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Need ideas for coloring your hair at home, huh?

Need ideas for coloring your hair at home, huh?

In that case you might call the following - lessons learned the hard way. These can give you hair that looks like it was colored by the best colorists in the business. Even though it wasn't.

The first lesson deals with how permanent you want the color to be. It's really best to go with a semi or demi color your first time. Some dyes like this have no ammonia and others next to none so you're less likely to wreak havoc on your tresses. Besides test driving a more temporary color, if you don't like it, the color will wash out in a matter of weeks. Just be sure the product inside the box matches what you're looking for in terms of permanence.

Lesson two says don't wash your hair right before you color it. Reason being any moisture left in the shaft tends to dilute the color. Yet don't go several days without washing before coloring either. Any styling product build up will keep the color from properly penetrating your hair.

The next lesson says do not go wild when picking colors if you want a natural look. Which you can ignore if you have blue, green or purple hues in mind. Colorists will tell you not to stray more than two shades darker or lighter than your natural shade. Keep in mind that while color tastes and styles vary the coloring product agents themselves do not.

Ability to color our hair isn't something we're born with, right? So read every word of the instructions. That way you'll know how to apply the product to your hair correctly and for how long.

If you're trying one of the new coloring products or one you haven't used before, you want to be sure to find out how you'll react, if at all, before you slather it all over your head. That's right you want to do a sensitivity test just like the box says. Nothing like an adverse reaction to spoil an otherwise fun experience.

When coloring hair newspaper is your friend. Use it to cover the floor, countertops, anywhere that the dye can land. It's also smart to add a touch of corn starch to the coloring to thicken it. That way it's not flying everywhere.

And take care when rinsing your hair. Dye can end up on the shower walls or ceilings - if they're low enough. And trust me. You'd be surprised how far this stuff flies.

Perfect. Next don't forget to rub some petroleum jelly around your hairline, the back of your neck and your ears. This forms a barrier to keep the dye from staining your skin. Great hair color doesn't offset a ugly stain let me tell you.

And should you get some dye on an unprotected patch of skin, wipe it off right away using a damp paper towel and a bit of baking powder.

Changing the color of your hair is exciting. Just don't get excited too often. If you color your hair too much your risk creating brittle dry hair from excessive exposure to chemicals like peroxide. This mistake isn't easily recovered from. Then too you want to moisturize and condition properly after coloring to offset any chemical dryness.

What if you've make a major coloring mistake? Do not try to fix it yourself. Do not ask a friend for help. Now is not the time for amateur hour. Or a henna make over. Plus most home remedies will only damage your hair further. At this point you definitely need to make an appointment with your salon stylist.

Is celebrity gorgeous hair color out of a box possible? In a word yes. If you follow the advice and lessons learned the hard way I've shared, a brand new you can be had for less than you thought. And for sure in less time and at a smaller price than if you have it colored professionally.

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