Tips for Do-It-Yourself Coloring

Walking down the grocery isle of hair coloring products can be very overwhelming! There’s lots of products to choose, and color can be a little scary! (I know, it’s Halloween time, and dying our hair can be fun for our trick or treating celebrations, but what about real everyday life?) With so much to do on a daily basis, we barely have time for ourselves, and taking a trip to the salon is either out of the question or out of the budget.

Of course, it’s probably best to leave haircuts and special, more in depth coloring treatments to the professionals, but simpler hairstyle remedies like basic coloring can be done at home. Here are some tips to get you started:

Buddy System. Just like the song says, you can get by with a little help from your friends. To make things easier for you, invite a trusted buddy over to provide an extra pair of hands. She will be able to address hard-to-reach and hard-to-see areas like the back of your hair.

Go with the Cut. Experts agree that when you have your hair highlighted, it should complement your haircut and not the other way around. For example, if you have a face-framing haircut, it is best to wear highlights that help to brighten your face. Find a color that balances out the style of your hair.

Start Small. If this is your first time to color or highlight your own hair, you may want to stick to small streaks. Going big and chunky might be too dramatic and may make you more prone to mishaps. Remember, less is more! Or, try using a color rinse if you’re just covering some grays. You can do this in the shower, and at least you know the color will eventually rinse out over the next few weeks, if you’re not thrilled with it.

Tools of the Trade. It might help to simplify things if you use tools like a toothbrush or if you are confident enough, just your fingers! Try using your forefinger and thumb to paint your strands. The result is lovely sun-kissed highlights.

Whoops! Now, if you end up doing a not-so-stellar job of coloring on your own, you may have to push through with that salon visit after all. But if it’s not so bad, a fuss-free solution is simply putting on hair accessories. Put your hair up in a lazy bun and secure with fun hair clips to keep the eyes away from your hair. Or you can braid your tresses to one side and secure with your favorite hair bow.