How To Color Your Hair At Home

So you want to color your hair at home and get a beautiful, natural color without paying the salon price. Now days, more women are opting coloring their hair at home, rather paying for expensive trips to the salon. Remember, if your looking for a dramatic change, it's best to visit a hair care professional at the salon rather then doing it yourself and ending up with a diaster. Coloring your hair at home will work best for you only if you want to go a few shades lighter or darker then your natural hair color or cover grey.

The best advice is to stay within a one to two shades of your natural hair color, that way you don't end up with something dramatic you hate. Be sure to choose a color that is works with your skin tone. Most hair colors are labeled now days on the front of the box, (warm), (cool) or (natural) which gives you an idea of what shade will look best with your skintone.

You're a a 'warm' if you have golden, olive or dark skin and brown or dark eyes. You tan easily and the veins in your inner wrists are green. If your a warm, go opt for golden shades such as caramel and bronze in a darker shade than your skin tone. Avoid jet-black hair which will wash you out and if you do opt for a golden shade, don't go too light or your hair could turn orange. Look for shades labeled (warm).

You're a 'cool' if you have fair skin and blue or green eyes. You burn before you tan and the veins in your wrists are blue. If your a cool, avoid colors like gold, auburn and copper as they will be too warm for your skintone. Ash blondes and cool browns work best for cool tones. Look for shades labeled (cool).

You're a 'neutral' if you have medium skin and blue or green eyes, you tan easily and have both (blue and green) veins in your inner wrists. When your neutral, you have both warm and cool tones so you could go either warm or cool but it's best to opt for the shades labeled (natural) because they look best with your skintone.

Be sure to check the color on the side or the back of the box, that will give you an idea of what your color result will be. Don't go by the model's hair color. Make sure to read the instructions carefully, as some brands differ on the amount of time to leave the color on.

A week before you color, use a deep conditioning mask for color-treated, dry/damaged hair. A deep conditioning mask will protect your hair from the damage and keep your hair from absorbing more color then it should. It can also be used after coloring weekly for dry/damaged or color-treated hair to keep it soft, lustrous and shining all week long. A great one to try is Frederic Fekkai Protein Rx Reparative Treatment Mask, With Soy and Milk Proteins. Or if your looking to spend a little less money, try Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask.

Be sure to wear the colorist gloves as they are added for your protection. Use a timer or nearby clock to keep track of the time. Wear an old t-shirt or turn a t-shirt you don't wear often inside out and keep it on hand if you plan to continue coloring your hair.

Once you have followed the instructions on mixing the color cream and developer, shake well for at least a minute and apply the color evenly in the mirror so you can see the application as your applying. If applying with your hands, work the color from front to back evenly and make sure the all the hair is completely saturated. Make sure to smooth out any clumps and ensure the color is evenly applied. When you've finished the color application, take off the gloves and clean up any mess the color may have made with a dry tissue. If you have color on your forehead or neck, it can easily be wiped off with a wet tissue, a baby wipe works great!

Leave the color on for 20-30 min. (depending on the instructions). If you have dry/damaged hair and are worried about the color coming out too dark, leave the color on for only 20 min. Be sure to rinse the color out thoroughly until the water runs clear. It's best to shower when rinsing hair color out, because the color will come out more evenly with a good rinse. You'll want to make sure you rinse your hair for at least 2-3 min. before using the conditioner provided. Deep condition your hair with the conditioner in the box and use it weekly as instructed to prevent more damage. A great haircolor for dry/damaged hair and grey coverage is L'Oreal Excellence Creme. This color cream protects your hair from damage most haircolors cause during the coloring process and comes out great! It looks very natural and your hair feels soft and conditioned afterwards.