Are You Dyeing Your Hair Wrong? Do's And Dont's Of How To Dye Your Hair

When trying to save money and time, you have - at some point - probably found yourself wondering if you should start dyeing your hair at home. You went through the process at the salon countless times, and how hard can it be? If they sell box-dye at the drugstore, it must mean that people do this every day and it’s safe, cost-effective and works just right, no?

Well, whilst the answer to that can vary depending on many factors, if you’re adamant about trying to dye your own hair at home, then make sure you don’t fall into these easy mistakes.

1. How To Dye Your Hair At Home: Do’s & Don’ts (back to index)

You may think that dyeing your hair is like going on a bicycle: once you manage to do it once successfully, there’s no way anything can go wrong the next time you try it - but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Let’s see the most common mistakes happening when colouring your hair at home, and what to do instead.

2. DON’T: Do Your Hair “On The Go” (back to index)

Even if you’re resorting to box-dye for time-saving purposes, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give your colouring time the proper care and attention. It’s essential that you plan your colouring day in advance so that you don’t keep it on your strands for longer than necessary. Keeping your dye on your hair for too long can cause “hot roots”, a phenomenon in which your roots will be significantly lighter than your lengths/ends.

3. DO: Prepare For Hair Colouring (back to index)

Schedule your hair dye date on a day in which you know you will have all the time to check on your colour, and possibly a day that is not too close to a hair washing day either. Make sure you have all of your products lined up before starting, including petroleum jelly to protect your hairline and ears from getting stained. If you already had a colouring accident instead, check out our blog on how to remove hair dye stains.

4. DON’T: Be Overconfident (back to index)

Just because you’ve done it countless times, if you’re trying a new brand or if your favourite hair dye has changed formula, make sure you always follow the instructions on the leaflet. Make sure that when using hair dye, you’re wearing an old t-shirt and using an already stained towel so that you won’t ruin a good outfit or a new hair towel.

5. DO: Try Semi-Permanent Colour First (back to index)

If you’re not a seasoned DIY expert, perhaps it’s better to avoid permanent hair colouring at first. Try semi-permanent instead, so that you won’t end up having to resort to a pricey colour-correction session at the salon.

6. DON’T: Pick A Colour Based On The Image On The Box (back to index)

Brands will often pick an enhanced image for the front of their box, for advertising purposes. Usually, this means that the colour is perfectly matched to a model’s traits, skin undertone, and makeup - not mentioning any strategically placed background, etc. Always double check on the back the results that you can actually achieve based on your base colour.

7. DO: Keep Your Colour Expectations Realistic (back to index)

If your hair is naturally dark, a single round of box-dye bleach is likely to leave you with bright orange strands. Going from brunette to blonde in one session, especially with box-dye, is practically impossible. Bleaching your hair sometimes needs to happen over time, carefully, to give your hair the time to recover from the bleach application each time. Bleaching your hair is also a damaging process for your strands, and your undercoat will always need toning.

8. DON’T: Dye Hair That Is Already Too Damaged (back to index)

If you went from bleach blonde to dark hair, don’t even think about going back to blonde again any time soon - unless you’re a fan of breakage. Damaged, brittle tresses also lead to unpredictable colour results, which is something you want to avoid at all costs.

9. DO: Add Real Hair Extensions (back to index)

If you’re looking to add some light or a touch of colour but would like to avoid bleach and colouring damage to your hair, then you can always resort to human hair extensions. This way you can add highlights, lowlights and funky coloured strands to your mane without having to undergo any colour treatment damage. Check out our range of highlighted hair extensions and mixed shades here.

10. DON’T: Dye Human Hair Extensions At Home (back to index)

As hair extensions professionals, we have to always tell you that we do NOT encourage dyeing and colour-treating your Remy hair extensions at home. Hair extensions do not receive any nourishment and moisture from your scalp as your natural hair does, therefore any dye job might ruin them forever - not to mention that they might not match your hair colour anymore. 

11. DO: Get Colour Matched (back to index)

If you’re planning on changing hair colour, then it is likely you’ll have to buy new hair extensions to match your new shade - unless you want to give it a go and take them to a salon to see if they can help you with dyeing them the same colour you’re applying to your natural hair. Anyways, this doesn’t mean that you have to say goodbye to your old hair extensions forever. Check out our blog on how to repurpose your old hair extensions, and click here to access our FREE hair extensions colour matching service!

12. Conclusion: (back to index)

A DIY hair dye job isn’t a bad idea, as long as you pay attention to the instructions, do a patch test in advance for your own safety, and carefully choose your shade with mindfulness. Happy styling!

Thank you for reading our blog! We hope you enjoyed this article – if you liked what you’ve read, share this with your friends and follow us on our Social Media channels to keep up with the latest trends, tips, guides, and more!

Interested In Hair Extensions? Shop The Best Sellers…

For our full range of Hair Extensions including Clip-Ins, Ponytails, Permanent and Many more with over 60 shades to choose from head to our main page. Including our best selling Seamless, Tape In Hair Extensions, and One Piece Hair Extensions.