How To Color Your Hair At Home And Avoid A Disaster
Without a doubt, you are spending the majority of your time at home right now, and no one knows when you will ever step out again. You have missed your salon appointments, your hair cuts, relaxing pedicures, and whatnot. If you have also missed out on your hair coloring appointment amidst the pandemic, it is probably time to take matters into your hands. It is time to learn how to color your hair at home, in a foolproof way.
With a little bit of willingness and small tips and tricks, you can follow your own home ritual for coloring your hair. It is way easier than you think it is!
But, of course, you are looking for results that make you feel good about the process and give you the desired hair color without any disasters. So, let’s break down the process of how to color your hair at home and make it a success!
Is it safe to color your hair on your own?
It is generally safe to color your hair on your own, as long as you follow the right directions mentioned on the packaging of the product. However, there are a few other things you need to know about how to color your hair at home.
For example, you should avoid coloring your hair if you have recently permed or relaxed your hair. Both these procedures have already caused a lot of stress to your hair, which means if you apply more chemicals to it, your hair will not take that well and act up weirdly.
How to color your hair at home?
Things you need
To correctly color your hair at home, you will need:
- Your desired hair color box. Try to get two if you have long hair.
- Hair coloring brush and bowl
- Makeup removing wipes
- A disposable shower cap
-A handheld mirror or a vanity mirror
- Disposable latex-free gloves
- Lip balm
- Vaseline
Steps:
Wash your hair at least 2 days before your desired day of hair coloring
If you wash your hair 48 hours before coloring your hair, you are allowing natural oils to develop, which will further help bind the color to your hair better. This way, the color will blend naturally with your hair, making it last longer.
If possible, also avoid using a hair conditioner before you are planning to color your hair. A conditioner can rid the natural oils your hair produces, and the oil is something that you truly need.
However, if your hair is extremely dry, use a conditioner every night for 5 minutes in a hot shower for the entire week before your hair coloring day. Avoid using the conditioner on the last day or a night prior to coloring your hair. This will keep your hair from drying out.
1. Pick the color of your choosing
Pick a color you really like. It can be overwhelming to choose the right color when you are presented with hundreds of choices. If, however, this is your first time coloring your hair, it will be wise to stick to a color that is not more than 2-3 shades lighter or darker than your natural hair color.
Get one box of hair colors if you have shorter hair. But get two boxes, just in case, especially if you have long hair.
2. Protect yourself from color stains
Now, first thing’s first. Try and wear an old rugged t-shirt that you are all set to throw away before coloring your hair. Also, apply some vaseline or even coconut oil around your hairline, but not in your hair. Apply it near your temples, nape, your ears, and anywhere else you think your hair color can touch your skin. Also, apply a lip balm because your lips are prone to drying out due to the chemicals in the hair color.
Also, protect your surroundings. You do not want hair color blotches everywhere around you. Cover all the surfaces with a newspaper, at least on the floor, in case something drips. Keep tissue papers and paper towels near you to quickly clean any spillage.
Also, wear a towel around your shoulders like a cape to catch any drips of the color during the entire process. You can also wear a color cape, which you can easily buy from a beauty supply store. However, considering the times we live in, just take an old towel, and you’re good. Clip the towel with either a band or a beauty clip to avoid the towel from falling.
3. Brush your hair
Brush your hair down well enough before you start applying color to your hair. This will also make the application process easier and even.
4. Put your gloves on
Your hair coloring kit will have a pair of gloves inside the box; wear it before you start doing anything. However, if you do not have them, use any regular rubber or vinyl-based pair of gloves. You must wear a pair of gloves, or you will end up coloring your hands along the process.
5. Mix the supplies
Take a hair coloring bowl, a brush, and open your coloring kit; you will find three bottles in the kit. One is your usual conditioner to be used after washing your hair. The other two bottles/ tubes will be a developer, and the last will be the color. Follow the instructions on the box and mix them well in the bottle provided. Shake the solutions until all the ingredients are combined well together. If your hair color does not provide a separate bottle for mixing the ingredients, simply mix them in the bowl with the help of your brush.
6. Separate your hair into sections
Take a comb and some hair clips and separate your hair into small sections.
7. Apply your hair color
Break every section of your hair into smaller sections, preferably between 1/4th to ½ subsections as you work the color in your hair. Use either the applicator bottle or your brush to apply the color to your sectioned hair. Use your gloved hands and fingers to work the product well in your hair.
Coloring the hair at the back of your head can sometimes prove tricky. If you are facing issues, use a handheld mirror to look at the back of your head as you are coloring not to miss a spot.
If you are doing this for the first time, do a small patch test to check if you have any irritation. Discontinue your plan if your irritation persists and wash the section for your patch test.
8. Set a timer
As per the instructions on the box, set a timer, so you do not leave the hair color longer than it was intended to. Do not rinse out the color before the minimum time or leave the color past the time mentioned.
Whatever you do, do not leave the color and doze off overnight. The color will dry out and may cause further problems.
9. Wipe off the excess
Wipe the excess color off your forehead and neck. The vaseline or coconut oil you applied will protect you from the stains, but still, wipe everything off with a paper towel or an old wet cloth. Do not disturb the color already in your hair.
Put your shower cap on for better application of color. Putting a shower cap will help retain the natural heat of your head, which helps speed up the process.
10. Rinse your hair
Once you are done waiting for the desired time for your hair color, rinse your hair with water. Do it with warm water, and wait until the color stops bleeding out of your hair.
11. Shampoo and condition
It would be great if you can wait for at least an hour before you shampoo your hair and condition them. Waiting to wash your hair with a shampoo, at least one hour will allow the hair color to penetrate deeply into your hair shaft. After shampooing, use the conditioner that comes with your hair coloring kit. Rub all the conditioner in your hair gently.
If you did not get a conditioner along with your coloring kit, use any conditioner you have at home.
12. Dry your hair
Walk out of the shower and simply dry your hair, just as usual. You can blow-dry, or you can let your hair air dry slowly, whatever you prefer.
After your hair is dry, you are ready to show off your new hair color to the world. However, if your hair color did not turn out as well as you expected it to be, wait for at least two weeks before you color your hair again.
Conclusion:
Coloring your hair at home is easy and can be done in just a few hours. You only need to know the right procedure on how to color your hair at home. Say goodbye to your dull hair and welcome your new, beautiful hair!
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