Hair dye; advice for first time

csuave

I think I have hit the point where there are too many gray hairs in my brown.  I plan to go the drug store box route.  Any suggestions on brands?  Tips for success?

Thanks!

waltsgirl102503

I've been coloring my hair myself for a few years.  You should try to pick a lighter shade than your natural color.  I have pretty dark brown hair, but I always pick things like "light golden brown", "light amber brown".  and my hair is still dark brown - dark colors make it REALLY dark.  Also, if you've never done it before, the mousse haircolors are really easy to apply.  I've used John Frieda and liked that a lot.  (it's a mousse).  I've also used Clairol and now I use L'Oreal Preference.  

Put either conditioner or Vaseline around your hairline and on your ears.  This will keep the dye that will inevitably get on your skin from staining your skin.  It will just wipe off.  I have a t-shirt that I only use for coloring, and it's covered in dye - so don't wear anything that you love!  I also have one towel that I use when coloring - even after I rinse it out, it will leave some marks when I'm towel drying my hair, so keep that in mind, too.

Let me know if you have any other questions!  Good luck!  (Down with grays!)

gwennythepooh

I agree with Amber's points completely! Definitely go a shade (or two!) lighter. Also - if you're a little unsure with your first time - a semi permanent can be a good place to start. They wash out in 28 shampoos and leave less of that line of demarcation of where you've dyed your hair. Natural instincts is a good semi permanent and there is a L'oreal foam one that is decent as well. I also like to read reviews on a particular dye (ulta can be a good resource) to see if there's anything to look out for. There was one I used that had a color 'boost' cream you were supposed to use a couples weeks after your coloring for a refresher and a lot of people said it resulted in a weird color/tone, so I ended up skipping that.

sundaygirl

Good tips here already.  Just want to recommend Clairol Age Defy.  Good gray coverage, long lasting, tolerable smell, and color turns out pretty reliably in my experience.

csuave

Thanks so much!  I don't know anything and this advice is super helpful.  I like the idea of doing semi permanent my first time.

I did a little reading and it sounds like I should have at least day old hair (washing wise) before doing the dye and then waiting up to a day to wash it after?  Does that sound right?  Does it make any difference if I have product in my day old hair?

sundaygirl

Just give your hair a good brushing before you start.  If you use heavy hair products (waxy, silicone-type), try to go light the day before.  After you dye, you'll rinse your hair and then condition.  So no, you wouldn't wash until the next day at the earliest.

MaryM

You got great advice already. One little thing I though of: make sure you have a magazine or something to entertain you in the bathroom before you start. I made the mistake of going in the bedroom to get my phone once and dripped dye on the carpet.

waltsgirl102503

I usually do it later in the day, so my hair was likely washed that morning.  It's very rare that I have a day where I don't wash my hair.   I TRY to not wash it for 24 hours after, but sometimes if I have somewhere to go, I wash it the next day and it's always been fine.