#Best at home hair color how to

Those actions allow a permanent product to color gray hair and more dramatically alter your natural shade. This contains ammonia, which allows the dye and hydrogen peroxide to penetrate the cortex, and also breaks down some of your natural color, Wong says. Permanent: Don’t let the name frighten you, because this is the best choice for those with more than 25 percent gray or who want to swap their natural color for a lighter shade. Another advantage of demipermanent products is that, unlike permanent hair color, they contain no ammonia, which can dry out and damage hair (especially the ends). “It’ll help cover grays and lasts about four to six weeks,” says Michael Canalé, owner of a string of salons and creator of the Canalé line of hair care products. This is probably the best bet for anyone who’s hoping to be back in the salon in the not-too-distant future (and who’s less than about 25 percent gray). “The dye fragments don’t penetrate all the way into the cortex of the hair, so it can’t completely change your shade,” Wong says. You’ll mix them together to activate the dye before you apply it. Expect it to wash out gradually over about three to six shampoos.ĭemipermanent: This type of product typically comes with two bottles-one is color and the other is a developer that contains low levels of peroxide. It’s a great choice if you want to add a short-term hit of a bright, fun hue, or if you have no visible roots and just want to add a bit of warmth and shine to your current color. “The dye molecules attach to the outside of the hair and gradually wash away,” says Michelle Wong, Ph.D., science educator at Lab Muffin Beauty Science. Semipermanent: This is a temporary stain or gloss of color that sits just on top of the cuticle, the outer layer of your hair shaft. When you’re choosing a product, you may also see lots of marketing language (such as “100% gray coverage” or “makes hair shiny”), but the words you really want to look for are “semi-permanent,” “demipermanent,” and “permanent.” We asked our experts to explain exactly what these terms mean and what they do to help you choose well. A thick cuticle makes it harder for product to penetrate and deposit color.

(That’s the outer layer of the hair shaft). On the flip side, coarse hair, like some curls and gray strands, and natural or relaxed African American hair, has a thicker cuticle. And keep in mind that you may be able to achieve the results you want by leaving product in for a bit less time than the manufacturer recommends.

You’ll want to consider texture, amount of gray, and whether your hair has been colored before.įor instance, fine hair absorbs color more easily, so be sure not to opt for too dark a shade.

#Best at home hair color how to

We spoke to several experts about how to get the best possible color at home, and when to leave those locks alone for the time being.īefore you focus on a shade, consider which type of formula best suits your hair and coloring goals. “Even during nonpandemic times, people can’t always get to the salon for color every single time,” says James Corbett, a colorist and owner of James Corbett Studio in New York City. Newer formulas are safer and easier to use, some experts say, as long as you follow manufacturer directions. ESalon, for instance, says each customer receives a fully customized color, and colorists at the Color&Co website will do a video consult.Īnd boxed hair color has come a long way, too, since the days when it had the reputation for unnatural-and sometimes hair-damaging-results. (He or she may even walk you through the process during a video call.)Īnd some online brands offer a semipersonalized experience. Should you try to DIY? Note that some colorists are mixing up their clients’ custom formulas and delivering coloring kits to them at home, so it’s worth checking in with your regular color pro.