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Do you colour your own hair?

(82 Posts)
Shirleyw Fri 01-Sept-17 05:12:39

I always go to hairdresser for colour, never coloured my own as not confident in doing so. Is it reliable and easy to do at home ? and is it just as good as having it done at the hairdresser? .....Shirley

Madgran77 Fri 01-Sept-17 07:01:53

I use Henna lotion, few minutes in the shower combed through, works a rest if you want auburn for me as not a block of colour. You can also get it in brown, blondeish and deep brown/black

Esspee Fri 01-Sept-17 07:26:00

My hair is in superb condition because I colour it myself. Hairdressers strip the colour out before putting colour back in. It is easy to do at home yourself and far gentler.
You need an old towel and everything else comes in the pack. Just mix the product according to instructions, shampoo on, wait the required time then wash off until the water is clear. Squeeze excess water out of hair and apply provided conditioner, comb it through (I leave it on as long as possible) rinse off then style as normal.
Don't worry if you get dribbles on your face or shoulders, just wipe off with toilet paper. Don't get dribbles on carpets or clothing ( I do it naked and remove bath mats, towels etc from the bathroom). While waiting I sit on the toilet reading Gransnet (sorry TMI) or listen to Einaudi on YouTube.
I sometimes use half a pack to do my roots combing it halfway through. Whole pack costs around £7 so I save a fortune but it looks so much more natural.
I use Preference by L'Oreal but believe all the big brands are similar.

Alima Fri 01-Sept-17 07:39:51

I was very wary when I first started doing my own but now just slap the solution on and rinse it off at the required time. I had been doing that for several years but finally grew all the colour out when I left work to see what the grey was like. Recently decided to use the home kits again, the semi permanent ones this time and they are fine and not so smelly. No ammonia I think. (I wear my paint-spattered decorating t shirt when dying my hair, then carry on and clean the cat's dishes and feed them while waiting for the colour to set. Are you doing a survey?)

fumanchu Fri 01-Sept-17 07:44:46

Another one here who has done both but ended up preferring to do it at home. The new colours are excellent.

Anniepops Fri 01-Sept-17 07:53:14

Have coloured my own hair for a long time as hairdresser is so very expensive and my hair grows very quickly. Half the solution is enough each time for my jaw length bob. I tend to use Nice and Easy, which it certainly is, but plan to experiment with a new brand next time to get more variation of colour if possible. Will let you know how it goes.

ninathenana Fri 01-Sept-17 08:22:43

I coloured mine at home for many years, never had any problems I do have short hair though. D gets me to do her long hair for her as it's harder to get total coverage. I've never had mine coloured at the hairdressers.
I let it grow out about 2 yrs ago and it's now silver

Iam64 Fri 01-Sept-17 08:33:45

I used henna as a young woman but had it coloured at the hairdresser for years. I let it grow out earlier this year and it's now silver with a few strands of darker hair. I've found it liberating to stop colouring it, as well as so much easier.

Oriel Fri 01-Sept-17 08:43:27

Having just had a monumental cock-up on my hair I would say get it done professionally.

Most off the shelf colours bleach your hair so that the colour you get is as on the box. I found this out when I stripped the colour off using Colour B4 (doesn't contain bleach by the way). I wanted to go grey but what I got was peroxide orange. It was because of the peroxide in the home colours I'd been using for donkey's years.

Hairdressers don't strip the colour to achieve the shade required.

polyester57 Fri 01-Sept-17 08:55:23

No, I don´t do my own. Have done a few times when younger but found the process messy and the result unsatisfactory. Very uniform, deep colour, probably didn´t choose the right tone. Marks on pillow from the semi-permanent dyes. I have been going to my lovely hairdresser for several years, she always advises on the colour, uses an oil-based permanent dye (so no horrible ammonia smell), puts in a few lighter strands so outgrowing grey hair doesn´t show too much. It is my treat and I go about every two months. May have to stop once DH retires though.

MissAdventure Fri 01-Sept-17 09:00:56

I'm surprised that people prefer to do their own, having always regretted doing mine
I always end up varying shades of red, khaki, and all manner of patchy, awful colours.
I'm tempted now though, by reading that a nice colour can be achieved.

Sparklefizz Fri 01-Sept-17 09:15:21

I was fed up with the brassy look which I always had 3 weeks after professional colouring, so tried Tints of Nature home colouring kit, which is free from ammonia, resorcinol and parabens, and a very gentle way to colour hair as most of the ingredients are also organic. I am someone with multiple allergies but have been fine with this, and goodbye brassiness. I get it from Amazon and one pack lasts at least 4 applications as I have short-medium length fine hair, so it's much cheaper than a salon, and I will never return to salon treatments.

silverlining48 Fri 01-Sept-17 11:29:26

Used to do it myself until one day i turned an unpleasant and livid orange instead of the pleasant shade of blond on the nice and easy box. Now i have a hairdresser come to my home, its much cheaper than a salon, and she does a good job.
However hair now very fine and porous so colour doesn't hold. Sparklefizz may check out your suggestion.

silverlining48 Fri 01-Sept-17 11:32:57

Has anyone tried the silver shampoo/ conditioners?

BBbevan Fri 01-Sept-17 12:03:14

My hair does it on its own. Went from a very dark brown to silver in 10 years with no help from a bottle at all.

TriciaF Fri 01-Sept-17 12:11:14

I've colored my hair at home for many years using L'Oréal Dédicace light chestnut - still got a bottle in the bathroom cupboard. It gave a nice natural result, and didn't contain harmful chemicals.
But the last few months I couldn't be bothered - too hot. Left it au naturel and it's a sort of blondish grey. So that's it!

loopyloo Fri 01-Sept-17 12:14:38

White hot is good but I I do like the John Friede blonde. My hair is now completely white and don't know what to do with it. When I have a tan I think it looks more blond than white. Any ideas?

polyester57 Fri 01-Sept-17 12:25:04

silverlining I was at my salon only yesterday and asked my hairdresser if she could put a few silver strands though in preparation of me going all grey eventually. And she said, buy a shampoo for grey hair and it will bringhten up the grey in the blond highlights as well as your own grey hair. Am planning to do this when my shampoo (argan oil) runs out.

M0nica Fri 01-Sept-17 14:20:59

I have always coloured my own hair. I have discussed it with my hairdresser who says the salon could not do it any better.

I colour it one shade lighter than my natural shade, which I have always loved, but I have very little grey hair. Only at my temples and low on my hairline at the back.

I just use the Superdrug own brand, nothing special.

silverlining48 Fri 01-Sept-17 14:27:34

Thanks polyester. Will definitely give it a try.

Oriel Fri 01-Sept-17 15:10:30

I think a lot is down to the length of hair.

I had long hair... I say 'had' because it's now short due to the cock-up referred to up page.

The thing with home dyes is that, unless you're double jointed, it's very difficult to just do the roots then leave for a the suggested minutes before doing the rest and the result is that you get a build up of dye. My hair had a graduated effect - not good!

If you have a short style you wouldn't get the same build up because the hair is cut regularly.

TriciaF Fri 01-Sept-17 16:54:08

Good point about long hair, Oriel. Mine is fairly short so the sun has bleached it out evenly.

lemongrove Fri 01-Sept-17 19:13:51

Used to use home colours years ago with mixed results, especially as the ends of hair are more porous than the rest, and they slurp up the colour and come out darker.
Modern colours are no doubt better, but even so, I won't mess with them.?
No overall colour, just have two colours put into hair as highlights which mask the grey.Have this done about 2/3 times a year.Always at the hairdressers.

Cherrytree59 Fri 01-Sept-17 19:43:17

Tip (apologises if already mentioned)
Spread a thin coat of Vaseline on skin around hairline and ears.
This will prevent the dye colouring the skin and is easily wiped off afterwards.

Daisyboots Fri 01-Sept-17 20:18:07

Started using Nice and Easy Golden Auburn in 1981 until 2016 and never had any problems. I then changed to Golden Blonde and I am quite white naturally now so it doesn't need doing so often as the regrowth doesn't show much. I would be happy to stop colouring but DH thinks being grey/white wouldn't suit me. Dont quite understand that as he is.