5 Smart Hair Color Tips for Dyeing Your Hair at Home

By Woman’s Day

Don’t pay hundreds for a salon visit when you can do it yourself like a pro!

STEP #1: PICK YOUR COLOR

SEMIPERMANENT VS. PERMANENT Not all at-home coloring kits are built the same! Semipermanent haircolor like Clairol Natural Instincts ($6.29; at Target) lasts through 28 shampoos and enhances your natural color. Permanent color is formulated with ammonia and/or peroxide to open up the cuticle, lift the hair’s natural pigment and deposit the dye deeper into the shaft, so the color will last until hair grows out. This makes it the better option for covering pesky grays.

SECTION YOUR HAIR Use a comb to make a part along the back of your head from one ear to the other. Then divide each of these two sections down the middle and clip in place. “Apply haircolor one area at a time, beginning at the roots in the front sections along your hairline,” says Clairol color director James Corbett. Then add the color in 1-inch strips throughout each section to make sure you cover every strand.

STEP #3: Keep hair vibrant

SWAP IN A NEW SHAMPOO Your hue will naturally fade over time due to sun exposure and heated styling tools or from simply washing your hair. “To maintain shine, use a shampoo and conditioner designed for colored hair and skip a few days between washes,” says Miguel Garcia, Revlon’s international artistic and education director.

STEP #4: Extend your color

CONCEAL ROOTS “Dyeing your hair at the first sign of regrowth can be damaging, especially for blondes,” says celebrity stylist Harry Josh. To soften the look of roots, use a product specially made to conceal them and you’ll get a few more weeks between dye jobs.

STEP #5: Prevent brassy strands

APPLY A GLOSS “The further away you shift from your natural hair color, the more susceptible you are to brass tones. So stay within two shades,” says Corbett. If you begin to notice your color is oxidizing, a glossing treatment is an instant remedy.