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.

Author:
Nancy Faizabadi