When it comes to dyeing your hair, there’s a lot to think about. Most of us do it, but do we do it well? In this article, we’ll explore the key questions to think about before getting your hair dyed – and look at ways you can achieve quality, cost-effectiveness and beauty from the comfort of your own home.
Price and effort
Many Australians choose to go to the salon to get their hair dyed. But as anyone who lives in one of Australia’s big cities will know, salon prices are extortionate. One study suggests that the Australian hair and beauty sector earns nearly $4 billion Australian dollars every year!
The reality of hair dyeing is that it’s surprisingly easy to do it yourself, provided you’ve got the right tools and products on side. Hair salons don’t let you in on this secret, but it’s possible to achieve a salon-ready look without having to pay the big fees.
Hair dyeing tips
Before getting started, it’s worth doing a couple of quick tests. The main one is a “strand test”. Each hair dye product, and indeed each person’s hair composition, is different – and a strand test helps you ensure that your hair and your proposed dye will be friends once the task is complete. To do a strand test, you should take a small strand of hair and pull it away from the strands, and then apply some dye and wait at least a day before checking back to see if you’re content with the colour.
It’s also worth dotting a bit of the dye on an inconspicuous area of your skin, perhaps behind your ear, so that you can monitor for any allergic reactions.
It’s also vital to make sure you look after your hair when you dye it. Dyeing your hair is not dangerous, but if you do it wrong it can have some long-lasting effects on your roots and follicles – as well as your hair’s appearance. One way to do this is to apply a balm around your hairline, like the Skin Juice Green Juice Recovery Balm in order to prevent it changing the colour of your skin. Opting for a recovery-focused balm with ingredients like beeswax and coconut oil will also ensure your hairline remains rejuvenated.
Finally: once the pandemic is over, it’s always wise to have a friend come over and help you dye your hair. Not only can they help with tasks like sectioning your hair in awkward, hard to reach parts of your crown, it’s also a good opportunity for a bonding session too. You’ll also be able to get a second opinion on the exact colour match, too, reducing the risk that your home hair dye session will end up a disappointment.
The best at-home hair dye
The RY team has decades of experience when it comes to working out how to dye hair. Here are some of our best at-home hair dye recommendations: