Things You'll Need:
- Boxed hair color
- Gloves--usually come with color
- Shampoo for color treated hair
- Conditioner for color treated hair
- Towel(s) that you can afford to get dye on
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Step 1
In the days before coloring your hair, be sure to condition well. You want the cuticle to be well moisturized and not dry, as putting color onto very dry hair can make it more brittle and prone to breakage.
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Step 2
Survey the available hair coloring products and fully read the boxes. Consider the example photos to get an idea of approximately how your hair will look, but remember that results often vary slightly and expect your hair to be a shade similar to what you see. Choose a hair color with a deep conditioning treatment to use after dyeing.
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Step 3
When choosing your hair dye, consider how long you'd like the color to last. Temporary hair color will wash out in just two to three shampoos; Semi-permanent will wash out in seven to 12 shampoos; Demi-permanent color lasts longer, taking close to 30 shampoos to fully fade; Permanent hair color should last until that hair grows out and to change it must be dyed over.
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Step 4
At home hair dyes will instruct you to do an allergy test 48 hours prior to dyeing. To do the allergy test, simply mix and apply a very small bit of hair color to skin (you can use your forearm or inside of elbow) and leave undisturbed for 48 hours to be sure that no allergic reaction appears. If it does, do not use this hair color and consider another brand.
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Step 1
Put on gloves to protect your hands from dye.
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Step 2
Mix the color according to product instructions. Be sure to follow instructions precisely. Apply color immediately after mixing.
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Step 3
Apply color to dry hair, massaging from roots to ends. Without getting too much color on the face, still be sure that color reaches all the short hairs around the face, around ears, and nape of neck. There is no need to rub color directly into scalp, but this will not hurt either.
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Step 4
If your hair is long, pile it on top of your head and use a clip to keep it up, off of clothes.
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Step 5
Leave color on for the instructed time period. Leaving color on for less time will not allow color to fully develop in your hair, and too long can cause hair damage.
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Step 6
If hair is long, pile on top of the head and use a clip to keep it up, off of clothes.
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Step 1
When the time is complete, carefully rinse all excess color from your hair. The instructions should tell you whether or not to use shampoo at this time. Generally, a color-safe shampoo will remove excess product from your hair while protecting your new color.
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Step 2
Finish process with a conditioner for color-treated hair. This may come with the boxed product. Otherwise, use your own conditioner. Conditioner can be left on for 2-5 minutes to allow for deeper conditioning.
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Step 3
Repeat as necessary to maintain your new color and keep roots colored.
