Who colors their own hair?

[Knitting_Guy]

I am working on coloring my hair and beard grey, but it's kind of a slow (not slow enough) natural process you can't buy in a store.

[zkimom]

I am working on coloring my hair and beard grey, but it's kind of a slow (not slow enough) natural process you can't buy in a store.

Enjoy it. You are lucky you don't have to worry about those silver streaks.

Unfortunately we live in a society where men with gray hair are considered "distinguished" yet women with gray hair are "old."

[Doublereeder2]

I started using a semi-permanent color years ago, then had it colored professionally for a long time but now do my own (due to budget). I use Clairol Nice and Easy and have no problems with it looking false or odd. But I use a color that is very close to my (not grey) own. The only thing is that I cannot do highlights that look good.

[gailf]

Ive been using Natural Instincts in Pecan a medium golden brown and touching up the grays with root touch up also in a medium golden brown. Sounds like your hair is close in color to mine and so far Ive had no problems and the color looks good.

[jodstr2]

with the exception of some cellophanes I had done in the early '90s by my stylist, I've been coloring my hair with drugstore products for 19 years. I used to use Preference when I was dyeing it blue black, but switched to Ultress sometime in the '90s and played around with burgundy, plum, and reddish browns. when Ultress went bye-bye, I used Nice n Easy and went really light (Lightest Golden Brown), but got tired of that and decided to go darker with a kick of red. the last time I dyed (3 weeks ago) I used Garnier 100% Color in Deep Burgundy Brown. the color is more intense and the red tones have lasted longer than the Nice n Easy, but the application process was messier and I stained my bathroom floor in a couple spots . I'll continue to dye my own at home unless I get highlights - I doubt I can do decent highlights by myself.

[sn0wwhite]

this is an interesting thread...

my sister owns a salon and although i'm not a stylist, i managed it for her for a couple of years. i just know that if a home dye goes badly, it is very expensive to fix because the store bought dyes have different chemicals than the salon colors and fixing it is NOT as simple as just putting on a different color. the different chemicals don't always react as predicted and often the color gets worse before it gets better.

from a salon point of view - color fixes are usually a bad deal. the customer isn't happy because they were hoping to save money in the first place, and the color correction ends up costing twenty times more than they planned and i've seen them take 6 hours or more to do. it ends up being a pretty low hourly rate for the stylist.

i could never home color my hair, because said sister would kill me.

[rachael72knitter]

I do my own and have for years. I have too much grey and not enough cashola these days to pay someone.

I buy the same color Clairol Preference and use it again and again.

Sometimes when I feel it is getting a little too monochrome I buy low ammonia highlights (a frosting cap kit) and add my own.

Sometimes I buy a tube at Sally's for low-lights when I feel it is getting too light. I have a friend do these for me with a brush and the foil.

At the most it costs me nine dollars, 12 if I buy the frosting highlight kit.

I haven't ever goofed it, and if it is getting frizzy I get the ends chopped.

If I feel it is getting a little brassy, I do a shampoo for this a couple of days before the color. I buy this at Sally's too.

That and cuts at Fantastic Sam's saves me a lot of money.

[Doodknitwit]

Wise Ones,

I need your advice.

I am forty eleven years old and my lovely brown hair with golden highlights is courtesy of Rachel at the hair salon. However, the more I think about how much I pay Rachel at the hair salon to help me keep my "naturally" brown hair looking so natural, I wonder if I'm just tossing money into the wind to satisfy my own vanity.

So fess up ladies.

Do you color your own hair or does only your hairdresser know for sure?

Really what I want to know is am I wasting my money on the salon and can I turn to L'Oreal and do it myself at home. Is there that much of a difference between getting your hair colored at a salon and doing it at home?

I can think of all sorts of things I could spend my money on instead of going to the salon -- you know -- food, rent, bills and the like.

But I like the way I look with my hair colored and don't want to give up just yet.

What do you think, can I do it on my own and get good results?

Thanks in advance for all your input.

Best,
Susan

I have colored mine for years... I do not like the roots showing and am not going to spend the $$ to go every 3-4 weeks, rather spend it on yarn . I use Aveda color and mix two shades with the developer..equal parts of color & developer in a glass bowl.. I apply only to outgrowth and so far have never had an issue... You could find the color at a beauty supply...