anyone dye their own hair?
 

So, going to my hairdresser for my overall color is getting expensive for me. So I was curious what kind of stuff people use for at home? What brands.. where do you get it from? I do have a Sally's Beauty Supply in my town. Should I get stuff from there rather than walmart? Is there a difference? I would gladly take any and all advice, tips, etc. Thanks!!

The only hair dye I trust myself with is "Sun-In."

No joke.

Anything else, and I'm afraid I'll come out with orange hair or something else that will require lots of money to fix at a salon!

I use Clairol Nice and Easy. It's easy. I have used it for years. I really prefer to get highlights and such from the salon, but I am cheap. And I have had great for quite a while. Blah.

I used to dye my own hair and while I can't really give you any tips regarding brands, I can give you some general tips.

1. Run the tests. Every packaged brand has instructions for a color and allergy test. Yes, it takes a few extra minutes and a few extra dollars but it is WELL worth it to find something that is going to work for you.

2. Stay in your 'safe' color zone. If you have pink tones to your skin don't use a hair dye with bluish overtones. And vice versa.

3. If you have hair past your shoulders, add another bottle. If you have hair past the middle of your back, add a third bottle. I don't know about thin hair but mine is thick and this is what I had to do.

4. If possible, find a friend who is also dying their hair and do each other. You'll have less problem with full coverage.

5. Don't forget your eyebrows! Your eyebrows generally should be a shade or two darker than your hair, so if going lighter, do not leave the solution on very long. With the 4 colors I use now, I match my eyebrows to a shade darker the third darkest color (the darkest is almost black and only a small part on the underside of the very back)

6. For all over color (not highlights or lowlights), touchups are fine (roots only) for one application. Alternating applications should be full coverage.

Here is a good article on choosing hair colors by Marie Claire.

Good luck!

box dye - not too good. It really damages your hair. It's rough on it.

Unfortunately to get the good stuff at sally you most likely have to be a stylist.

Try a beauty school? That's what I do. It's like 20 bucks for a full color--30 for foils.

I do my own all over color, go to the salon when I want highlights. I use Ion color from Sally's, it seems to cover my grey better then anything else. I try to keep developer, a plastic bottle and gloves on hand, so all I need is the color and an hour of time.

My sister-in-law is a hairstylist, and this is what she says:

If you're not trying to significantly lighten your hair, the box dyes are fine. However, if you're finicky about your color and might be tempted to see a hairstylist to "fix" a home dye-job gone wrong, DO NOT use Feria. Feria is the only brand of color that professionals cannot lift. If you use it, you are stuck with the color it produces. Apparently it has metals in it that bond with your hair and are impossible to penetrate.

I know this from personal experience. I actually love Feria - I've been using it for years. Recently I decided to have my hair professionally colored instead and it turned out HORRIBLE, so I tried to cover it with my usual Feria color - which, of course, came out a completely different shade on top of my professional dye job. I went to my sister-in-law for help, and she tried to lift the color but found it impossible. She asked me what kind of dye I used, and when I said Feria, she said, "Ahhhhhh....so that's the problem." Then she explained everything.

So no Feria unless you're sure about the color.

Good luck!

When I decided to go back to college, I couldn't afford to get my hair coloured professionally anymore. For the past year I've been covering the grey with Herbatint, dark blonde, a shade very close to my once-upon-a-time natural colour.

Recently I wanted to look good for a special occasion so I decided to splurge on professional highlights. Before she started, the hairdresser complimented me on my hair colour and asked if it was natural!

Once you've coloured your hair, finding a good conditioner is essential. I've tried a lot of them and lately have had good luck with Garnier Fructis Fortifying Conditioner Strength & Repair for "Over-processed, extremely damaged hair."

That explains why I couldn't go blond :(

Oh well, other than that tiny tidbit, I love it for my red :)

I have always dyed my own hair and I use Feria religiously. I find it makes my hair VERY silky and smooth and the color always comes out fantastic. I agree, if you plan on lightening your hair significantly, you're better off going to the salon to get an accurate color. I recently lightened my hair from a medium brown color to a beautiful strawberry blonde with Feria, although the color on the box was a good 2 shades lighter than what I ended up with. I have never been disappointed with it, however.