The dos and don'ts of home hair colouring

If you think you’re ready to save money and time by becoming your own hair colourist, you’re not alone. According to a recent L’Oréal Paris survey, a whopping 80% of Australian women colour their hair. Three out of eight opt for the DIY option of home hair colouring, while four out of ten alternate between hairdresser visits and home care.

 

“Deciding what type of product to try before taking the plunge is a huge part of avoiding home hair disasters,” says Sydney-based Colette D’Monte, who has been a hair stylist and colourist for close to 30 years. To help smooth the way, this expert gives us the lowdown on hair colour and its many intricacies.

Experiment with a colour rinse before committing to a permanent shade in order to limit hair colour disasters.

Follow the directions carefully and do an allergy test 48 hours before applying, as a small percentage of people are allergic to hair colour.

Perform a strand test on a small piece of hair; allow it to dry to see the true end colour before applying to the whole head.

Always use a timer, and be sure to wear old clothes and skintight plastic gloves throughout the application.

 

Apply a barrier cream on your hairline if you’re going with a darker colour. This will keep your skin free of telltale dye marks.

Be honest if you can’t afford a salon colour; just explain this to your hairdresser – perhaps next time you’re having a haircut – that you’re on a tight budget. Politely ask if they wouldn’t mind giving you some professional advice on the exact type and shade of hair colour that will best suit you. Most professionals will be good natured enough to freely lend their advice.

Take care if you’re pregnant. Always call the product company in question or ask your doctor’s advice before experimenting with any hair colour.

According to Marcy Cona, global creative director of colour and style for Clairol, standard home permanent colours will strip hair shafts of their protective fatty layer, resulting in dull, dry, tangle-prone hair. The culprit? A combination of peroxide and ammonia.

To compensate, look for a home colour formula enriched with shine boosters. Shine adds dimension, and brings out the range of tones in a shade to make the colour look more natural, and even healthier, than non-coloured hair.

Most home kits also include intensive conditioners for use post- colouring; make sure you do use them. They have silicone (which delivers immediate smoothing and shine benefi ts) and moisturising ingredients such as avocado, safflower and coconut oils.

There was a time when healthy-looking coloured hair was a contradiction in terms. These days,