Seeing as we’re still living through a pandemic, it would make sense if you’ve considered dabbling in the role of stay-at-home hair stylist. Maybe your roots are growing in and you need a touch up, or you’re tired of the same hair color you’ve been staring in the mirror at for the last year and are ready for a change.
While dyeing your hair at home can certainly be a successful endeavor, there are instances where your careful planning could go awry, leaving you with fried locks or looking older when your goal was the reverse. The next time the thought of dyeing your hair at home crosses your mind, try to avoid this one major mistake which could age you instantly instead of refreshing your look.
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While you may be tempted to stray from your natural hair color in favor of a more dramatic look, the worst mistake you can make when dyeing your hair at home is venturing out of your color range. If you aren’t a professional (and let’s face it, you probably aren’t if you’re reading this article!) then you have no real control over the final outcome of your box dye adventure. If you stay within your color range at least, you’ll still be able to cover up gray hairs without running the risk of altering your locks beyond recognition.
If gray coverage is your reason for dyeing your hair at home, you must make sure to choose a shade that matches well with the rest of your head for an even result. Board certified dermatologist Erum Ilyas explains, “The most common issue that people run into is simply the fact that those stubborn grays tend to be closest to the hairline, finer and wispier. They often will not adhere to the hair color as quickly and may require a little longer with the color in place.” By only partially covering your grays, there will appear a visibly different shade along your roots which will only draw further attention to the precise issue you were working to cover.
Even if you are able to cover your grays, a shade that doesn’t match the rest of your hair will have the same aging effect. Cosmetologist and hair expert Ghanima Abdullah explains, “Choosing the wrong colors can make you look older than you'd like. Applying color directly to the roots of your hair makes it look unnatural and therefore aging.” You will achieve your most predictable results by sticking to a shade close to your natural color, so if you hope to make a dramatic change, consider leaving that to the professionals.
Dyeing your hair at home can be a hit or miss experience resulting in either a flawless finish or some patchy roots and a color that ages you considerably. While it may be tempting to go big with the box dye, consider the possibility that a dramatic change could land you in the salon chair at the end of the day anyways. Our best advice? Leave the big changes for the professionals and stick to natural colors for your best results at home.
