Starting to Go Gray, Coloring My Hair at Home or Worth the Salon?

I LOVE Nice n Easy. As I mentioned in a previous post, it gives you multiple tones...there's also a great root touch up that's easy to match it in between colorings and the conditioner that comes with it is awesome! I used to go to the salon, but it was always a minimum of $50, with so much more for additional colors and then the highlights that I prefer. It's easy to do at home :)

I color my own. It did take a couple of times (okay, more than a couple) to find the best brand/color that matched my natural hair color. Now that I have, I only have to do the roots.

I color my own hair because it's just too expensive at any salon. And my hair looks just great! According to consumers Affairs Loreal Excellence is one of the best ones. I purchase it at any store. Just look for a color you like! Try it, it's so easy really. Sometimes my daughter does it for me, she likes to. But I do it myself and I'm very happy!

I also dye my hair at home to cover the greys. I found that L'oreal and Nutrisse were the better products, Can be bought anywhere, Target, CVS, Duane Reade, walgreens. Just remember when you do at home to put cream/moisturizor around hair line and on ears so the random dye spilage doesn't dye your skin.

I get my hair done every three months, a cut and highlights. I go to a hair academy, where the students are learning to do hair. They have supervisors and go over everything they plan to do with your hair with them. If the students have concerns, they ask for help. I have never had any problems (knock on wood). It's WAY cheaper than a normal salon, like a third of the price. I pay $50 every three months and that's including cut, color or highlights, and the tip! Since they are students, it takes about two hours to complete the job. Check it out in your area.

I been dying my hair for 15 years. I prefer home but thats cause I have experimented ALOT! I found home hair color, best to go with Garnier Nutrisse. Their colors last so long in my hair and even reds. You can get it professionally done then touch up roots but you might get mismatched colors since they mix their own and do not match OTC products. Highlights can be tricky, not always come out good at home.
It really depends on what you want, if you want a solid one color, save your cash do it at home. Anything fancy stick with salon. Try all diff colors, practice makes perfect trust me lol

This is simple to answer... Box hair color conditions your hair, and there's a few that don't have ammonia and aren't bad....They're $7. Starting a salon routine where touch ups are needed every 4-6 weeks to cover gray $60, or closer to $80 with a hair cut where I live. I have no grey, but I love changing my hair shades, and have had great results with those $7 boxes.

I just did my hair at home for the first time ever...I have never had my hair colored but the grays were really starting to bother me.

I went to a beauty supply store and bought a product that would wash out after about 6 shampoos. That way if it was horrible I could wash and hopefully be back to "normal".

It looks really good and was easy to do at home by myself. The advice I was given at the store was go one shade darker than your natural color.

Hi, V.

I didn't like gray hair on me. Because I had golden hair when I was young,
I have now had my hair platinum blonde for about 4 years. It costs about
$75.00 every 10 weeks. When the roots grow in, it still looks good. They color the roots and that is it.
Take the time to care for yourself and love it. D.

When I was 18 and had my first child, I started doing my own hair at home. I coudn't afford anymore to pay for salon prices, and just felt "guilty" spending so much on myselft when baby needs this and that.

Well now I'm 27 dealing with VERY damaged hair from over the years using many different box products and have now come to realizing, I can't do that to my hair anymore or I'll be bald at 30! :)

So I found a local salon that cuts and does full highlights for $125. The damage is still growing out but hopefully now I can have the hair I used to have before the "box" dying years. And again, I pretty much tried EVERYTHING on the market, Loreal, Herbal, Revlon, Sally products, etc.

Each time my hair got drier and drier and drier, almost to the point where it hurt to brush through it. I recommend you find an affordable salon and go from there. Box dying will only damage your hair and you don't want that.

Good luck!!

I have been dyeing my hair from box coloring since I was 18 (I am now 25) and as long as you follow the directions and use the conditioner supplied your hair will not suffer any side effects. my hair is very soft in fact it feels softer after I color. I buy revlon hair color for about $3 at walmart and it last about 6 weeks

i have blonde and it gets darker as i get older and yes, i have grey. it works with blond, though :) but i like highlighting it myself. i have figured out how to do it myself and my hairstylist agrees, i do a pretty good job!
but i woudl suggest, if you have not done it in awhile, do the first color session at teh salon. i remember getting a highlighting kit, and i want to say it was L"oreal but cannot remember. but it had a brush in there, which almost looks like a really big mascara wand. but that wand allows you to put the color on the roots, then the swirl the rest of teh color up the shaft of the hair, giving you better results with highlights looking natural.
i also switch month to month with my color, so one time i use really exteme blond, and the next time i use light blond - that gives me the highlight effect.
l'oreal preference i think is my favorite one, although i do like garnier, too - but depends on teh color chosen adn each one can be tricky - leave it on too long or too little, and you can get strawberry blond - not my favorite.

Do it yourself or have a good friend help you with it. It's not that hard. I use Natural Instincts because it isn't harsh on your hair, and is a good choice if you are just wanting to match your natural color but cover gray. They have
real before & afters on their website.
http://www.clairol.com/naturalinstincts/proven_results.jsp

I have always highlighted my own hair with good results and decided to go to a professional for a special occasion. I paid $125 and 6 weeks later the base color she used has faded away and my old color is showing through! I've never had that happen when I've done it myself :( You can't really touch it up yourself unless you do it yourself so the color will be an exact match.

Hope it comes out great!

I've dyed my hair since 17yo (now 41yo) and have been about every color imaginable, sometimes not on purpose. I used to do it all by myself and only go to a salon when I needed an intervention or major repair. Once Sally Beauty Supply starting selling to everyone, I really found great products that never dried my hair, that the color lasted longer, that helped my grays absorb the colors better.

Now when I go for a haircut, I ask the salon for coloring tips. They are always honest and helpful - I asked them for a darker shade recommendation for the colder months and a lighter shade for the warmer months. I've been alternating those for 2yrs now and still love the results.

Now the problem is getting my husband to watch my son long enough to do it myself :)

Good luck!

Being a hairstylist myself, I would say do not use box products bc they normally have pretty harsh chemicals in them. If a professional can't color your hair in 10, 15, 20 mins then box product shouldn't be able to either. The reason box colors are so quick is bc they use a high volume developer which can lead to your hair drying out, breaking off and tons of split ends. I, now being a stay at home mom, know how expensive it can be to go to a salon! I have found some stylist to do my hair that only charge $65 and they do a great job. Also looking into a cosmetology school would be a great solution. They are cheaper and usually know the newest products and styles. If you feel like doing it yourself go to a beauty store. Sally's beauty supply carries the products that professionals use. A sales associate there will be able to help you pick a good product. You should look for one that has 100% grey coverage in the color you want (light brown would prob be a 7N) Get a 20 or 30 bottle of developer and mix half and half. Normally the colors there are 2 oz so you would mix 2 oz of developer with it and then apply it all over your head starting at the roots or the most grey areas. Grey hair normally takes longer to process. Leave it on for a good 30-40 mins. After 45mins color quits processing so it wont damage your hair if your timing is a little off. Before rinsing you can check a strand of hair by wipeing it with a paper towel to see if the color has taken. Once it has just shampoo and condition. But like I said a sale associate at a beauty supply store should be able to get you exactly what you need!! Good luck and feel free to inbox me with any questions!!!