[backtome]

I'm starting to look like Taylor Hicks, and thats not pretty on a girl. So, I've never colored my hair before and I'm too cheap to get it done professionally. Has anyone used those kits from the supermarket? Specifically the ones that are supposed to cover the gray? Or should I just bite the bullet and have it done professionally?

thanks!
Nancy

[nelie]

I do it myself and never had a problem.

I like Nutrisse a lot.

One tip I would suggest is start with the ends and then move toward the root (although the kit will tell you otherwise). Only reason I suggest that is that the root is warmer and will develop quicker than the ends. Get an old shirt you don't mind staining, put it on, then go for it.

[Spunkster5]

I agree, I do it all the time. As a matter of fact I died mine BLACK this weekend on a whim. I've done all sorts of colors red, brown and even highlights! I say give it a shot!!

[melekalikimaka]

Nancy, I started getting a stray white hair right or two after I gave birth to my son (go figure!) at age 27. Over the last 8 years they are coming at me fast and furious . I do use OTC hair color and the brands I prefer are Preference by Loreal or Clairol Nice & Easy. These usually run between $5 (on sale) to $10 and take anywhere from 20-30 minutes to process. Other brands I have used are Feria which I think is a wee bit overpriced for doing the same job as Preference. I like Preference because it is more of a creme consistency than a liquid and doesn't run when you apply it. I mix the hair color in the bottle it comes in then squeeze all the mixture into a plastic or styrofoam bowl and use a paint-brush type applicator (purchased separately) to put it on. You can use the bottle applicator it comes in but I prefer the brush since it gives better coverage. I use Vaseline on my skin in the areas where I don't want my skin to have a tell-tale stain. I know there are products made specifically for this problem but Vaseline works just fine for me.

Although I do get my hair colored in a salon every once in a while as a treat, I use the at home kits quite often. It all depends on the length of your hair, how much gray you have to cover and if you're willing to deal with a little bit of mess and cleanup at home. Since my gray is relatively confined to my hairline surrounding my face and has not yet moved to toward the back of my head , I can get away with even using the new root touch-up kits which only come with a small amount of color mixture and blends really well. I think they are made by Clairol as well.

I like Nutrisse as well, the conditioner smells great and doesn't leave your hair with that processed smell when you blow dry it afterwards.

I can not/will not use Revlon Corn Silk ever again since it irritated my scalp and the color I chose looked fake. It made my hair feel like corn husk, not corn silk

[jules1216]

I use Feria from Walmart!!

[cantforgetthis]

Hi, I've done mine for about 15 years now and never had a problem. I've tried a number of different kinds and there definately is a difference. While I never had a problem with the actual color, some of the cheaper ones made my hair feel like straw. I've stuck with Preference by Loreal and never had a problem, even experimented with a few different shades.

Just make sure you comb it through really well. My friends who are hair dressers showed me how to do it. I even leave it on way past the 20 min recommended and no problem. The gray patch just in front tends to be a bit more resistant but even with that, it's always even color. I've gotten lots of compliments.

[ennay]

I use the natural one from the organic food store...hold on...Naturtint.

I have had my hair professionally colored

I have done it myself using Clairol & Loreal products

The Naturtint has covered my grey better than any of them and quite frankly the times I have gotten my hair professionally done I was never happy with the results.

The starting at the root/starting at the end thing really depends on how your hair grows naturally. My hair is VERY dark and/or grey at the roots and naturally lightens quite a bit as I go out. If I try to match my root color I end up with too dark. If I go lighter, then my roots grow out fast and I have to be diligent on touch ups or I get the dreaded line (2 young kids - not gonna happen!!) So, I usually do my roots for 35 min with the dark color that matches my roots, then comb through the rest of the hair and leave for 5 min. I got the perfect color this last time and now can go longer between colorings based on how grey I am willing to be, not how quickly my roots show. (I hate the "line")

If you are really grey, you may want to try a few shades lighter than your original color. As you age your skin tone changes also and lighter starts to look better for most people.


Be cautious with lightening too much if you are a dark brunette naturally. Some of us turn orange with lightening processes (even professional ones)

[ennay]

And its a good use for one of your old "fat" t-shirts....because you will not wear that shirt again ever. Hair dye stains everything. If you have ceramic tile or porcelain sinks it will come off. If you have plastic, stone or wide grout you may want to line your counters with newspaper before starting.

I like to just hop in the shower for the rinse rather than trying to squeeze my head under the sink, so I wear nothing for the application phase and a ratty bathrobe for the wait phase.

[abbyin]

I have been home coloring my hair for about 5 years now, as I too was starting to get quite a few gray hairs. My hair is naturally light brown. The first time I tried Nutrise, my hair turned orange . I had to go to the drug store with a hat on and buy another color to try and cover the orange up . A friend of mine (very experienced in hair coloring) told me I needed an "Ash" color so I bought Loreal Color Silk, Light Ash Brown and have been using it every since. My hair is kind of fine so the ends tend to soak up color the most so I deffinitly do my roots first . I guess it all depends on you hair type and color. There are a lot of products out there and I'm sure you can find something to work for you.

Good Luck!

[sharonrr]

If you do not want outgrowth get Clairol Natural instincts. No visible roots. Everyone thinks my hair is natural when I don't color it red that is.

[Lee Ann]

I don't color my hair, but i do my best friends for her and i recently started doing my grandma's. so i just thought id suggest maybe having a friend or family member help you out if youre worried.

[melekalikimaka]

My dad who is 74 applies the color to my mom's hair (she's the same age) not only because he's helpful like that, he's a neat freak and doesn't want her to drip color all over the place.

I remember buying a product called "drabber" which you add by the capful to the color mixture to tone down the reds. My dad had naturally a light reddish/brown hair and my mom a really dark brown. My hair tends to go reddish after a few weeks after coloring or if I go into the sun alot.

[FrouFrou]

I do both...do it myself and have it done once in a great while. I used to always pay to have my hair colored and the effects are the same so started doing it myself. I use L'Oreal Preference and have for years. I don't do it often though. I go thru phases where I don't mind the grey and think I will just let it grow out. Just have a little by the temples. I color mainly to cover the grey and for the shine, lol. But stick to a shade lighter than my natural color, the color. Never done anything wild, although I have always wanted to be a redhead.

[backtome]

Thanks, guys, you have all given me a lot to think about. I have coarse dark brown hair, but very short. A few years ago I noticed A gray hair. Now, there are a lot and worse then are peppered thru my hair.

I never thought about getting a line, don't think I want that look. I think I may try this, but I fear for the mess that I'll make! Actually, I'm trying to imagine myself locked in the bathroom with hair dye while my 4 kids bang on the door with many emergencies lol! Maybe I'll give it a go when dh is home.

Now, for gray hair that is sprinkled thru ougt --- although the majority of my hair is still it's natural dark brown color --- it sounds as though any of the above would work? Also, in the past when I would get a perm, the perm always had a hard time sticking. I'm talking when they would unroll my hair, it would still be straight. Do you think I'll have the same problem with dye?

Thanks a bunches!
Nancy aka old ironsides

[freiamaya]

Go for it yourself! Just be aware that hair is unique to each person. My hair tends to pick up all the reds in the product and turns very orange after a week or so. And if I go to an Ash color, it looks cold and dull and turns very brassy after a week or so. I can't figure it out, and neither can the drugstore trained clerks who are supposed to be the experts. Result: I get mine professionally done and have never had brassy or orange hair. The last time I did my own, I had to go in for a color correction (brassy brassy BRASSY) and it took them several treatments over a couple of hours to fix the problem. But, my mom does her own and it looks just fine. I envy those for whom it works!