I have never liked the color of my hair. When I was younger I was told that the color of my hair was “dirty dishwater blonde.” Who wants to be told that their hair is the color of dirty dishwater? I can’t say for sure but I have feeling the desire to change my hair color began back then.
After I had my first child I was ready for a change. I wanted to be a cute blonde. It would require having it professionally done, which cost a lot of money. Within five weeks my dark roots would begin to show and my husband would ask, “It’s that time again?” He couldn’t believe how expensive it was to color and upkeep your hair.
By the time I had my second child it became obvious that the days of having my hair professionally done was over with. I had to become more frugal as I ended up becoming a stay-at-home mom. My natural hair color made me feel frumpy but I didn’t really have a choice. At the time I wasn’t adventurous enough to try coloring my own hair.
Not long after I had my third child while I was in my early 30’s, I started to notice a strand or two of gray hair. I couldn’t believe it was happening already. But then I remembered that my father grayed early and apparently I was taking after him. Thanks dad.
As I hit my late 30’s the grays became more noticeable. I just wasn’t ready to submit to them. So I went out and bought my first box of hair dye. I decided to be a little bold and go for something sassy so I chose an auburn color. It wasn’t a drastic red but it was definitely different and I fell in love with the color. My husband loved it too.
So for the past almost ten years now, I have been coloring my own hair one shade of red or another. I would never pay a professional and I do a pretty decent job. The thing with coloring your own hair is that you have to be careful you aren’t trying to go too drastic.
If I were to venture into the blonde world again, I would definitely have a professional do it. If you are going a couple of shades lighter or darker you are probably fine to do it on your own.
It’s important to keep in mind that your hair will more than likely not look like the picture on the box. You can do a strand test if you really want to see how it will look but even that won’t give you the big picture. It’s not until you have done your entire head that you will really know if you like it. That is important to keep in mind if you decide to risk a big change.
It’s important that you wait at least 24 hours after coloring your hair before you wash it. This helps the dye to really set in. To maintain your color use a shampoo and conditioner that is specially formulated for colored hair. You can even find shampoos and conditioners that are formulated for specific hair colors.
Coloring your hair at home really isn’t difficult. Just be sure that you are ready for the change.
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