Colour Your Hair Like A Pro (And Avoid A Disaster) With These Simple Tips

Tricks to help you get salon-like coloured hair at home that lasts longer too

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Tricks to help you get salon-like coloured hair at home that lasts longer too

The one thing most women avoid doing at home is colouring their hair. First, it looks complicated and second, colouring your own hair requires basic know-how. However, you may not always want to shell out money for this expensive salon service, especially when all you need is a quick root touch-up. Follow these easy tips to colour your hair at home like a pro.

1. Choose the right shade: Avoid changing your hair colour entirely or combining two or more colours when you’re going the DIY route. You may end up looking more like the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. It’s best to stay within two shades, lighter or darker, of your current hair colour so that it looks most natural and seamless. To find a suitable shade, hold a section of your hair against the colour displayed on the dye box and match it with your hair. Remember, going darker is always safer as a lighter shade may not cover the greys.

2. Protect your skin: Most DIY hair colour jobs end up with stripes and smudges of colour on the forehead, ear tips, sideburns, and so on. They not only spoil your look but are also hard to get rid of, and the colour can be harmful for your skin too. Protect your skin from dye stains by applying oil or a thick coating of petroleum jelly along the hairline, including around your ears. Remember to wear gloves to avoid staining your hands.

3. Trial is safe: Follow the directions on the product’s packaging. If you’re trying a new colour or colouring for the first time at home, do a strand test first—apply it on a small section of your hair to see if it suits you. This will also help you decide how long you need to keep it on to achieve the right shade of dark or light.

4. How to get it right: Using the back of a styling comb, part a thin section of your hair, blow-dry style. To get an even colour from root to tip, start applying the c...

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