What Your Hair Stylist Doesn't Want You to Know About Home Hair Coloring

What Your Hair Stylist Doesn't Want You to Know About Home Hair Coloring

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For years we've been told not to color our hair at home.  We've been told that home hair coloring never gives you the same results as the salon.  We've been told it is always best to go to the salon before you butcher your hair with store bought hair color.  All of what we've been told is FALSE.  The biggest difference between coloring at home or going to the salon is...YOU (and knowing what you are doing).

One of my besties is a licensed cosmetologist and she has taught me a lot about hair care and dyeing your hair at home.  Rest assured ladies, you CAN get salon quality results at home.  You just have to know what you are doing!

1) Identify your natural your hair color.  

People with warmer base tones can take on more colors than those with cooler hues.  Start by "identifying the level of darkness  "level" or darkness of the hair. Whether you're talking about your natural color or choosing a new color, the first step is to understand and choose how dark the hair is. Standard hair color levels are defined on a scale of 1 to 10 with level 1 being the darkest, blackest color and level 10 being a very light blond color. Here are the 10 standard hair color levels:

Level 1: Black
Level 2: Darkest (almost black) Brown
Level 3: Very Dark Brown
Level 4: Dark Brown
Level 5: Brown
Level 6: Light Brown
Level 7: Dark Blond
Level 8: Medium Blond
Level 9: Blond
Level 10: Light Blond

The lightest platinum blond colors are often referred to as level 11, 12, or even 13. Hair Color Tone

After establishing the level of one's natural or desired hair color, next the tone of hair color is defined. Hair color tones can be put into three standard categories: warm, cool, or neutral. When hair stylists discuss color, or if you are choosing a color from a swatch book, the tones are often indicated with a letter. Here are standard examples of color tones:

N: Neutral. Neither warm, nor cool.

Cool Tones
A: Ash
B: Beige
B: Blue
G: Green V: Violet

Warm Tones
C: Copper
G: Gold
O: Orange
R: Red
W: Warm
RB: Brown/Red
RO: Red/Orange

Tones are often be combined in hair color formulas to create the perfect shade. For example, an auburn color is achieved by combining neutral or warm tones with red tones. Red hair color can be made cool by adding violet tones to the color formula. Sometimes hair colorists achieve the right color combination by mixing different color tones together, but the hair color companies typically have pre-created colors that feature mixed tones, as well.

Combining Level and Tone
When defining a hair color, the level and tone are combined into a letter/number combination. For example: a warm brown color would be defined as a "5W". The number indicates the hair color level (brown), and the letter indicates that the tone is warm. Here are a few other examples of hair color defined by the level and tone:

8A: Medium Ash Blond
4RV: Dark Red/Violet
6C: Light Copper Brown
5N: Neutral Brown
9W: Light Warm Blond

Determining a hair color level is pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Your opinion may be a level off from the next person's opinion, but generally speaking, the level is pretty obvious. However, hair color tone is not as easily defined by the eye. What one person my see as "red" the next person may describe as "copper". This is where pictures and swatches come in very handy to be sure that everyone is speaking the same language." (Aarhus, 2014)

2) Know Your "Porosity: How your hair absorbs and holds moisture will determine how color deposits in your hair. If you have low porosity, it can be more difficult to process dye because the hair shaft is not as receptive to foreign chemicals. This means if you are using a box kit, you may not get the color result as you see it on the packaging. If you have high porosity, you have to be careful not to over-process the hair as chemicals can process almost twice as fast. But, you can expect the color to fade slower. Also note, permanent dye will increase your hair’s porosity since it has to penetrate the cortex, making it harder for the hair to retain moisture in the future (which is why dryness can become an issue)." (Mo Knows Hair, 2013)

3) Know Your "Texture: Coarse strands generally take more time to absorb color than fine width strands. This means the processing time may vary from the instructions given in box kits. How much, you ask? Well…as always, it depends! (Not sure what hair texture you have? Learn more about texture typing.)" (Mo Knows Hair, 2013)

4) Try a Subtle Change First.

Don't go immediately from black to blonde, try a subtle change at first to get the hang of coloring at home.  For instance try going from a deep brunette to a spicy cinnamon.  The slight change in hair color will add some oomph to your look, and it will minimize any noobie mistakes!

5) Try Before You Buy! 

If you are going for a more dramatic change, 3 shades lighter or darker than your normal hair color, try on a wig!  It is a painless way to see what your results will be and if your new haircolor is right for your skin tone.

6) Buy more hair color than you need.  

People with long and thick locks may use up to three boxes of hair color, and you never want to only half way through your hair and run out of hair color!

7) Buy a shade lighter than what you want. 

"Take it from Rihanna's colorist Ursula Stephens, who knows a thing or two about fine-tuning tresses: Hair dye always comes out darker than the image on the box. "Buy one or two shades lighter than your desired color," she advises. "It is easier to amp up a color's intensity than it is to tone it down."  (InStyle, 2011)

8) Skip the shower. 

"The scalp's natural oils work as a buffer to prevent irritation," says colorist James Corbett of the James Corbett Studio in New York City. Translation? Dirty hair is ideal for dyeing. "It's also much easier to section second day hair, which ensures even color distribution." He suggests skipping the shampoo a day before you plan to color. (InStyle, 2011)

9) Prepare for the damage. 

Hair always gets a little damaged when applying color, even if you're going back to your natural hue. Both permanent and semi-permanent dyes contain hydrogen peroxide, which chemically changes the color of the hair pigment. Celebrity colorist Tracey Cunningham recommends using the Redken Real Control Intense Renewal Mask at least once a week to moisturize dry hair and restore shine. The mask aids in repairing damaged hair and fortifying strands so they resist further breakage. (InStyle, 2011)

10) Buy Madison Reed

Lastly, if you are going to color at home go with Madison Reed. From the Madison Reed website,

"We believe your hair should be as radiant as you are—because feeling beautiful inside and out is your best accessory.

Our new at-home hair color and hair care products make you feel like you've just walked out of a salon every day. Madison Reed adds brilliance to your hair and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary, no matter the occasion.

NEXT GENERATION HAIR COLOR

Handcrafted in Italy, our special multi-tone formula comes in 27 natural and dynamic shades for sophisticated salon-quality color with unparalleled depth and shine. Whether you're refreshing your roots or trying on a new color, our professional-grade formula provides complete coverage, especially for those tough grays.

HEALTHIER FOR YOU & YOUR HAIR

Our long-lasting hair color is packed with rich nutrients like keratin, argan oil and ginseng root extract. Your hair will feel stronger, shinier and better than before you colored.

Our formula is free of ammonia and resorcinol, taking the harsh out of hair color. And it smells nice too!

FINDING YOUR COLOR IS EASY

Our online tools help you pick your best color. Using another color brand? Our Color Translator will find the Madison Reed match for you. Need help choosing a color? Our Color Advisor will take you through a few short questions to find your perfect color.

EXPERT GUIDANCE FOR BRILLIANT RESULTS

Talk or chat with the professional stylists on our Color Crew. They have a wealth of hair knowledge and can help you choose your best color. You can even send them your picture—or a picture you like—and they'll walk you through the rest, just like in the salon. Send us an email or give us a call at 1.888.550.9586.

YOU CAN DO THIS

We go beyond the easy-to-understand instructions on our box. With our in-depth online visual instructions and step-by-step videos you'll see exactly how easy it is to apply your color perfectly every time. You can also call our Color Crew and they can walk you through it.

EASY TO GET. EASY TO USE.

You have enough going on. Let us take care of your hair color. Just set up auto-delivery and we'll make sure you have hair color when and where you need it.

Have a hair emergency? Give us a call and we'll expedite delivery—because there's no reason you shouldn't feel beautiful whenever you want.

PACKAGED TO DELIGHT YOU

We want you to have a wonderful coloring experience. So we started with a box that has everything you need.

• Easy instructions on how to use our color
• Barrier cream to keep the skin around your hairline clean
• 2 pairs of well-fitting gloves, one to apply color and another to rinse
• Radiant Cream Color and Conditioning Color Activator to apply to your hair
• Hair cap to wear while you're waiting for your color to set
• Cleansing wipes to clean up any stray color
• Nourishing, Color Enhancing Shampoo and Conditioner that you can use for several washes

There's also a special gift inside!

Madison Reed is the best in home hair coloring.  With numerous shades to choose from, along with top quality products, that are easy to use, as well as having access to your own hair color experts, you can expect beautiful results every time!  Visit Madison Reed to get your new hair color here https://www.madison-reed.com

As always Happy Shopping!

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References

Aarhus, K. (2014). Hair Color 101 How to Speak and Understand Hair Color Level & Tone. Retrieved from About.com: http://womenshair.about.com/od/haircolor/a/Hair-Color-101.htm

InStyle. (2011). 11 Things to Know Before Dyeing Your Own Hair. Retrieved from InStyle: http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/general/photos/0,,20475182_20476161_20927796,00.html

Mo Knows Hair. (2013). To Dye Or Not To Dye? Retrieved from Mo Knows Hair: http://moknowshair.com/hairdyebasics/