I am all about saving money. I am the first one to jump on a deal, and I am a huge ‘Do-it- Yourself-er’. As a hair stylist, I am the last one to force feed products and services down a client’s throat. I would much rather educate my clients about paying attention to the ingredients in their hair products and help them to improve or speed up their own at-home hair (and Makeup!) routines. Not everyone has the budget or time to get their hair done in a salon every time it's needed, and that's understandable. Many women color their hair at home, and that’s okay, I don’t judge! (And I can admit that I’ve seen some beautiful outcomes when executed correctly.) Though to be honest, there truly is a huge difference between at-home coloring and in-salon color services. Of course there’s the obvious point of you getting to sit and relax while someone else applies a custom mixed color just for you. But I'll feel more at ease if I take a few minutes to point out a few things to those of you that do home coloring, and maybe I can convert you….and if I can’t, at the very least, I hope that I can improve your home technique and share with you some product knowledge.
1. In a salon setting, a stylist takes into account your needs, and custom mixes a color tailored to you.
Any attentive stylist should discuss your goals for your hair color, your daily hair routine, your upkeep budget and time availability, which products you use on your hair, as well as the possibility of any health issues and/or medications you may be taking. Box color ingredients are somewhat similar to salon color lines, but these boxes are manufactured for the masses, with no idea who is going to purchase and apply them! In order to be used by a wide variety of women with different types of hair and a myriad of different colors, it contains a higher developer volume than a stylist would normally choose to use. This means that box color is much harsher, and therefore potentially more damaging than a custom mixed salon color. This is done so that a woman with blonde hair and another woman dark brown hair can use the same box color. This does not mean that they will get the same results. This means that if you’re doing your own hair, you will never match the smiling woman on the box’s hair color. Additionally, if you don’t have virgin hair (this is a term used by stylists for anyone who has NEVER put color on their hair), there is no way to know what your outcome will be. Color doesn’t lift color. Ever. The only way to be a dark brown brunette, and then decide to be a beautiful, shining blonde is to go to a licensed stylist and begin a carefully planned highlight regimen. If you have gray hair at your roots, have been coloring your hair a medium brown, and decide to do a slightly lighter auburn for a fun change, you will have a set of bright red roots, and dark, brownish-red ends. A good stylist will consider all of these factors and safely get you to the color you desire by using their background in chemistry and their knowledge of the color wheel.
2. There are so many box colors to choose from!
There are tons of colors to choose from at the drugstore, but there are hundreds of thousands in a salon setting. You can choose an ash medium brown box color, or have a stylist mix you a custom hair color. Maybe you’re hair comes up too ‘warm’ or too 'red’ for your liking when you use the medium brown box, so you choose the ash medium brown to counteract that, after application you now have an ugly greenish medium brown color! A stylist is able to take into account this dislike of the warmth your hair pulls and will determine the exact amount of ash needed for you, your natural hair color, and your product usage. Again, the boxes are manufactured to the masses, and are not personally tailored to your situation. Knowledge of the levels of colors is also difficult many consumers. Medium brown can appear almost black after being applied on many women. Most women are considered light brown according to artificial hair color standards. What looks like dark or medium brown to the untrained eye, will most likely be light brown in the color industry. Box color appearing too dark is a common complaint, and this is why. It takes skill and knowledge of basic color properties in order to achieve the target color. Stylists mix different color formulas for different clients, even if they desire the same results. The same exact color formula will never look exactly the same on different people.
3. The happy woman on the box with the flowing locks did not color her own hair.
A professional applied her color, took into account all of the possible factors mentioned in point #1, and any other existing color that may have been on her hair. Because someone else is doing it, there are no missed spots, color was applied evenly, and it was applied for the proper time on the proper areas. Application is extremely important, even a basic root touch up can be messy on your own, and if you overlap the color, you can get dry ends and color build-up. Color should always be applied to your roots first, and depending on your hair type, or what color you have chosen to add, pulled through your to ends towards the end of your processing time. Gray haired (or "stress blonde", my favorite "gray hair" euphemism!) ladies, the general rule of thumb is 25-30 minutes on the roots, and pull through color to refresh only the last 5-10 minutes. Most color lines suggest a full processing time for gray coverage of 30-45 minutes, depending on the percentage of gray and hair porosity. You should never put color all over your head every time you do it, you will end up with very light roots (or even some stubborn 'stress blondes' still showing through!) compared to your much darker, and over colored ends. Color build up on your ends can be a real detriment to the health of your hair, and a huge catastrophe if you ever want to change your hair color down the road.
4. Way more work was done to that model’s hair than simply applying a box of golden blonde.
She looks so happy, and her golden blonde hair looks gorgeous! 10 out of 10 times the picture on the box has had added highlights or lowlights to allow the color to pop and look multi-dimensional. Do not get discouraged when you’re finished and your hair is a flat, solid color. That box lied to you, there was a heck of a lot more work done to that model’s hair before she posed for that photo! Along with a professional blow out, curling iron work, and professional lighting, all intended to make that hair color the center of attention.
5. Unfortunately, 'ammonia free' doesn’t always mean chemical free.
Although you may think that you are making a good decision for your health by choosing a box color from the drugstore that says it’s 'ammonia free', that most likely isn’t what you are getting. Many companies use ammonia substitutes. Most of these substitutes have the same chemical makeup as ammonia. Since it is not actually ammonia, the companies can get around listing ammonia as an ingredient and thus market their product as ‘ammonia free’ and/or ‘safer or better for you’. Many salons actually do use ammonia free products, as well as vegan products, and will be able to provide you with explanations and proof of their claim. Do your research and find one that offers it as an option if it’s something that is important to you. Be aware that there may be some limitations when using ammonia free color lines. You may not be able to achieve some of the ideas you may have for your color, but that is something for you and your stylist to discuss and figure out.I can admit that before I began my hair career, my mother and I would color each other’s hair in the bathroom at home. There were a lot of gorgeous colors, and quite a few mishaps that required professional help! Either way, it was always a fun and interesting experience. All I wish for you is that you can get a beautiful hair color that you are happy with and gives you confidence. Whether you do it yourself, or you find a stylist that understands your needs, good luck and happy coloring!
