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Tips To Colour Your Hair At Home

Hair colouring is the latest fashion trend and it lifts your looks and spirit more than anything. A new hair colour makes you look all the way new. Today there are number of colours you can choose from. Even though it is advised to colour your hair at a professional saloon; with a little care and a bit of effort you can do it at home itself. Hair coloring can add spice and enhance many hair styles. A good hair color can add shine, drama and fun to your hair style. It can make some hair types easier to style. Coloring the hair is probably the quickest way to change your looks and enhance your hairstyle.

There are certain things you should take care before colouring your hair. Make sure you have your hair condition in the best possible shape before adding hair colour. For the best results, stay within two shades of your natural hair colour. Nowadays many women and men prefer to colour their hair at home and of course there is nothing wrong in doing so but before you dye your hair for the first time you should be well-prepared and educated in order to avoid damaging your hair. Sometimes hair coloring can seriously damage your hair. Anytime chemicals are misused the chance of breakage and damage is almost 100 percent. The chemicals that the hair dye contains make changes in the texture or structure of the hair and if misused the hair colouring can make your hair drier, lifeless as well as brittle.

Before colouring your hair you have to decide what kind of results do you want! Are you going lighter or darker? Do you need to cover gray? Are you trying to update your look or jazz up a dull shade? The answers to these questions will help you choose your formula like permanent, demi-permanent or semi-permanent.

The tools you need

Protective clothing - a button-down smock will shield you from drips and you won"t have to pull it over your wet head when it is time to rinse.

Claw-like clips to separate sections of hair.

Latex gloves - these should be included in your home hair colour kit.

You may want to use a brush to paint on the solution and really saturate the strands.

If you have long hair you may want to have two kits ready. You don"t want to run out in the middle of the process.


The Method

Start with clean dry hair that has no product in it like any conditioner, styling gels, mousses etc... It"s best if you wash your hair the day before so your natural oils will protect your scalp.

Brush or comb out tangles, then divide hair into four sections. Part down the middle from forehead to neck, then across at the crown. Twist and secure each section with a clip.

Put on gloves and mix the ingredients according to the directions.

Do one section at a time. Starting with the back, release one clip. Put a line of color along your hairline. Then repeat by working through thin sections of hair until the whole area is saturated. Twist back into the clip and repeat with each of the remaining sections.

Go around your hairline to make sure you get all the little wisps.

Remove any colour that may have gotten on your forehead or neck or any exposed skin. You can use soap and water, or you can find color remover at a beauty supply store.

Wait for the colour to dry. Colour will usually take within 20-30 minutes. Stubborn gray can take up to 45 minutes. Most mixtures will stop working after an hour.

You want to dye your hair, not your skin, your bathroom walls, the tile floor, etc. Before you start, cover your surroundings with old towels, wear clothes that you don't mind ruining and rub Vaseline on your forehead to prevent stains.

Once you've successfully colored your hair, wait 24 hours before washing it again. According to me it takes at least that long time for the dye to settle.

Towel dry the hair and comb through. Style as usual.

Story first published: Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 11:11 [IST]