Ready to take the plunge and color my own hair !!!

You can do it! I started coloring my hair this year, I was getting color and highlights every 2 months, I was tired of paying so much for my hair! Now I am coloring my roots, gray and dark hair (9A) and plan to get highlights just twice a year. I was paying $200+everytime I went to the salon, so glad I made the change and think you will be too!

On 4/15/2014 carrob said:

You can do it! I started coloring my hair this year, I was getting color and highlights every 2 months, I was tired of paying so much for my hair! Now I am coloring my roots, gray and dark hair (9A) and plan to get highlights just twice a year. I was paying $200+everytime I went to the salon, so glad I made the change and think you will be too!

Thanks so much for the encouragement !

You can do it!

I have been doing it since I was a teenager. Just make sure you saturate your hair with the color, comb it through to make sure you get it in all places, start with the roots for application, then move to the midshaft and ends. I use a wide toothed comb and leave it for 40-45 minutes since my hair is resistant, but I'm dirty blonde going to a medium vibrant red, Vidal Sassoon. You will know how your hair takes to color based on your stylist's comments and time she puts you under the heating bonnett. I use a shower cap to keep my own heat in or your could do a shower cap and then one of those bonnett dryers/hair dryer attachement. You know, the old school ones. Heat helps it to process. I make a dramatic hair color change, but yours may not be so dramatic.

Remember, if it doesn't come out like you want, just call the number on the back of the box. They will talk you through a solution with a different color to balance it out. There are other oops products to fix those as well in the same isle.

You won't have any problems since you have watched your stylist do it so many times. Report back with your success.

You can definitely do this. I was a hair colorist for over 10 yrs and I do NOT understand why they don't list the prices and how you could cut out highlights and still pay the same. She is taking advantage of you. It is not wrong or cheap in anyway to know what you will be paying BEFORE you go in to get your color done. People who operate in any other way don't believe enough in their skill and that is why they are ripping you off. I was confident I was a good colorist and didn't have to surprise someone with the cost of it. If someone couldn't afford my services, I would have someone else taking their place within 20 minutes but I never lied or withheld the prices and I wasn't cheap.

Boxed color now is so much better than it was even 20 yrs ago.

Let me ask you, when you color your hair are you going the same level and just changing the tone, are you going darker or are you lightening your hair. The only thing I don't like about box color is that you usually don't know what volume peroxide is in the box. If you are coloring gray, it is best to go with a 20 volume developer (peroxide) if you are staying the same color level or going up one level. It covers more resistant grays. If you are going darker or staying the same level of color and don't have a lot of gray to cover then a 10 volume peroxide is good.

I do like getting separate color and developer at Sallys because it is a little cheaper in the long run, you can make just as much as you need and you know exactly what color and what volume developer you are using.

I have been coloring my hair for a number of years. I order Goldwell through Amazon. I had been watching previous hair stylist and made note of what she used and how she applied the solution. I downloaded the fact sheet from Goldwell and followed the ratio of developer to dye. I have 90% grey hair so use a permanent dye and the result with the color I use is a nice light to medium blonde. I only do the roots and the result is a nice variation in color created by the white hair as it grows out. Not sure that is clear or confusing, but hope it helps if you are thinking of using this product. I use Goldwell, Top Chic, color 9NGP (very light blonde reflecting pearl blonde) and 8NGB (light blonde reflecting Bronze) mixed 1:1 with developer 6% - Volume 20. I started out using just 8NGB and my hair dresser said she thought I could go lighter so I switched to 9NGP, but thought that was too light. Then I just started mixing the 9 & 8 and decided that was a perfect color. Just apply with a brush to cover the roots all over the head, wait the time and then wash the dye out by using Wen. I process for about 45 minutes as my hair is pretty resistant to taking color because of all the gray. I think you could get away with 30-35 minutes if the hair takes color quickly. I get LOTS of compliments on my color. it looks really natural and I can do it every 3 or 4 weeks. Saves me at least $125 every month. I hope you aren't bored with all the detail, but if anyone wants to do this, it is pretty easy.

For the first time processing, I would do the color all over the head and then following times just do the roots. to clarify the ratio Use 1 part developer to 1 part color ( if using 2 colors use enough of each color to equal the 1 part developer)

On 4/15/2014 Irshgrl31201 said:

You can definitely do this. I was a hair colorist for over 10 yrs and I do NOT understand why they don't list the prices and how you could cut out highlights and still pay the same. She is taking advantage of you. It is not wrong or cheap in anyway to know what you will be paying BEFORE you go in to get your color done. People who operate in any other way don't believe enough in their skill and that is why they are ripping you off. I was confident I was a good colorist and didn't have to surprise someone with the cost of it. If someone couldn't afford my services, I would have someone else taking their place within 20 minutes but I never lied or withheld the prices and I wasn't cheap.

Boxed color now is so much better than it was even 20 yrs ago.

Let me ask you, when you color your hair are you going the same level and just changing the tone, are you going darker or are you lightening your hair. The only thing I don't like about box color is that you usually don't know what volume peroxide is in the box. If you are coloring gray, it is best to go with a 20 volume developer (peroxide) if you are staying the same color level or going up one level. It covers more resistant grays. If you are going darker or staying the same level of color and don't have a lot of gray to cover then a 10 volume peroxide is good.

I do like getting separate color and developer at Sallys because it is a little cheaper in the long run, you can make just as much as you need and you know exactly what color and what volume developer you are using.

I would do this, mix my own, but I have found the perfect red, so duplicating that is difficult. When I tire of it, I will probably go for mixing my own. What do you mean by going up one level? Getting lighter or dark?

http://www.haircolorist.com/pdf/ABCH_portfolio_sample.pdf

This is very helpful in explaining the total process.

On 4/15/2014 tigriss said:

On 4/15/2014 Irshgrl31201 said:

You can definitely do this. I was a hair colorist for over 10 yrs and I do NOT understand why they don't list the prices and how you could cut out highlights and still pay the same. She is taking advantage of you. It is not wrong or cheap in anyway to know what you will be paying BEFORE you go in to get your color done. People who operate in any other way don't believe enough in their skill and that is why they are ripping you off. I was confident I was a good colorist and didn't have to surprise someone with the cost of it. If someone couldn't afford my services, I would have someone else taking their place within 20 minutes but I never lied or withheld the prices and I wasn't cheap.

Boxed color now is so much better than it was even 20 yrs ago.

Let me ask you, when you color your hair are you going the same level and just changing the tone, are you going darker or are you lightening your hair. The only thing I don't like about box color is that you usually don't know what volume peroxide is in the box. If you are coloring gray, it is best to go with a 20 volume developer (peroxide) if you are staying the same color level or going up one level. It covers more resistant grays. If you are going darker or staying the same level of color and don't have a lot of gray to cover then a 10 volume peroxide is good.

I do like getting separate color and developer at Sallys because it is a little cheaper in the long run, you can make just as much as you need and you know exactly what color and what volume developer you are using.

I would do this, mix my own, but I have found the perfect red, so duplicating that is difficult. When I tire of it, I will probably go for mixing my own. What do you mean by going up one level? Getting lighter or dark?

That is fine. If you have something that works for you then keep using it.

I am mainly talking about people who are just starting out and want to go either lighter or darker. The volume of developer is more important then especially when lightening because it won't lighten unless the volume of developer is high enough. For example 10 volume= same level or will darken hair. 20 vol = same level gray coverage or 1 level lighter, 30 vol= 2 levels lighter, 40 vol= 3 to 4 levels lighter. Etc...

Going up a level means lightening it one level. Hair has levels of color 1-10, 1 being the darkest.

casuallady, I really don't have much to add other than good luck and let us know how your hair turned out.