Are your grey roots screaming "hello" and you are tired of spending the money to have them dyed? Why not do it yourself? So many people have told me that they hesitate to even try for fear they will do damage or mess up their color. I wrote this post to give you a step by step process you can do at home. I've been dying may hair for years because those white hairs made their appearance way too early.
Many people have moved to the do-it-yourself approach when it comes to their hair. Part of the reason is that there is a ton of information on how to do everything with your hair available everywhere online. Another reason is the pandemic not only socially distanced us from our friends and family but it also prevented us from going to our our favorite stylist and relaxing while they did your hair for you. Now I know, that doing it yourself means you're doing the work instead of being pampered but there is an element of control to doing your own hair. Learning how to do my hair at home has saved me a ton of money and honestly, prevented a lot of damage. Bottom line, I believe it is important to know how to take care of your own hair and it's also very convenient.
Let me start by saying, there are many ways to deal with your grey hair and get beautiful results. Many ladies will only use organic products, such as vegetable based dyes or henna. Other ladies have made the decision to live with their grey hair, which a beautiful option that also requires maintenance. But if you choose to dye them, I got you.
As you can see from the pic above, my hair is all one color. If your hair is one color and is a dark color like black, dark brown or brown, this post is for you. But if you have highlights or low lights or multi-dimensional color, this post is not for you.
Stuff You Will Need
Color Cream or Liquid
Level 20 developer
Applicator brush and bowl
Gloves (latex or rubber)
Moisturizing shampoo
Conditioner treatment
Micro-fibre towel or t-shirt to remove the excess water after washing
A good leave-in for a good start to your styling process
Pick Your Color
To cover your roots, make sure the color you select is an exact match to your previously died color or slightly darker. Do not color your roots with a lighter color or you'll end up with hot roots (roots lighter than the rest of your hair). I use permanent color cream, however, a lot of people go for semi/demi, which is less damaging but does fade over time.
Tip: If the last dye you used was a box-dye kit from the drug store, you should wait a few weeks before switching to the color cream and developer process to prevent serious damage to your hair and scalp.
Pick Your Developer
Level 20 developer is the standard when it comes to covering your greys as it seems to cause the least amount of damage while having just enough power to color grey hair.
The Process
Follow my step by step process below but I strongly recommend that you read the instructions that comes with your color cream.
Apply some Vaseline close to your hairline all the way around your head. This step will prevent the dye from coloring or staining your skin.
Mix 1 part of the permanent hair color cream to two parts of the level 20 developer in a hair color mixing bowl using the applicator brush. Make sure to mix well until smooth. I have a tiny whisk that mixes the color and developer in seconds. Tip:1 tablespoon to 2 tablespoons of developer will go a long way.
Using the applicator brush, apply the color to your grey roots and use the gloves to blend the new color into the previously colored hair. Try your best to avoid your scalp.
Go through your hair to check to make sure all of your grey roots have been dyed. Add more dye if necessary. If this is the first time you're dying your hair, you'll start with the roots and work it through the sections of your hair that have grey strands.
Leave the color on for 20-30 minutes to give the color time to transform your greys. Grey hair is quite stubborn so you'll need a bit of patience.
Wash out the color using a moisturizing shampoo (safe for color treated hair). Repeat at least once to make sure the dye is fully washed out.
This is a step where you can go with a conditioner or take the extra time to pamper and replenish your hair. Add a deep conditioning treatment and comb it through, making sure your hair is covered from the roots to the ends. Cover with a plastic bag or foil cap and leave it on for at least 20 minutes. Tip: Siting under a hood dryer helps the conditioner to sink deeper into the hair shaft but if you don't have one, a plastic bag can do the trick.
Using a t-shirt or micro-fibre towel, gently remove the excess water from your hair.
Work through your favorite leave-in and style your hair as desired.
Extra Tip
To get the color you desire, you can mix color creams together but I would ask for help or make sure your doing your research using reputable sources. For example, a dark brown and dark red brown can be mixed together, giving your hair the appearance of dark brown with red undertones in the sunlight.
Important Considerations Before Dying
Always wait 2 weeks between coloring and processing (i.e., relaxer or perm)
Use petroleum jelly along the front of your hairline to protect your skin from being discolored by the dye. Not to worry, if it does get on your skin, it can easily be washed off or you can use a dye remover.
In the US, peroxide strength is stated as a numeric value followed by “volume”; i.e. 40 volume. In Canada it is stated as a percentage; i.e. 4%. In this post, I recommend level 10 volume developer.
Resources
For more information on hair color and style advice…
Confessions of a Cosmetologist - 10 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Use box Color
23 Inches of Hair Growth! It's That Henna. This lady tells you everything you need to know about henna. Take note of her tips on avoiding "incorrect" henna.
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