First time home hair color

[elf]

I'm trying to save a little money, by coloring my own hair. I'm 50 and have been having it done professionally for the last 10 years. He's been using vegetable dye, and highlights. My hair hadn't had a ton of gray, but now they are coming in faster and heavier.

I just bought John Frieda foam I have light brown hair and I like the lighter brown but heard that the dye makes it comes out very dark. Could I buy dark blond and mix with light brown? Do people do this?

I may chicken out by tomorrow. LOL I've never been one to toy with my hair.

 

[StephyDee]

Personally, I wouldn't risk it. When they mix colors in the salon, it's a bit different, and the stylists know exactly how much of what color to mix with another, and how much to have overall. OTC Hair colors aren't exactly the same as the ones they use in salons. Over the years I've had experience with hair coloring and mixing at home, and they haven't worked out too well.

If you still decide to go through with it (since the colors aren't TOO different), make sure the brand you have is able to be mixed with a different color. Some brands aren't capable of being mixed with a different color, even though it can be the same brand. It'd be best to call the company and ask them if it's alright to mix two colors together. If they say it's alright then you're all good to go.

If for some reason the color isn't that great, and/or your hair suffers from it, don't fret TOO much. Hair does grow back, and there are a lot of hair products on the market to help you cope with hair woes.

 

[Mickeyflower]

I color my own hair all the time, and I use John Frieda too! The color difference between dark blonde and light brown is so faint, you'd hardly notice it. I wouldn't mix it, just because it probably wouldn't make that big of a difference. It doesn't come out REALLY DARK. I've always been very happy with the way the color turns out, especially with John Frieda. It will look a LOT DARKER when you're putting it on, but after it's developed, rinsed, and dried, the color will be great and very even, unless your current hair color is uneven, or your hair is damaged.

If it doesn't come out the way you like it, you can do several washes with a clarifying shampoo to lighten it up.

 

[elf]

Thank you.

I won't mix then, had no idea if it was complicated or not.

My hair is uneven. I have highlights that are over an inch grown out. Maybe I'll go to hairdresser work my way out of highlights, then try coloring on my own. I think I'm chickening out. LOL

I love the way the highlights look but it's just too expensive for me to maintain at this point. My hair could probably use a break anyway.

 

[hrslvr142]

I will add that I have colored my hair for lots of years and do not care for the foam-have tried both John Frieda and Clairol (I think) and did not find it covered my roots-which is my biggest problem well at all...so if you are lightly grey it may work but if not I would not give up, just buy a different type next time. I am just the reverse of you, have done my own hair for years but now having it professionally done, not sure I will stick with it because my hair grows very quickly and I have had to use the "root" cover in between but I do love the pampering and avoiding the mess at home, so we will see. Good luck to you and I hope you find the perfect color for you.

 

[girli565]

I color at home every 3 months, I wouldn't suggest mixing because you really don't know proportions and every hair color is different.

If you're really serious about coloring at home I'd suggest going to your local beauty supply store (I go to Sally's) and speak with the sales lady. At my local store they have an associate who is a color specialist and she directed me in the right direction for the developer and color I needed. I dye my hair a burgundy/brown and have a little problem with a few greys that are stubborn.

She was great and in the end it's cheaper to buy my color and developer from Sally's than the box sets at the store. For the price of a box set I can buy enough color and developer for 2-3 dye jobs (depends on the length of my hair).

 

[Kae]

how much lighter are your highlights? You could blend it out yourself with a semi-permanent color first then go back to permanent. Your highlights could grab darker. The color well only last about 4 weeks & grey coverage will be less with a semi.

Tips-Have extra old towels. Since you are using brown my biggest tip is take shampoo on your finger wipe around your hairline & wipe with a DRY wash cloth before rinsing you hair water sets color and it will be hard to get off. Also do a quick rinse with water then rub the color & your hair like you are shampooing most color has surfactent that will later then rinse, rinse & rinse the run a little cond thru your hair. I sleep on a old pillowcase just case I haven't rinsed enough. Sometime I color on a Saturday & don't wash with shampoo until monday. Help makes my color not fade so fast.

Kae

 

[Deesknee]

My mom was a retired hairdresser, so when she became to ill to do my hair, she was VERY picky as to which product I used. At first she would use the color/peroxide and mix it for me, then I would put it in, under her supervision. Then we eventually switched to L'oreal Preference. Just follow the directions VERY carefully. A few extra or too few minutes makes a difference. I usually do the roots first 20 mins, then add the rest to the ends/remainder. I do miss the days of highlights. But I find the grayer I get the more natural "highlights" appear.

I think the pp who mentioned going somewhere like Sallys is a wise decision. Atleast until you get used to it.

Also, I have no experience with the Foams, but have heard from a friend who heard from her hairdresser. I don't know what kind of person this is, it may be she just wants to keep a customer, but she said the FOAMs are horrible for the hair. But, again, I have no personal experience. And who knows if the person followed the directions carefully, or what ever. I just thought I'd throw that out there.

I have been using i L'oreal Preference for about 5-10 years now, and other than staining my clothes and bathroom floor, have had no problems. The floor was an idiot move on my part... the clothes are inevitable, I use the same clothes every time I do it now. Actually, for the past few years DH, DD, or DS have been doing my hair for me do to my own med condition, hmm.... maybe I can start blaming them for the bathroom floor. hmmm... nah.

 

[tlh0726]

Just wanted to say Good Luck OP!


For our april trip I thought I would try to cover up a few grey hairs and purchased the non permanent kit that the color was to wash out in something like 28 washes.
It is now november and the color is still there.
May not be washing out but it is growing out.

 

[edk35]

Post back and let us know how it goes. I do spend the money for a salon and have occasionally wondered how it would turn out at home. Then that thought quickly leaves and I make an appt.

 

[Disneybuckeye]

I am curious too as to how you made out. I also pay my hairdresser big bucks every 6 weeks, but I am way too scared to do it on my own. Plus all of my bathrooms have recently been remodeled. DH would kill me if I got color on the travertine marble he so painstakingly laid.

 

[edk35]

I am curious too as to how you made out. I also pay my hairdresser big bucks every 6 weeks.

I DO TOO..and it always looks PERFECT. It is one of the things I just can't seem to try on my own. I feel like getting my hair hi-lighted and colored is CHEMISTRY. I just can't allow myself to attempt that.

 

[Sandy321]

I stumbled on Sally's Beauty Supply by accident -

I tried the over the counter Clairol right after I had a perm (YEARS ago! )I called the clairol hotline, and they sent me to Sally's to get "ash" and told me the prortions of lifter (basically what is in those OTC kits - 2 oz and 2oz)

Talking to the manager of Sally's helped me start my own "kit" (gloves, bottle, develper - and the color is the tricky - I'm using ION so many great things about that for my hair - then the conditioner, instead of the one use - I bought a large bottle - so first time investment - long term huge savings!)

Good Luck!
(and check youtube for added support!)

 

[Eljay]

A few quidelines to keep in mind.

Since you have highlights, be very careful to choose a color with a neutral base. Anything ash could turn your highlights gray-ish or green-ish. Anything red could turn your highlights pink-ish.

People often make a mistake judging the depth of a color. Medium brown is actually quite dark in a hair color.

Go by the swatches and realize that gray mixed in with dark will considerably lighten a result.

If your hair is damaged or very dry, leave it to a pro.

Be very careful and remember that it will cost more to correct messed up hair color than it would cost to get it done correctly in the first place.

If you are trying to pay a little less for your color, you could ask your stylist to stop highlighting and to transition you to an all over lighter color that you could maintain at home, once you have a shade you like.

 

[elf]

Well I did it, my first home color and it came out pretty good... Used John Frieda foam dark blond, I'm really lighter brown but that just looked too dark. I probably didn't get edges as good as I should have but, I'll get better at it. The conditioner it comes with works great.

My Dh and kids, who are not afraid to give an honest opinion thought it came out good. Dh was probably just glad to save the money. He'd probably faint if he knew how much I actually pay.

Not saying as great as hairdresser but fine for the in between times.

Thank you for advice and experiences very helpful much of it very much like me.

My hair did feel brittle before I put conditioner in, I'm curious what it will be like tomorrow.

 

[Deesknee]

Well I did it, my first home color and it came out pretty good... Used John Frieda foam dark blond, I'm really lighter brown but that just looked too dark. I probably didn't get edges as good as I should have but, I'll get better at it. The conditioner it comes with works great.

My Dh and kids, who are not afraid to give an honest opinion thought it came out good. Dh was probably just glad to save the money. He'd probably faint if he knew how much I actually pay.

Not saying as great as hairdresser but fine for the in between times.

Thank you for advice and experiences very helpful much of it very much like me.

My hair did feel brittle before I put conditioner in, I'm curious what it will be like tomorrow.

YAY for you! Glad it came out well. Now you can put that money in your Disney jar and treat yourself to something special on your next trip.

 

[KCMiller]

I've been doing my own hair since I was about 20, with the Revlon Colorsilk. Yup, the cheapest thing on the market, and when I go in to get my hair cut (I wear it long with bangs), the stylist invariably mentions how soft my hair is and what a great color I have, what fantastic highlights, and asks where do I get it done? I don't do anything fancy, just mix it up, slap it on the roots, wait 15 minutes, squish it through the rest of my hair, wait another 10 or so minutes, and rinse it out. Even now, when I have a lot of gray, it still works great, covers all the gray, doesn't get dull and doesn't wash out.

Every time I hear a professional hair salon person go on and on about how 'difficult' it is to dye hair, how only they can do it well (for upwards of $100 bucks or more a pop), I just chuckle, check my receipt (Colorsilk costs about $3 a box), and go about my merry, dark blonde way.

KC