10 Lessons Learned From Coloring My Hair at Home

I am a rather frugal person and I also enjoy art projects. When you combine those two things together, you get a person that likes to do her own hair at home. I like to highlight, color, dye, and cut my own hair. I even do the same for others if they ask nicely. I consider it an adventure.

Through the years of trial and error, I've learned many things while coloring my own hair and I'd like to share them with you. Of course, some of these lessons are not even really helpful tips. They are just simply the basic truths of Home Hair Color 101.

1. If you clear away everything you own out of the bathroom and only use old towels, not a single drop of hair color will drip anywhere. If you don't bother to move anything before the process begins, you will dump huge blobs of hair color on your favorite bathroom rug and new towels. It is just a fact of life.

2. The hair conditioner included in the box with the hair color will be the greatest conditioner you've ever used in your life. Not only is the quality incredible, the scent is the most amazing smell you've ever experienced in your life. You will never find that hair conditioner on the shelves of any store, no matter how hard you look for it.

3. The lady that is on the front of the box is just there to fool you. Look on the back of the box to learn what the hair color will actually look like once it is applied to your hair.

4. When trying a new hair color at home, you win some and you lose some. If you are just simply coloring your hair for fun, it will probably turn out great. If you are going to a major event in less than a week, your hair will probably end up purple when you wanted it to be red.

5. Sometimes being cheap pays off. When your hair looks just as nice as your friend's hair, but she paid $80 and you paid $4 because you had a coupon, you don't just look pretty... you look smart, too.

6. People will tell you hair color can only do so much. Only bleach can lighten your hair; hair color only works if you want to make it darker. I laugh at those people as I brush my hair that is a couple of shades lighter than its natural color due to hair color.

7. Your phone can be silent for hours, but as soon as you apply hair color to your head, it will ring. And chances are, someone will knock on the door, too.

8. Grey hairs somehow know when you are coloring your hair and tend to magically pop out as soon as your are done with the coloring process.

9. It doesn't matter what the instructions say, wrap some plastic around your head to make the color work better. You may look like a total idiot, but the plastic heats up your hair and makes the process go much better. Look like a fool for 15 minutes, but hair great hair for at least a month!

10. Even if you go with a drastic hair color change, at least one person close to you will never realize you did anything with your hair. When that person is your significant other, remember that no one in jail will appreciate your beautiful hair if you get arrested for smacking your clueless partner around while screaming, "I was a blonde yesterday and today I am a brunette! You seriously never noticed?"

Copyright ©2015 Jeannieinabottle

1. If you've never colored your hair before, don't do anything too drastic for your 1st try. Try a couple of shades lighter or a couple of shades darker.

2. If you are using any type of bright hair dye or color, such as red, you should be extra careful when rinsing it. It tends to splash everywhere and it will ruin counters, towels, curtains, etc.

3. Be careful when using red. If "magenta" is mentioned anywhere in the description, it is likely to look purple on some hair types.

4. Remove all towels, rugs, and anything else from the area before coloring your hair. Just trust me.

5. It is usually OK to leave the color on your hair a few extra minutes that the directions indicate, but don't leave it on too long. It can damage your hair.