STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

HeatherLynn · Gucci

Dying Hair

blink · Coach

I have used Clairol's Natural Instincts semi permanent in light brown. I am pleased with the results, but I don't have a color suggestion for you. If you want to go darker, like red or dark brown, a semi permanent is a good idea, because semi's can barely lift pigment at all. If you want to lighten your hair, only a permanent color will lift pigment out of your hair.

dixiegirl · BCBG

i usually dye my hair @ home if i'm just doing all over color. i've used EVERYTHING and garnier 100% color is the best that i've tried. it's permanent though, but it fades pretty fast.

daiz519 · Dooney & Bourke

I recently dyed my own hair--I was really scared to do it so I asked some questions. The place where I get my eyebrows done is a beauty supply store with an esthetician and a hair salon in the back. The girl who does my brows also does hair so I asked her opinion. She said to go with a brand that the store carried called Satin ($8.50 a tube and the peroxide comes separately for $3.99 because you can choose different volumes of peroxide). She suggested this because it is an aloe based dye and said that many of the drug store brands only have 1 volume of peroxide.

I also asked my hairdresser and told her I was looking to save money because I am a student and she said that it's really easy and basically the same thing as doing it in a salon except that you get charged for the labor. For a drug store brand she recommended L'Oreal. She also said to have someone help me so that it's easier to see what's going on in the back.

I ended up going with the Satin line because I trusted it more than the drug store brands, and I went with 20 volume peroxide as was suggested to me. I also purchased the little mixing bowl and brush at the store along with a mini tube of color safe conditioner to use when washing out the dye. We just mixed the appropriate amounts of the cream stuff in the tube with the peroxide in the mixing bowl and then my mom helped me and used the brush to apply to my roots and then we combed it through and massaged the color into my hair. Left it on for about half an hour and then washed out.

It is messy but really not that hard and it came out well. I've gotten a lot of compliments and I'm pretty sure I'll keep doing it until I'm rich some day

Grace · Dooney & Bourke

I always dye my hair at home and I always use Clariol Natural Instincts. I tend to change my hair color a lot. I have used many different colors and always liked the results. The only thing is be careful if you have lighter highlights. The color will be much darker/brighter on the highlights.

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

I always use Natural Instincts too, to dye my mousy brown hair a richer shade of brown. I get a lot of compliments, and my roommate started using it too. The only thing I don't like is that, because it washes out gradually, my hair always seems to be changing colors.

halleybird · Hermes

just don't go lighter...I have made my hair many shades of orange that way.

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

I used Feria several years ago, and I seemed to lose a lot of hair!

I ended up ruining my hair by dying at home, and ended up having color correction done. I have learned a lot from my stylist since then. If you are going to do it at home, don't go more than 2 shades lighter than your natural color, and be aware that there are "natural" "golden" "ash" shades and so on. You need to first decide which your current, natural color falls into, then choose the shade you want from that same group. This will prevent it from looking way un-natural and from turning goofy colors.

If you haven't dyed before, be aware that lightening hair is actually stripping you hair a little bit, so you will need to deep condition about weekly, and would be well advised to use a shampoo and conditioner for color treated hair. It's tempting not to, but it does help.

Hope this helps,

gd