OUR TOP TIPS TO DYEING YOUR HAIR AT HOME

7 steps to dye hair at home

We know that dyeing your own hair and working with permanent hair colour techniques can seem intimidating – especially if it’s your first time. While it’s important to stick closely to the instructions on your at-home hair colour kit, there are a few other steps you can follow to ensure your application is even and vibrant. To help demystify the process, we’ve curated our top seven tips for colouring hair at home. Read on for our definitive home dyeing guide.

Step 1: Pick the right shade and formula

Naturally, the first step for how to dye your own hair is to pick your colour.

From platinum blonde to jet black and everything in between, there are so many options available when it comes to hair dye. Even if you have a general idea of the colour you want, though, it’s worth considering which precise shade will be best for you based on your skin tone and eye colour – or using our virtual try-on tool to find your perfect colour match.

Once you’ve chosen your shade, it’s also important to pick the right dye. If you are new to colouring your hair at home, there are some great hair colour kits at your disposal to deliver lasting colour while nourishing your strands.

• Olia Hair Colour: This oil-based formula is ammonia-free and powered by oils. With 17 shades available, you can easily choose the right Olia colour for you while preserving the health of your locks.

• Nutrisse Hair Colour: Enriched with five natural oils, the Nutrisse hair line promotes silky strands and protects the hair from breakage, all while delivering vibrant colour. It also offers 100% grey coverage, so you can master how to dye grey hair at home.

• GOOD Hair Colour: Certified vegan and cruelty-free – and derived from 90% natural ingredients – Garnier’s newest permanent hair dye formula helps you enjoy eight weeks of lasting colour, 100% grey coverage, and multi-dimensional tones. Formulated for hassle-free, mask-like application, simply dye your own hair with your hands – no application tools required.

Step 2: Have the right tools on hand

Before you start colouring your hair at home, it’s important to make sure you have everything you might need on-hand. First and foremost, that means double-checking that you have enough dye. But we also recommend you have these extra tools within reach:

• Gloves – this is essential when applying your dye (all Garnier box dyes include a pair of disposable gloves).
• Old towels – use these to cover your bathroom surfaces.
• A cape or towel for your shoulders – this will protect your clothes from the dye.
• Sectioning clips – for even application.
• Vaseline – apply at your hairline to prevent staining from the dye.
• Sectioning comb – perfect for getting even sections of hair.

Step 3: Focus on prep

Prep is a key step in how to dye your own hair at home. Below are our expert tips for a perfect at-home dye prep:

1. Try not to wash your hair for a couple days before dyeing your hair, as colour actually has an easier time ‘sticking’ to fibres with a bit of oil on them.
2. Make sure your hair is dry when you apply your dye because wet hair will not absorb dye in the same way and will only dilute your formula.
3. Most at-home hair colour kits suggest you do a strand test before getting started, as it will help you find out how your unique hair will react to the dye.
4. Remember to always do a patch test 48 hours in advance of using any colourants products to check for sensitivity. Visit https://www.becoloursafe.com/ for more information or watch our video on how to perform a patch test below.
5. Brush and detangle your hair – knotted or matted hair can lead to spotty results.

Step 4: Section your hair

We can’t overemphasise the importance of sectioning your hair when you are perfecting the right technique for how to dye your hair. All you need are four basic sections, which you can create in four simple steps:

1. Take your sectioning comb and part your hair down the middle right down to the nape of your neck. You might find it helpful to use a small mirror to see the back of your head.
2. Using the highest point of your head as a guide, split these two sections in half. This ‘split’ should fall right behind your ear.
3. You should now have four sections.
4. Twist and pin each section one at a time.

You’ll unpin your sections one-by-one as you dye: this will help ensure that your application is even across your hair.

Step 5: Apply dye from the roots down

As you can see, careful preparation plays a major role in how to dye hair at home.

Next up? The hair dye application itself.

Here, it’s crucial that you apply dye to your hair from the roots down. Because your roots are less processed and porous than the lengths and ends of your hair, it will take slightly longer for colour to develop there – so don’t fret if you don’t see instant results!

Depending on the dye formula you have chosen, you may use an applicator bottle (included in our Nutrisse range) to apply the dye, then massage it with your hands. Alternatively, the GOOD permanent hair dye can be applied directly with gloved hands like a hair mask.

Step 6: Let the colour develop

By this stage, you should have finished applying dye to each section of hair.

Now, make sure to keep your hair down so that the dye develops evenly, and refer to your at-home dye kit for how long you should leave your dye on your hair – if it says to leave the dye on for 20 to 25 minutes, believe it! Don’t leave it on for 40 minutes hoping for a richer colour, as this can damage your hair and even dye your scalp. 

Once that time has elapsed, thoroughly rinse your hair until the water in your sink runs clear. After rinsing, apply the conditioner from your dye kit according to the packet instructions.

Step 7: Don’t forget the aftercare

Now you’ve rinsed out your colour and conditioned as per the instructions, you might be asking: ‘how long does permanent hair dye last?’.

Well, most people start to notice regrowth in the roots about six to eight weeks after an at-home hair dye. The vibrancy of your own hair colour will depend on a few factors but, with the right aftercare, you can maintain colour-treated hair. To look after your hair post-dye:

• Avoid using shampoo for two or three days after dyeing your hair. This allows the dye to be locked into the hair fibres so the colour will last longer.
• Once you’ve started washing again, use products specifically designed for colour-treated hair. For example, if you’ve picked a colour that’s much lighter than your original shade, use a colour toner to avoid any unwanted orange or yellowy tints.

There are several steps to dye hair at home. But, with proper application, the right hair dye, and some nourishing products to protect your locks afterwards, you’ll be ready to make the leap in no time!

So, you’ve made your way through our tips for colouring hair at home but things got a little messy – that’s okay!