Beauty Discussions

You crack me up!  I love your sense of humor-Joanne

I have tried coloring my hair at home and it was a dismal failure. It is ok if you're fairly young but as you get more gray hair it's better to go to a salon.

I haven't tried any hair coloring - salon or at home - yet, but now that the gray is starting to come in, I will soon! Everyone's posts have been helpful.

(1) Are the cost savings worth the hassle? And (2) If I give it a try, any tips or tricks or advice anyone would give a first timer?

1)  Yes, absolutely - for me anyway.

2)  I only use one brand, since I used that spray on stuff in HS and it turned green - just ask the English Teacher I had when she called roll:  "Nancy, is your hair GREEN??"  (insert student guffaws here)  But I swam alot in chlorinated water too...that's prolly why.     

I've never had a salon color, I do mine at home and it's very thick and long, so I have to use 2 boxes.  I use Revlon Colorsilk, and have for about 20 years.  I hate grey hair, IMHO, and my natural born color is blonde.  I stay close to that, mostly strawberry blonde.

I gave up getting it cut/thinned at a stylist over 6 years ago and do that myself also.  Can't you tell?  (hehe)

dang, I saw the woman across the street (not my nice elderly neighbor but one whom I don't consider a neighbor) and she looks like her husband's mother.

Seriously...If I let mine go grey all the way like that, I'd look like my husband's mother too, IMHO.

I felt as if I needed a lift today, so here I sit with haircolor on!

waiting now just waiting---review to come!

I've been coloring my hair at home for 15 years. I've gotten it done in the salon but got close to the same result by doing it myself without the HUGE expense. I always buy the color at the beauty supply store and use "Satin" brand color. It has an aloe vera base, and less than 1%  ammonia. They have a huge range of colors which I really like. 

The people working at the beauty supply store should be able to tell you exactly what you will need such as the color, developer, bottle, applicator brush and gloves. 

I always pick up a deep conditioner when purchasing the color. I use half at the time I do the color, and the other half about a week later.

I need to to save a few bucks

I have been coloring my own hair for 12 years now. I love to go with the crazy colors of bright red and jet black, Ive even dyed my hair blue once. It is messy, you don't realize how much you fling when your moving your hair. And once its time to remove it you jump in the shower and if you just dyed your hair red it looks like youve died in there! Then you have to get back in the shower and clean up the mess that didnt wash down the drain. It cost a lot of money in the salon but with good reason. You get quality, you don't miss any spots, you have no mess to clean up and they wash and dry your hair and style it usually. Plus it takes up the designers time. I pay $85.00 at the Paul Mitchell Salon to get my hair trimmed and colored and find that I dont mind cleaning up the mess at my home and just do it myself. I go to Walmart, pick the color and buy 2 boxes because my hair is long. Usually Herbal Essence, I love the smell and colors and it lasts awhile in permanent. It only costs about 6 bucks a box and my 12 dollar investment as opposed to the 85 dollar one is worth doing it at home if money is tight in my book :)

i found that i save so much money coloring my hair at home

i have been doing it for years i have messed up a few times and so have salons

i am getting better and better at it it will take some time to perfect it

but its worths saving $100 every other month

I decided to have some fun last night so I died my hair a deep purple. It's semi permanent so I didn't worry much. I got it from a beauty supply store and was promised it would look "stunning" on me. I also, at the same time, did my roots that were coming in lighter than my hair is now as well as with some *gasp* gray. I made a HUGE mess everywhere. On me, on the sink, on the floor, on the walls, you name it.

I finally was done and rinsed and my roots are bright copper and my hair is black. Ummm...hmmm. What happened there?

I will redo the roots but I have NO idea where the purple went and why it turned my hair black. I looks so goth. I hope it washes out. Yikes.

But I'll still mess around with color at home. It's a pain but saves me tons. I will have my hair colored professionally now and then but I rarely stray far from my natural color and doing my roots was always simple and worked well until last night! My roots glow. lol.

I just started coloring my hair a couple of years ago and I do it at home. It's a lot cheaper and it hasn't been hard to do.I stay pretty close to my natural color and I don't go wild with the colors. You do have to be careful because it can be a mess. I have gotten a little on the bathroom counter top and couldn't get it completely off. And I always put on a old t shirt and get an old towel out because it won't come out of those things either. Good luck to you. I am sure you will do just fine!

I use Clairol Natural Instincts it is non-permanent easy to use and covers my grays just fine. It washes away in a month or so and no roots ever :)

I color my hair at home as long as it is just one color and not highlights. I have dark hair so I would never try to do blonde color myself. I use a old shirt I dont mind getting stained and usually use that same shirt everytime. ALWAYS use the Gloves that come with the kit. Once you get all color in use a wet wash cloth to wipe off the edges on your face and ears.  When I do go to the stylist I try to go to the same person that always does it because she has the color highlights on file and she always has complimented me on the color in my hair. ( I usually use reds when I do it myself )with what she does and I do it always works together and looks like I have red and blonde highlights. I suggest if it is your first time use a color not to far off from the color you already have on your head. Maybe wash out of your hair a little sooner then the time it says on the package, because the longer you leave it in the darker or lighter it will become.

I know this topic is old and I don't know if anyone is still interested, but realbeauty.com has a new article under "how to dye your hair at home" and "do your hair at home and look like a pro did it". Good luck and take care everyone!

I color mine at home or i have a family member do it

I came across this today and thought about this question. Here is a site to check out if anyone is still looking for help. Take care!

http://www.totalbeauty.com/content/guide/diy_hair_color_center?lc=nw1064-1

I'll be doing mine tonight or first thing in the morning!

I spend $3 for a box of haircolor and do it myself at home (and cut it myself as well), every 6 weeks or so, and I have never taken a class on either before. Tips for first time at home hair colorers; if you are using a dark color be sure to wipe up any drips, spills and splashes that get onto countertops, floors or the wall right away as they will color these as well. To keep the tops of your ears or the skin along your hair line from coloring as well, rub some petroleum jelly on first.

i make a terrible mess when I do my roots. Everything is brown from the sink to my shoulders to the floor. it's crazy but I save a ton of money and the results are better than when I go to the salon. I don't color my whole head these days, just the roots. I sometimes highlight my hair at home but the results are hit and miss. I tried to do purple not long ago and it was black. The blackest black. My sister called my Elvira. I have no idea how that happened. I think highlights are best left to the pros for me but otherwise, I do it all here and cut my own bangs all the time. I would never pay someone to just trim my bangs.

Sure do. Got to cover up a little gray lol

I thought it would be fun to dye my hair something shocking, like electric blue or something, just for fun. But my hair is mostly black, so I'd have to bleach it out first, and (1) I'm not sure how well that would work, and (2) I imagine after so many chemicals, it might end up kind of brittle.

I color my hair at home because it is costly to have someone else do it. I was really nervious about getting my hair colored, but not enough to let those sneeky little gray hairs stay any longer, besides the number of gray hairs were to many to keep pulling them out. och!  I took my teenage daughter with me to pick the right color for me. Later that evening my daughter colored my hair for me. We hung out in the bathroom listening to her type of music and just shared a great time with each other. I guess that when my daughter does my hair, it is worth the mess and hassel. But when I have to do it myself, not so much.

As for your second question on advice for a first timer, have a teenager do it. Make it all about them their music, They will feel special and will open up to you and you will have done something special for someone special. Young ladys love playing with hair. I know I picked the right person to do my hair and I am glad I did.

If I were you to get it right go to a professional that knows what they are doing. It is easy to mess your hair up but hard to get it back right