Hair Color How-to: Your Guide to DIY Hair Color

Want a new look for the holidays? Getting a DIY hair color can be one of your options. You can conveniently do it at home and you get to show your masterpiece once you’re done. And if it’s your first time coloring your own hair, don’t worry! Here are tips on how to do it—from prepping your hair to caring for your hair after the application. Read on!

Your Guide to DIY Hair Color

Picking Your Product

If this is your first time to color your hair, you might want to go for colors that are close to your hair’s natural color. This way, you won’t get a drastic change in your look that you may not be used to (yet). You can also avoid getting your hair extremely damaged. For now, blondes and say, platinum, will have to take a backseat while you go for just two shades lighter than your natural hair color.

Of course, you should also consider your skin tone in choosing a hair color. If you have morena skin, hair colors with warm undertones like browns, deep reds are flattering.

How many boxes should you get, you ask? If you have short to medium-length hair, get just one box, but if you have thick hair, you might want to make sure you have enough hair color by buying two boxes.

After a few months, when it’s time for you to touch up your roots and recolor your hair, you can be more adventurous and try other colors like shades of blonde or ash hair colors.

Prep Work

1. Skip washing your hair a day prior to coloring it to allow your scalp’s natural oil to cover your hair and keep it from getting extremely dry after coloring.
2. Before applying your DIY hair color, make sure your hair has no products on it to ensure even application of your hair color. Oil-based products and silicon prevent the dye from attaching to your hair, resulting in uneven coloring.
3. Even if you feel you already know what to do, still, make sure to read the instructions to enjoy successful hair coloring.
4. Take a little bit of petroleum jelly and spread it on your hairline and ears to keep the hair dye from staining your face.
5. Use gloves on your hands, protective covers for your ears, and a cape for your shoulders. If you don’t have a cape, get a big piece of plastic, cut out a hole the size of your head, and use this as your cape. This way, when the hair color drips, it won’t stain your clothes.
6. Have your color application brush, mixing cup, tail comb, and a towel in front of you. Don’t forget to have a roll of tissue ready to immediately wipe off drips and splatters.
7. Color first the strands that are hidden before completely coloring your entire head.

Editor’s tip: While we recommend not to wash your hair the day before D-day (as in dye-day), prep your strands weeks before by washing with Dove Intense Repair Shampoo. It helps to keep hair strengthened and resilient to future damage which can be caused by the harsh chemicals in your hair dye.

Getting the (Dye) Job Done

Sectioning your hair is important for hairstyling as it is for hair coloring. Make sure to divide your hair into four equal quadrants and secure them with clips to ensure even application. Then, place the DIY hair color mix in a bowl instead of squeezing the tube directly onto your hair. This is both economical and practical because it lets you control the amount of hair color you apply to each section.

Use a brush to apply the hair color, making sure to start near the roots and working your way down. Remember that the roots need more processing time, so you should start there to prevent an unintentional two-tone effect. Make sure to maintain even amounts of hair color on all sections of your hair so they are dyed equally. Also, check your hair partitions and areas that can be exposed.

Taking Care of Your Colored Hair

Your journey to beautiful hair doesn’t end when you’re done with your DIY hair color session. You need to take care of it to ensure the color doesn’t fade. Here are easy tips on how to do it.

Use a shampoo and a conditioner for color-treated hair.

Unless you want all your hair coloring efforts to go down the drain, go for hair care products that will keep your colored hair vibrant and prevent dryness.

TRESemmé

TRESemmé Pro-Color Series Blonde Brilliance Shampoo

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Editor’s tip: For blonde hair, we recommend TRESemmé Pro-Color Series Blonde Brilliance Shampoo and TRESemmé Pro-Color Series Blonde Brilliance Conditioner. This duo has purple formula that neutralizes brassy tones, so you get to enjoy your beautiful, blonde hair for longer. It also has jojoba oil to keep your colored hair moisturized. 

Apply hair masks at least once a week.

Hair coloring can dry out and damage your hair, so it’s good to apply hair repair masks to help revive damaged strands. Try VitaKeratin Deep Repair treatment, which has Vitamin E to keep your hair nourished, keratin to keep your hair smooth, and argan oil to remedy the damage caused by coloring or frequent use of heat-styling tools.

Vitakeratin

Vitakeratin Treatment Deep Repair

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Now that you have decided to color your hair, make sure that you are ready to take on the responsibility of taking care of your post-color treatment. It’s one thing to choose to upgrade your hair color and it’s another to keep it vibrant and beautiful.