and how they did it.

Follow the Instructions on the box

Read the instructions included in your kit. I know, I know. Few of us ever read the instructions on anything as it can seem like an unnecessary delay, particularly when your new color is waiting. But knowing how to dye hair at home and knowing the information particular to products you are using will be helpful to you and is critical for the success of the process.

Get Yourself at Least two boxes of Color

Unless your hair is fairly thin or shorter than shoulder-length, one box of color is unlikely to be enough. Metal containers or utensils should not be used for mixing your color ingredients and you should also avoid the use of any metal hair clips during the process of coloring your hair as well.

Work in Sections

Working in sections will help to ensure complete coverage and prevent patchiness in your dyed hair since smaller sections make it easier to get at every strand. Start at your nape and work your way towards the front of your head. Curly hair tends to absorb color a lot more quickly than straighter textures since curly hair is likely to already be porous and color can enter strands more readily. Do not exceed the recommended time or you will end up with over-processed hair that will look nothing like you wanted.

Condition Your Hair After Coloring

Conditioning will help smooth strands, prevent frizz and restore moisture and shine so that your color can really stand out. Conditioning also ensures that the coloring process ends because it closes the cuticles of your hair strands. Without conditioning, your hair color will continue to change and become darker than intended. Your hair can also end up damaged if this occurs.

Do not Skip the Sensitivity Test Before Using Hair Color

When coloring your hair at home, it is important that you complete the allergy test. Even if you’ve been using the same brand for years, it is imperative that this step is not omitted because sensitivity can develop over time.

Change can do you good and help you feel a bit of excitement during this period of lockdown and uncertainty where it feels like we’re all stuck in an endless loop where everything and everyday stays the same. Hopefully, this helps you feel more confident coloring your hair at home if this is something you’ve been considering.

Happy Spring!