Saving Money with At-Home Hair Color

Hair has an uncanny ability to ruin or renew our attitude. According to USA Today, 44% of women say their mood has been affected by the type of hair day they’re having. And that could be why we spend so much money on it. A recent survey shows that women get their hair cut an average of five times a year costing about $195 annually. Half of women report coloring their hair an average of four times a year at $65 a pop. But two-thirds are trying to cut costs when it comes to hair care. One way to do that is to try at-home hair color. Here are some tips for taking that one without getting yourself in a hairy situation.

Be Conservative - If you decide to play beauty parlor at home, experts agree it’s best to be conservative with color choices. Choose a semi-permanent color and make sure it’s not a drastic change.

Read All Instructions - It’s the same thing you learned in second grade—read all of the instructions before you begin. That’s very important when working with at-home hair color because you don’t want to be fumbling through certain steps that require quick application.

Start with a Strand - Every box of hair color advises users to conduct a strand test first. While it can be tempting to skip this important step in the effort to save time, it is a good idea. Hair colors contain chemicals so there’s a chance you could be allergic. Performing a strand test will make sure you’re not.

Wear Something Old - By doing hair color at home you’ll easily save around $50 or more. But make sure you don’t negate that savings by ruining a rug, shower curtain or shirt in the process. Hair dye can be detrimental when coming into contact with anything except hair.

Get Free Help - All reputable hair color brands offer a free service for customers. It’s a free hotline that will answer any questions you may have about the home hair coloring process.

Research Reviews - Plenty of publications have tested at-home hair coloring kits to find the best products available on the market. Check out what Good Housekeeping and REDBOOK have to say. They’ve already done the dirty work so you can skip straight to gorgeous hair at a fraction of the price.

By Alison Storm

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