Many of you will be desperate for your scheduled hair appointment with colour being the biggest issue and I understand that. I just wanted to put a few words of wisdom out there for you. Obviously before you rush into anything drastic or regretful.
If you are considering colouring your hair at home PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE stop and consider many factors that could cause not only drastically unwanted hair colour but serious well-being and potential long lasting issues.
So...the colour choice. Be careful because what you class as brown maybe blonde. The model on the box may not have the same natural colour tone as you, altering the end result. Mixing incompatible tones together can leave undesirable tonal results. If your existing colour is strong in tone you may end up with a translucent regrowth area or excess depth to mid lengths and ends.
Application...poor or inconsistent could lead to patchy coverage as well as causing colour build up and/ or over processing. You will also over apply to target areas such as your face frame and parting causing evening the colour tricky depending on the repetitive application in this way. Some 'box dyes' can also contain silicone which if you use straighteners regularly will permanently seal the colour in your hair. This means an incorrect colour choice would need to grow out your hair or be cut out...nothing will move it.
Reactions...YOU MUST carry out a patch test 24/48 hours prior to colouring your hair. I can't stress enough how important this is. The majority of reported hair colour reactions are from home colouring. A reaction can present in any form from itching to severe swelling of the eyes and face and even cause swelling in the throat. A simple patch test behind your ear will localise and minimise any effects of a reaction...JUST DO IT!!!
Bleaching...doesn't contain Paraphenylenediamine (PPD) the chemical that causes allergic reactions, HOWEVER, this does not mean bleach is the safe choice of colour product!!! To use bleach effectively you need to be experienced in it, know what you are looking for at development times, you need speed in application, you need to apply extremely accurately, but above all you need to respect it and not under estimate it. It can and will cause scalp sensitivity and possible burning in the form of minor to horrific blistering. Even the mildest of scalp burn from bleaching can leave your scalp permanently sensitised and intolerable of future scalp application colouring. It can cause hair breakage with in a short time scale of regular use. Bleach is a highly alkaline product and takes no prisoners...your hair will feel rough, dull and often fuzzy. It damages the outer protective layer of the hair leaving it porous and vulnerable.
NO! We don't want you to colour your hair, but not just because we would rather do but because it can be a lengthy and costly journey to rectify what feels like the smallest of mistakes, why spoil what you already have?
Application and product tips in the next blog (soon)
