Do you home dye your hair?

I stopped colouring mine pre covid in the hope it would quickly go full grey. It hasn't. I'd call it dirty dishwater right now. This thread has inspired me to have another go with the home dyes. My natural color was auburn. I have no idea which colour to go for now. Inspiration welcome.

I'm 35 and I've been colouring my own hair since I was 16. I started because I couldn't find any salons that did the bright pillarbox red I wanted - I think back then the vivid colours weren't very mainstream - so they most they could offer was a kind of auburn colour. I used to buy the dye from my local 'goth shop' 😂

Since then I've just carried on. It's cheaper and I don't have to deal with the social anxiety of sitting in the hairdressers making small talk (I'm autistic). I go to a salon once or twice a year for a cut and that's it. I've been just about every colour under the sun, but I'm currently a dark cherry colour - always been a sucker for red 😍

Last time at a salon I had a horrible alergic reaction and had to see a doctor/dermatologist. That was over 20 years ago. I have used box dye since with very natural results. I have gone from very dark brown, to auburn, to copper red, to dark blonde, to light blonde and am now rocking platinum blonde. Used Nice n Easy which is tonal rather than block colour and have basically worked my way through their colour chart. Over the years I have had many compliments on my hair which I suspect is probably 100% gray now 😉

I dye my hair at home. Does it look great? Honestly no. But neither does dye at the salon. I wouldn't mind paying for the salon if I loved the results, but it usually isn't very good. Even if I go with a recommended or expensive hairdresser. I normally leave with dye on my forehead*, colour too dark or highlights looking weird - just some of the disappointments I've had over the years.

Add to that it's such a chore and takes hours, it's at least ten times the cost, and has to be repeated every 4-6 weeks.

*Question: why do hairdressers put the dye so far down on your forehead, causing the light hairs at the front to get dyed also? When I home dye, I use a brush to lightly blend those hairs. But hairdressers don't do that and it looks weird.

I bleach streaks with foils And do flashes of colour as well as all over brown. Last few years has been blue.
I cut it myself too.

I’ve been doing it myself since I was 16 - 34 now and refuse to pay a hairdresser for what I can do at home for £10-£15

I use Esalon. More pricey than box dye but very good quality, easy to use and clear instructions. They will also adjust the colour for you between subscription boxes, if you decide you want it slightly darker/lighter etc.

Christ no.

I'm clumsy and blind as a bat without my specs. It would be a disaster waiting to happen.

Kudos to those that can though, must save a fortune

Nice n Easy, 5RB a dark brown with copper undertones. Tried dying by my hairdresser and it cost £60 (compared to £6 at home) and it only lasted 2 weeks!

Yes pretty much since the mid 1980s. I've been different shades of red, brown, black and blonde. Went from black to platinum (over a few months) at home, without ruining my hair. My hair is currently a short pixie which does make things easier though

I have it done every 7 weeks at the hairdresser's. I occasionally do it myself as my hairdresser goes on a very long holiday once a year where she is out of the country for 6 weeks so I buy the colour no she says and do it myself. I hate doing it myself. 7 weekly colour. 14 weeks cut and colour. I won't have greys showing. I'm a Leo. My mane is my pride and joy

Yes, every 7-8 weeks. No it doesn’t look natural because it’s bright red 😂. I will refuse to embrace the grey forever.

I’m 51 been home dying for at least 15 years. Yes looks natural. I do every 4 weeks or so. My hair is dark brown.

I home dye - I am a dark brown/black hair so my greys are super obvious! I do it once every 5 weeks (wash my hair 3 times a week) it’s cheaper, lasts a bit longer in my opinion that salon colour and I can do other things whilst the colour is setting! Ie laundry/cooking/cleaning. I put the colour on and pop a shower cap on it. I even have a tatty t shirt which is known as my dye outfit :). I splash out on good quality shampoo and conditioner. Though (kerestase nutri something) but hair color I get 2 for £15 in Superdrug or boots. Hair is cut every 2 months (shoulder length and in very good condition) I use a hair straightener one a week but blow dry at every wash! Hope this helps OP. I think you need to be more careful with lighter hair though :)

I have dyed my hair at home for years. I worked at a salon when I was at school and I was the only blind so they tried out all the new shades on me. I found that it dried my greasy hair as the blonde contained bleach. I continued to maintain at home all my adult life and gradually lightened to cover the grey. I use Nice and Easy which has multi tones and is not a flat colour. When I go for a trim at the hairdresser's they compliment me on the colour!

I dye mine at home and the colour is great

I colour my own with Clairol nice n easy on my grey hair. I use a very red golden blonde and after a week it fades to a nice blonde & covers the grey well. I got fed up of spending 100s at a salon only for it to look the same as the box job after a couple of weeks.

No I’ve had to many disasters and four years ago developed an allergy to hair dye so I couldn’t now even if I wanted to.

I bleach mine and then use Shrine toner drops to reduce the brassiness. I wanted and achieve a blondish grey which tones reasonably well with my roots when they come in. I used to dye my hair dark brown / auburn but the roots just come in too quickly now and while I'm not grey all over, I'm equally not up for dying my hair monthly. With the grey/blond I can get away with every 3 months-ish.

I also put vaseline on my head along the hairline (not on the hair) and ears before dyeing as it stops any stains! Wash hair twice after and use a conditioner mask after

I dye my hair black to cover the grey, I've been doing it since mid 40s. My natural hair is black although more browny-black than the dye but it doesn't look unnatural. My grey hairs are only one or two here and there so I'm not having to hide loads. Almost all women of my ethnicity have black hair so it doesn't look out of place, it just makes me look like I don't have grey hairs. I just use any cheap dye on offer, I like the Superdrug own brand as it's often on multibuy.

Yes. I'm naturally medium/light brown but have 25% ish grey now so I use L'Oréal excellence 8.1 ash blonde. I do my roots every month and leave the colour on for around 35 mins. Costs around £8 per box, so much cheaper than what I used to pay my hairdresser for highlights. It doesn't look blocky as I have grey and brown hair so goes a slightly different shade on each hair colour.

I do between salon appointments to cover the roots.

I use the Wella Perfect ME colour and seperate developer. It’s a professional colour, not box dye, and you can mix the quantities yourself with a bowl and whisk yourself.

It costs a bit more than box dye but as you can pour in as much as you want I usually get 5 applications out of 1 tube as I only do my roots every 2-3 months. I use the L’Oréal root spray inbetween to hide my grey.

I use a series of 3 slightly different blonde colours. I rotate them and use every 6 weeks. I find this gives a great blend and it doesn't look blocky. It's more like highlights. Even my hairdresser compliments me on the colour combo.

I dye mine between salon visits. Nice n Easy root dye in dark blonde seems to perfectly match the salon colour. I dyed it for weeks during covid but never seemed to cover all the roots. If I could make a decent job of it myself, I wouldn’t go to a salon