How to Successfully Color Your Hair at Home

By Luc Vincent

Yet, when you make the right choice and use the products properly, it is possible to achieve excellent results.

• How do you choose the right color and apply it?

• How do you maintain your color?

• Do you need to do bleaching?

The more you know about hair coloring, the better you will be able to make the right choices.

In this article:

1. 3 types of hair coloring

2. Before proceeding

3. Pharmacy hair dyes

4. Tips and tricks

5. Three unique products for your hair

Thus, those who wish to experiment with home hair coloring can do so without fear, while those who prefer to rely on a professional can better understand the work of the colorist and become familiar with their vocabulary.

Professional hair coloring products are now sold in many salons, and they will be part of my discussion, alongside the dyes sold in pharmacies. It is up to you to make the choice that suits you.

Trying a new color is embarking on a new experience. That's why, before you take the plunge, whether you opt for home or salon coloring, with homemade or commercial products, you need to know some details to better communicate with your hairdresser or better succeed in your experiments at home.

Your personality traits and the desired effect are among the first factors to define when establishing your choice.

Next come your skin tone, and finally, the current color of your hair.

These factors will help you determine if it will be possible to achieve the desired color in one step and what risks may be involved.

Types of hair coloring

And as if that wasn't enough, your hair may also suffer significant damage!

If you want to darken your hair, start with a lighter color than the one you wanted.

Examine the effect produced, and then, if you think you can darken further, you can do so within 48 hours of your first coloring or preferably when it is time for the next coloring treatment.

Only the new growth will accept the new color, creating different color levels.

Therefore, you must apply a hair color remover or bleach to the sections of your hair that still have the old color, or even cut them if you consent.

You must choose between these two possibilities before applying the new color.

If you have medium brown or even dark blond hair, try not to be carried away by your desire to dye it very light or platinum blond.

A radical change could damage your hair, especially if it is already colored.

Instead, go gradually, month by month, two shades lighter at a time.

This way, it will be easier for you to adapt to the new color, and your hair will thank you.

For a significantly lighter color change, it is suggested to use protein hair treatments before and after, once or twice a week.

As a result, red requires rigorous maintenance.

Note also that red highlights rosacea problems and requires heavy makeup for fair or pale skin.

Of course, freckles are accentuated, which can, in many cases, be quite charming!

Remember:

• Very dark colors accentuate facial features, wrinkles, paleness of the complexion, acne manifestations, and rosacea.

• Start with a lighter color than the one you wanted.

• Only the new growth will accept the new color.

• A radical change could damage your hair, especially if it is already colored.

Before proceeding:

To determine if your color will suit your skin tone or produce the desired effect, here is an easy method to follow.

1. Find a piece of fabric or paper that matches the desired color.

2. Lay your hair back (while being makeup-free) and cover it well with a white cloth or towel.

3. Standing in front of a mirror, hold the fabric or paper close to your face. You will then have a good idea of your choice.

For a simple natural and risk-free effect, remember that pale complexions go well with warm, golden, coppery colors. Their use will give a warmer complexion.

Dark complexions, on the other hand, go more or less well with light colors.

To determine if you have a warm or cool tone, stand in front of a mirror, place a piece of aluminum foil on one side of your face (cool tone) and a piece of golden fabric or paper on the other (warm tone). You will then see which one suits you best.

For red or copper hair, stay in the same shades, but without necessarily going for red or copper highlights for the eyebrows.

Since eyebrow coloring can be risky, it is best to seek the services of a specialist.

Pharmacy hair dye manufacturers contraindicate their use on eyebrows and, especially, on eyelashes, which could cause blindness.

Pharmacy Hair Dyes

Of course, the nuances of highlights and colors are less varied in pharmacies than in salons.

On the other hand, the risks of errors or even disasters are higher...

Remember that mistakes are simply human, and the product is not to blame.

Firstly, you need to read!

Read the instructions on the box and in the pamphlet inside.

Not all products work the same way, and the processing times are different for several of them.

For these reasons, the packaging often provides a small color chart that tells you what your initial color will become after application.

Do not rely on the photo on the packaging.

Your own result may not necessarily be identical. (Remember that it depends on your current color.)

On virgin hair

Apply the entire color. It is important to perform an allergy test before coloring your hair for the first time in your life.

It is very simple: prepare a small mixture of the product, a few drops at a time, and apply it to the skin on the back of the neck, under the hair or under the armpit. Wait 48 hours, then check for the following reactions:

1. Redness

2. Swelling

3. Intense and constant tingling

4. Itching

If one or more of these signs appear, you may be allergic to the product. In this case, do not use it.

The important thing is not to do a full coloring (roots and tips at the same time), as your hair would become saturated with colorant and, at worst, damaged by oxidants. You would end up with dull and lifeless hair.

Therefore, limit yourself to the roots, going from front to back and section by section. Try not to overlap with the old color. You will also need to wait for the time specified on the box.

If you want to refresh the color on the lengths and ends, simply apply the color there as well. To do this, knead the color first to make it penetrate better. If you have excess color, you can now apply it to the lengths and ends. This step should be done in the last third of the time specified.

When massaging your hair, do not proceed as with shampooing, and avoid scratching your scalp so as not to irritate it. Note that for gray hair, the time needed may be longer.

Remember that, unlike in salons, you cannot play with the nuances of pharmacy colorants unless the manufacturer specifies it in the instructions. These colorants are not meant to be mixed like professional colorants. Avoid the catastrophe: DO NOT MIX THEM!

Remember:

• Read the instructions to avoid undesirable results.

• Perform a home allergy test before applying color.

• Do not perform a full coloring (roots and tips at the same time).

• Do not mix colors.

Tips

Allow me to share with you a few tips that will make your experience easier.

These tips apply to both pharmacy and professional hair colorings.

Reminder of the principle of coloring: A COLORING CAN NEVER LIGHTEN ANOTHER.

It follows that a dark color cannot be lightened by another color, even if the latter is lighter. You must decolorize beforehand with a hair demakeup, commonly called a stripper.

Sensitive scalp?

If you have a sensitive scalp, apply small amounts of vegetable or professional oil to your scalp before coloring.

Avoid touching the roots of your hair so as not to alter the color. Ideally, use the applicator from your last coloring, remembering to rinse it well beforehand.

The best way to clean the perimeter of your face is to use the color removal technique.

Here's how: before rinsing your hair dye with water, vigorously rub the perimeter of your face with your fingers to lift the dye.

Then, rinse your hair, shampoo or perform any other necessary steps according to the instructions accompanying your coloring product.

To avoid getting stains on your clothes during your at-home coloring, I strongly suggest wearing old clothes.

If you get stains on your clothes, it's best not to dilute them immediately. Instead, cover the stained area with hairspray and let it dry. Then wash as usual.

Remember to:

• Apply small amounts of vegetable oil to your scalp if it's sensitive.

• Protect your face with petroleum jelly to avoid staining your skin.

• Wear old clothes during coloring!

• Cover stained clothing with hairspray and let it dry.

Unique products for your colored hair

In order to innovate, my team of chemists for my hair product line, Luc Vincent, conducted several tests before finding the ideal formula to preserve the intensity of your hair color with two shampoos so gentle that you can use them daily without weighing down your hair.