Tips on colouring hair at home

One way to save money when cash is tight, is to colour your hair at home. Most women have done this at sometime or other in their lives. Many a teenager has a hair colouring disaster story to tell. Over bleached hair, green hair, orange hair, grey hair; these are just a few of the hair colouring horror stories that have been retold to friends and family. One you have experienced one or more of these disasters, then it is difficult to have confidence in home hair colouring kits. However, you can be reassured that hair colouring technology has moved on considerably over the years, and now colouring your hair at home is easier than ever before.

Perhaps the best way to find an appropriate hair colour is to find someone who is using a product already and is happy with the results. Find a friend or colleague whose hair colour you admire and ask about what they are using. However, if you are too shy to ask, here are a few recommendations. Generally, it is easier to go darker than lighter with hair colour, but as we get older our skin colour changes and lighter colours tend to flatter us more. This is why a lot of women who originally had quite a dark hair colour in their youth, go for a lighter, or blonde shade as they get older. It is also a lot easier to disguise grey hair in this way too.

Going blonde and colouring your hair at home can be a little intimidating at first. But there are some products on the market which can make the process easier. Garnier’s Nutrisse Radiant Blondes range offers a selection of hair colorants in blonde shades. The advantage of using this range is that the product does not contain ammonia and is less harsh than some other formulas. It boasts good grey coverage, and of course there is none of that terrible ammonia smell in the bathroom. The disadvantage is that this product may not be suitable for those who wish to go a very light shade. A good choice for those with a light brown to fair original base colour is no 10.13 very light ash beige blonde. The ash and the beige tones mix well to give a non brassy colour.

If you are looking for a more dramatic lighter colour, then an ammonia based product is the way to go. Some products will require a pre-lightening product. This is an extra step to lighten your hair before you put the colour on your hair. This can be a little fussy for some, and to counteract this, there are some products on the market which do not require pre-lightening. One of the products which has produced good results is the L’Oreal Recital Preference brand. Their ultra lightening formula contains a lightening agent, and therefore should not be used with a pre-lightening product. Their shade 01, lightest natural blonde, is a good shade for those who want a natural looking finish to their hair. The disadvantage is that the ammonia in the product can be overwhelming; adequate ventilation should be a priority when using this product. As with all hair colorants, a skin test should be conducted 48 before use to check for any allergic reactions.

Of course when colouring your hair at home, the end result may not be exactly what you had been hoping for . In fact, the same can be said of hair salon colours also. But if you do have a hair disaster, or develop a tone that you don’t like, take heart, there are some things that you can do to rectify the situation. If your hair is too yellow or brassy, then use a violet coloured shampoo to neutralise the brassy tones. If your hair is too bright and you want to tone it down, then consider
using a beige mousse. Indola do a Pearl Beige which is good for doing this.