OT-Hair color

[Daffie]

Hello everyone,

I tried doing a search so forgive me if I overlooked it…
I have been coloring my hair since I was 31. I am almost 53. I have always gone to a salon. I have been to a few different people. Quit one because I wasn’t happy even though initially I always got compliments on my hair. With her I ended up having orange, black or burgundy. A few others have moved away or weren’t ever on time. The one I have been going to for a while I just haven’t been happy with the last several months. She also has an abrasive personality if I mention I’m not quite happy with it. Do any of you or your friends successfully color their hair at home? Any tips or favorite brand?

Thanks!!

Debbie

[BunnyHop]

I seem to remember some online friends being happy with Madison Reed brand hair color. They're an online company, and I see their ads on Facebook sometimes.

(I don't speak from personal experience, though, my own hair is undyed.)

[Pat58]

I tried the Madison Reed and no matter what shade of brunette I tried, it made my hair pitch black. When I went to a hairdresser she seemed puzzled by the "black stuff" as she called it.

I know other VF'ers have had much better results with Madison Reed. It was here that I learned about it. Just not for me.

[Gams]

I’ve been coloring my own hair for years and years. I use Garnier Nutrisse. I never could remember the color (Honey Dip), so I used to think of Honey Nut Cheerios and that would help me remember. 😁

[bzar]

revlon colorsilk - it's the most affordable and works great. at our walmart, it's $3.27 each. this is plenty for me - i mostly do my roots, but end up with about an ounce or so more, and am able to cover my entire head. i have almost shoulder-length hair.

i've ventured out and used L'Oreal Feria, and there's more ounces of product in case you have longer hair.

on my hair-dye day, once a month, i wear an old black, crew-neck t-shirt and old black shorts. i line the bathroom counter with newspaper and i pull out about 7-8 personal wipes and leave them "at the ready." when dying, you sometimes get a smudge on your face or forearm - use the personal wipe to clean it immediately. i sometimes need a few more, so i leave the container of wipes open. wiping the stain immediately prevents stains from setting in.

some people have used vaseline at the edge of the hairline to stop drips, but i found that it tends to prevent any color from going on the hairs at the edge which are the prime "white" roots for me, so i don't use vaseline.

i also bought a rat-tailed hair dye brush to paint and section my hair with - like this one below except mine is black. i have an old plastic bowl that i pour the dye in to dip the brush in.

https://www.amazon.com/Framar-Classi...4371632&sr=8-3

i wouldn't wear a cape (the kind the hair dresser puts on you) since you're the one moving your arms around to do the work, and a cape would be restrictive. old t-shirt is best.

[TriciaR]

I am 71 and have been coloring since about 40. I tried the salon at first but they always ended up over processing and not getting the color just right.
I have been using Agebeautiful permanent color from SallyBeauty for many years and am really happy with it. I think is gentler on hair than the drug store brands.
My hair wants to go too dark or reddish so I use colors in the ash tone and lighter than you would think. My hair looks light brown but I use dark or medium blonde to get this color (7A or 8A).
So if you want to put in the time and work I think results can be just as good or better than a salon.
Tricia

[Pam61]

Are you looking for permanent or semi-permanent hair color? Do you want to go darker, lighter or stay in the same color family as your natural hair color? In other words, just trying to cover the gray hair, or change the tone, but stay in the same level?

If semi-permanent color it will begin fading and will wash out in about a months time. Red colors/shades fade quickly and are the most difficult to maintain.

If permanent color, it takes a bit longer to process and you will develop root growth whether going lighter or darker. Be careful of not putting over entire hair length to the ends (all at once) as the ends will grab dark if ends have been previously colored (and hair is more damaged here!)

I've used many, many brands, at retail stores (Sally beauty supply, grocery, drug store, online and professional salons and stores.) Depending on what you want to do, some brands are better than others for different things. So, difficult to recommend without knowing more specifics.

After coloring my hair for years, I finally grew my natural hair out about three years ago. Would not go back to coloring my hair now, but I do remember fondly the many hair colors I had and would change my hair on a whim.

[Daffie]

Thanks everyone for your input!!!

Pam-I want permanent and just want to cover my gray roots and keep a more natural color. I know reddish colors and go the wrong way. My natural hair looks brown inside but outside people would comment on my red hair. I just would be happy with a medium brown. My hair grows VERY fast. About 10 days after getting it done I see a little silver up there.
I see others that look stunning with gray hair but not I'm not ready.

My mom didn't start to go gray until her 70s.

THANKS EVERYONE!!!!

[seabliss]

I've also been coloring my own hair for years. I used to use L'Oreal Professional, from Sally Beauty. Now I use Pravana Chromosilk, which is a salon line. In the past you couldn't get salon products without a license, but now they are available at places like Amazon.

It's not hard to do at all. You can buy supplies at Sally Beauty (such as a mixing bowl, a measuring cup, an application brush, and plastic gloves). All you need other than that is the shade you prefer and the developer. If you are shopping at Sally, the shades are easy to see and the workers can help you choose your color and developer strength. If you try something like Pravana, you can look on their website for shades.

Then all you do is follow the mixing and application instructions, which are easily found online. (For example, mine are to mix 1 part color with 1.5 parts developer). You just apply to the roots along the part, and then lift and move the part with the pointed end of your brush and repeat the process. Leave on for the required minutes, rinse, shampoo, and condition.

It's better to buy your products like this than to buy a box color, because box colors are one-size-fits-all and usually have to powerful a developer, which is harsh and more damaging.

[kat999]

I know the OP already said she's covering gray and going brownish, but I just want to chime in for ANYONE reading that if you're going lighter, you should really always go to a professional, IMHO and experience. I have naturally medium brown hair that is very dark brown in some areas, and I get it foil highlighted to a medium to light blonde (depending on season and my mood) by a professional. I keep natural lowlights in, usually. The effect looks very natural and I don't ever worry about "hot roots" where they look orange or yellowy blonde that looks like straw. Sometimes my stylist uses a double process toner and sometimes not, depending on what I want and the condition of my hair. And she's managed to safely give me some fun semi-permanent washes of pink and red without ruining everything. When I used to dye my own hair and wanted to go lighter it was an absolute disaster, and although I persisted at it for years, it really never, ever looked right, regardless of what color I was aiming for. Bleaching my own hair always left me looking orange on top, with fried and damaged ends.

At the start of the pandemic, when salons were fully shot down, I did briefly do my own color again and it looked...fine. But not great.

Just saying, lifting to a lighter color from a very dark one is a truly difficult process. If you're not already a professional and you want that look, it's best left to the pros.