HOW TO DYE YOUR HAIR AT HOME

If you’re looking to freshen your colour by dyeing your hair yourself, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got a foolproof guide on how to dye your hair at home, from essential prep to hair dye application, and tips on how to make your colour look its best.

Whether you’ve been dyeing your hair at home for years or this is your first DIY hair dye job, keep reading to discover everything you need to know to achieve the perfect at-home hair colour.

Is it safe to colour your hair at home?

Yes - it’s generally safe to colour your hair by yourself using a box dye as long as you do the following:

• Wait at least 2 weeks after you have bleached, colour-treated, highlighted, permed or relaxed your hair before colouring your hair again
• Do a patch test 48 hours before colouring
• Make sure you read and fully understand the retailer’s instructions

How to choose a hair colour which suits you

The first step to choosing your perfect colour is to identify your current shade. With a wealth of home hair dye colours to choose from, this can seem like an endless task - but we’ve created an easy way to find your perfect colour.

A colour-level number has been assigned to each shade of our Precision Foam Colour range. Level 2 represents our darkest black colour, and Level 10 represents our lightest blonde shade, so use the numbers to start assessing which dye will work for your skin tone.

When you’re choosing your colour, we recommend staying within two shade levels of your current colour for natural-looking results. Going too light or too dark for your complexion can make you look washed out - so going down the natural route always works out for the best.

How often should you dye your hair?

The short answer is it completely depends on your hair - if your hair grows slowly, you may need to dye it less frequently than if it grows fast. However, we recommend you re-dye your hair every 4-6 weeks to keep your colour looking fresh and vibrant.

Take care if you’re thinking about colouring your hair frequently - colouring your hair too often can damage your hair, leading to brittle strands, split ends and even breakage. If you have overdone it with the hair dye, using a deep conditioner is a great solution to restore softness, counteract dry strands and give your hair a nourishing boost.

What to do before you dye your hair at home

Preparation is key when it comes to achieving a professional-looking colour.

For best results, we recommend washing your hair with a clarifying shampoo 24 hours before dyeing, but no sooner. You can use your normal conditioner, but we’d advise against using a deep conditioner before dyeing your hair due to potential product build-up.

Don’t use any products such as hairspray or mousse before you dye your hair - you want to make sure that your hair is completely free of any styling products, as any build-up will stop the dye properly penetrating your strands.

How to dye your own hair - a step-by-step guide

Step 1: Make sure you have enough dye for your hair’s length and thickness

You don’t want to get halfway through dyeing your hair and run out of dye, so if you’ve got extra-long or thick hair, think ahead and buy more than one box of our foam hair dye.

Step 2: Read the packet instructions

This point’s crucial - read and re-read the instructions. Every at-home box dye can be different, so make sure you read and stick to the instructions for the best results. Our Precision Foam Colour is perfect if you’re a DIY beginner, as its non-drip formula makes for easy application and flawless coverage - it even provides 100% grey coverage.

Step 3: Split your hair into sections

For an even application, it’s best to split your hair into sections so you don’t miss any hair and you get even coverage. Start with the back sections and work your way towards the front sections of your hair to avoid brushing against already-dyed hair that could smear your skin.

Step 4: Apply the dye to your roots first

Applying the dye to your roots first is important as your roots are the least porous parts of your hair as they’re least damaged, so they’ll need extra colour processing time. Top tip - if you’re using our Precision Foam Colour, the more you massage, the more foam you’ll create and the better your coverage will be.

Step 5: Let your colour develop with your hair down

Don’t give in to the temptation to tie up your tresses; keep your hair loose once you’ve applied the dye to ensure even coverage. If you’re worried about your hair staining your clothes, wrap an old towel around your shoulders and down your back.

Step 6: Use the pack’s conditioner to seal your hair

Conditioning your hair after colouring gives you more than just a super-glossy style. After you’ve thoroughly rinsed your hair, applying a conditioner for dyed hair will also lock in the colour to prevent it from fading, and help keep it looking rich and vibrant.

Top tips for dyeing your hair at home

• Don’t make any drastic changes to your hair colour using at-home dyes - for example, if you’re trying to go from blonde to dark brunette. Your hairdresser will be able to do this for you, and we’d advise you make any drastic colour changes with a professional’s help.
• Always dye dry hair - if your hair’s saturated with water, it won’t absorb the dye as well.
• Don’t mix shades to create a ‘custom’ colour - just pick a shade you like, and follow the pack’s instructions carefully.
• Wear loose-fitting, easy to remove clothing which you can lift over the top of your hair when it’s time to rinse your hair.
• Use lip balm around your hairline to protect your skin from the dye - Vaseline works well.
• Make sure you use the disposable gloves included in the pack to avoid dyeing your hands and nails.

How to look after and protect dyed hair

You’ve got your perfect colour - so now’s the time to keep your locks looking their best until the next time you dye it.

Our Pro Colour Revive range is scientifically-proven to help lock in your colour - it also helps to repair surface damage, and preserves your hair colour for up to 40 washes if you use our Pro Colour Revive Protecting Shampoo and Pro Colour Revive Protecting Conditioner together.

If you’ve gone for blonde and want to keep it looking bold and vibrant, try our Sheer Blonde range - our Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo and Conditioner Shampoo and Conditioner keeps your blonde looking radiant and bright, and our Highlight Activating Shampoo and Conditioner brightens dull, faded balayage and highlights.

Blonde hair can be more prone to breakage and dryness, so to deeply treat your tresses, check out our Go Blonder Intensive Repair Mask to strengthen and protect fragile hair before and after lightening.

If you’ve gone over to the dark side and used one of our brunette dyes, seal in your brunette colour by using our Brilliant Brunette range of shampoos. Our Midnight Brunette Shampoo and Conditioner is perfect for deeper, richer brunettes, and our Brilliant Brunette Colour Vibrancy Shampoo preserves your brunette colour, and rehydrates and replenishes all brunette shades. This range is suitable for all brunette shades, not just lighter brunette, as it’s non-colour depositing.

If you’re a redhead who uses hair dye, be warned that red hair is prone to fading, so keep your hair colour looking vibrant with our colour-intensifying Radiant Red Shampoo and Radiant Red Conditioner. Their colour-protecting formula contains pomegranate extract and vitamin E to keep red hair radiant, smooth and soft after every wash.