Can I Color my Hair at Home After It's Been Done at the Shop?

**thriftstorequeen** · 01-05-2008, 08:52 AM

I've been coloring my hair at the beauty shop. It costs sooo much. I was wondering if I could do it at home. I would save about $40 a month! Is there anything special I should do? Does anyone else do their hair? What brand do you use? I was thinking of trying Nice and Easy, anybody use that brand? The ad says it give a multi-demenstional color. I would love any input, Thanks!

**momishem** · 01-05-2008, 09:34 AM

I do my hair at home all of the time. I also do my daughter's highlights. I buy nice and easy or whatever's on sale. My hair is dark brown, almost black, very short, but starting to have some grey. My hairdresser told me to always go a couple of shades lighter than what it shows on the box. Like, when I see a pretty color brown, go back lighter a couple of shades. It has worked for me so far. My grey hair always has a reddish tint to it, just like I highlighted it. I work in a school, so a lot of people see it and I get lots of compliments. Same for my daughter. She has really long, thick hair and I do highlights for her and people think she had it done at a salon.

Good luck!

**Tamerama** · 01-05-2008, 09:54 AM

Yes, I have done it at home many, many tmes over the years. The past 6 months I have had it done at a salon so I could have highlights but I'm going back to the box until summer. (Then I'll go back to the highlights) I also use whatever is on sale and haven't ever had problems. It is very easy...just follow the directions.

**CristiK** · 01-05-2008, 10:08 AM

I have always done it at home. I used to use Nice n Easy but I switched to Loreal Excellence because the conditioner in it is so much better. I went grey starting at 23 and if I didn't dye my hair I would be totally "silver". My dilemna now is that I want to go natural because the silver in my family is pretty but to grow it out would be a weird looking half and half for a long while. Anyone here ever try a "silver" hair dye that doesn't end up looking strange? DH says just shave it off and let it grow out but hmmmm " I DON'T THINK SO!!!!!" LOL Anyway, home hair dying is pretty easy unless you are going from something like black to blond.

**forHISglory** · 01-05-2008, 10:30 AM

Vanity, vanity....... Your name is ME! I color my hair, definitely a vanity, but I've done it for years. I use Nice 'n Easy most of the time as it is cheaper and does a good job. But I've used others also if on sale. I apply it about every other month. My hair is sort of a blonde-brown with a few strands of white. I use a small brush to apply the color (usually an ash tone of dark blonde). I just dry brush the color solution on sparingly so that it gives me a highlighted look. It's not a drastic change from my natural color, but it sort of ties everything together. It's easy to do. The hardest lesson I had to learn was to use an ash shade. Otherwise I get a lot of red showing up in my hair. No, make that orange!

**Tamerama** · 01-05-2008, 12:11 PM

I read somewhere if you are growing out gray to start highlighting instead of doing an all over color and gradually do less and less of it as it grows out. That way you don't look "weird" while it grows out..I have seen people growing out their gray hair and it does look "weird"..LOL

**Squirt** · 01-05-2008, 12:18 PM

CristiK,

I don't have silver hair, but I DID cut it all off and start again! I had been coloring/highlighting my hair ever since I was 12 when it naturally went from blonde to brown (I hated it! I wanted to stay blonde!)

About 3 years ago, I realized that it was damaged and frizzy and that I was tired of maintaining the color. It also didn't want to grow any longer (was probably breaking off a little at a time.) So I went to a salon, the hairdresser put it in a ponytail, it was just long enough to donate to Locks of Love, and she chopped it off. We did the rest of the haircut around that. It ended up less than an inch on the top. I had a lot of fun with my super short hair!

Now, I'm letting it grow out naturally. I haven't colored or highlighted in 2 years and not only is it healthy, it is a beautiful color. The funny thing is that 3 of the women I talk to most at work have now colored their bleached blonde hair to something very close to my color. I get a lot of compliments on it, and people are always surprised when I tell them that it's just my normal hair color. It really isn't a special color. I think it's the way it matches the rest of me (of course it does- it's my natural hair.)

I encourage you to go for it and chop off your hair. You won't regret the time and money you won't be spending maintaining it. You can even cut your own short hair with clippers. It's truly wash and go, as well!

**pammy** · 01-05-2008, 02:15 PM

I'm fearless with my own hair, I've done it all. Well, I was a stylist for 9 years, but I always did my own hair. I remember starting to cut my own hair when I was 12 y/o.

Since I've gotten out of the 'business' some 8 years ago I just use whatever box I find on sale. I like that it's already the correct amounts, has gloves, and step by step instructions. Even different brands give you a different hue, and that's not bad. Colored, highlighted, even a few weeks ago I got bored with straight (have had straight hair for 10 years now) and put a perm in it myself. The hubby never knows what I'll do to it next. And still I always seem to get compliments.

Just some little tidbits of wisdom.. most people don't like it instantly. Give it a day or two to settle and calm down. Have a few different styling options you can do. Don't be afraid to try a new product. And sometimes your hair changes, so what worked years ago might not always work for you. Oh yeah, and dye stains!! lol No matter how careful I am it seems I'm always getting a spot of it on the wall or the floor.

**HandyMom** · 01-06-2008, 02:16 AM

I buy L'oreal and avoid any type of Clairol. I've been dying my hair for over 20 years myself. Any of the cheaper brands burn my scalp and make my hair brassy-looking.

**bumplett** · 01-06-2008, 02:26 AM

Originally Posted by Squirt

CristiK,

I don't have silver hair, but I DID cut it all off and start again! I had been coloring/highlighting my hair ever since I was 12 when it naturally went from blonde to brown (I hated it! I wanted to stay blonde!)

About 3 years ago, I realized that it was damaged and frizzy and that I was tired of maintaining the color. It also didn't want to grow any longer (was probably breaking off a little at a time.) So I went to a salon, the hairdresser put it in a ponytail, it was just long enough to donate to Locks of Love, and she chopped it off. We did the rest of the haircut around that. It ended up less than an inch on the top. I had a lot of fun with my super short hair!

Now, I'm letting it grow out naturally. I haven't colored or highlighted in 2 years and not only is it healthy, it is a beautiful color. The funny thing is that 3 of the women I talk to most at work have now colored their bleached blonde hair to something very close to my color. I get a lot of compliments on it, and people are always surprised when I tell them that it's just my normal hair color. It really isn't a special color. I think it's the way it matches the rest of me (of course it does- it's my natural hair.)

I encourage you to go for it and chop off your hair. You won't regret the time and money you won't be spending maintaining it. You can even cut your own short hair with clippers. It's truly wash and go, as well!

I wondered about this: If you dye your hair, can you still donate it??

**cab54** · 01-22-2008, 02:26 PM

I've never had any luck getting it 'right' with anything but L'oreal Excellence, so I watch for coupons for that, which are usually in women's magazines and not in the paper.

Or a sale. Still LOADS of $$ less than a salon.

And like forHISglory, I use ash blonde to keep it from being orange or canary yellow.

**mom2matty** · 01-22-2008, 02:34 PM

I have done my own hair at home for years.........I also use L'Oreal!!

**miss_thrifty** · 01-23-2008, 01:51 PM

I like the best Loreal gel beacuse its not so messy and the conditoner is amzing and smells good. But Nice ans easy is cheaper. Dont ever buy Belle!!!! ughhh cheap $4.99 crap, hard on the hair, no conditioiner last time i used it years ago and color is not very nice.

**POOTERSMOMMY** · 02-09-2008, 02:38 PM

I have home dyed for years. My hair is relatively short - so it doesn't take a whole hair coloring kit to dye it. I pour 1/2 of each bottle of chemicals into an old squirt bottle (that has been thoroughly cleaned). This way I get 2 dye jobs for the price of 1. Never had a problem. **Never mix all ingrediants and then try to save!!!!!
I also cut my hair and DH's.

**annymoll** · 02-09-2008, 02:56 PM

I would not suggest doing it yourself. A few trips on the subway, behind 'home color jobs" did it for me. The front looks ok, from behind(Where everyone else sees)you can observe every missed spot.If you do it yourself, at least have someone check it for you.You are dealing with a chemical process.It is something to consider.