How to Color Your Own Hair

First off, decide what kind of change you want to make – do you want to drastically alter your hair color or just brighten it a bit? If you’re looking for something drastic, consider trying a wash out toner in the same shade you want as a trial before going for permanent color. (If you don’t like it, no harm done – once it’s permanent, you have to go to the hairdresser to fix it if you don’t like it.)

Be realistic about what you can achieve – if you have dark brown hair, you’re not going to be able to make it platinum blonde. Always check the guide on the box to see what color result you can expect with your hair shade.

Now that you’ve go the hair dye, rub some petroleum jelly into your hair line and onto the tips of your ears. (This stops the color from staining your skin.) Follow the instructions provided in the box carefully. Don’t look at your hair color at this stage – it’s not a reflection of the color it will become. Above all, don’t leave the color in for longer than recommended. Rinse as recommended and then dry and style as usual. If you feel the result isn’t strong enough, buy the same shade again and this time dilute with equal parts of shampoo, lather and leave in for 5 minutes. This should intensify the shade.

Maintenance of the color is important, try to use a shampoo for color-treated hair and remember that you’

If you hate the result at first, sleep on it, see if it doesn’t look better once you’re used to it. If, however, friends are asking if you’re feeling sick, it could be the wrong shade. In that case, try washing your hair with a clarifying shampoo. If that doesn’t help, try contacting the manufacturer’s help desk and see what they suggest. Do not try to change the color again without consulting a professional.