When I was in middle school, I wanted to dye my hair. Considering I have jet black hair, to go lighter seemed pretty impossible. I begged my mom to let me get highlights, but she always refused. She said I would damage my hair and that it wouldn’t look good. Being the rebel I was, I decided to get some dye from CVS. I ended up getting the L’Oreal Paris Superior Preference Brush On Glam Highlights for dark brown hair. I thought this seemed pretty easy, and the reviews online I read seemed pretty legit. So I decided to give it a try.
Hours later, my hair looked like a disaster. I got the wrong dye color for my hair, the dye was not good quality and I was in so much pain. I was scared to show my mom what I did to myself, but there was no way out of this unless I wanted to go bald. As I approached my mom, I didn’t even have to say one word. All she said to me was, “get in the car.”
We rushed to the hair salon that we always go to, and the stylists couldn’t stop laughing at me. I was so embarrassed, but I knew that they could fix the mess I made. As they were getting my hair back to the way it was, I realized that there is so much more to the hair coloring process that I could ever imagine. No wonder that L-Oreal Paris box was 11 dollars. Hair coloring is so much more complicated than that!
You are putting your hair at stake when you decide to do the color process on your own. There are steps to getting your hair prepared for this, like the actual process and the goodness of your hair. And what happens when you don’t like how the color turned out? Do what I did and run to a professional? Of course, there is dyeing your hair at home, but bleaching? Don’t even let me begin. Here are all the reasons why you should think before you buy that cheap dye at your local drug store, and save you and your hair some justice.
Leave Hair Changing To A Professional, Trust Me
As you know from my fiasco of a story earlier, I am a firm believer in getting your hair transformed by a professional. I mean, they were trained to do this. There are so many things to consider when you decide to color your hair yourself. If the color is actually what you want and is it safe for your hair. Even though the girl on the box looks like she’s living her best life, let’s be real. Her hair was probably done professionally, it is probably not the same color that you are buying and it will look different on you than it does on her. But when you go to an actual salon and see a professional about dyeing your hair, they know exactly what will look good and will take great care of your hair.
You Will Probably End Up In The Hands Of A Professional Anyway
You didn’t go to school for this. So why do you think you can actually dye your hair and make it look like you got it done professionally? If you aren’t professionally trained, then you will do your hair more harm than good. There are proper techniques for dyeing your hair, which non-professionals are not aware of. This leads to damage of the hair, which eventually leads to a shorter haircut.
Even if you do rush to the hair salon after you unsuccessfully try to dye your hair at home, you can damage your hair even more. The professional will have to do an aggressive color removal procedure before even starting the dyeing process. Not only will you be broke, but this can lead you sitting in that chair all day. Your butt will not thank you.
Do Not Try These Processes At Home Kids
According to celebrity hairstylist Kendall Dorsey, lifting your hair or adding any style of hair painting for dimension should 100 percent be left up to the professional. You should avoid using any hair lightening system on your own (i.e. bleach) because it is a risky business that you shouldn’t chance.
When you lift hair color with bleach, your hair strands become more absorbent, which will reduce their capability to preserve moisture. If the hair ends up not getting lifted property, it can become dry, brittle and damaged. The process is more complicated than a non-professional thinks it is, which is why people are trained to do this for us.
Biggest Mistake When You Do Dye Your Own Hair?
“The most common mistake people make when using box color is expecting an even result from root to end,” says Dorsey. “As a non-professional, you don’t take things into consideration such as ‘hot roots.'”
“Hot roots” is a term used by hairstylists, which means when roots turn a warmer reddish/orange color as a result of applying hair color incorrectly from roots to ends. People tend to forget that your roots are your natural color, and the rest of your hair is a different color. If you do dye your hair all at once, your roots and the ends of your hair will be two different colors.
What If You Still Want To Dye Your Own Hair?
If I still did not convince you to leave hair dyeing to a professional, here’s what you should know if you are doing this at home. Dorsey suggests using a semi-permanent hair color from Clairol.
“It’s what I watched my grandma color her hair with for years growing up,” Dorsey says. “[I] even continued to use it after I went to beauty school and showed her how to do a root touch up.”
This brand offers an array of permanent and semi-permanent hair colors that range in color from blonde to black and are offered as root touch-up kits or all over hair color. If you are trying to save some bills, this Kendall Dorsey-approved dye will save you. Always keep in mind that if you do take a chance on your hair and leave hair dyeing in your own hands, follow the directions exactly as they are listed on the box, pay attention to how long you leave the color on, and condition the hell out of your hair afterward to maintain your hair’s moisture. Good luck!