Hairdressers - why are box dyes considered "bad"?

[Iamnotausername]

Most hairdressers seem very anti box dye. I have read about hairdressers who refuse to colour the hair of anyone who might have any box dye ever on it.

I know box dyes contain bleach which professional colours might not but I don't see hairdressers saying they won't colour previously bleached hair.

I also don't understand the "I don't know what was in your box dye and it might react" argument. Every hairdresser uses a different dye brand so even if the client knows the brand their previous hairdresser used (doubtful), the hairdresser probably won't know the ingrediants. I think most branded box dyes are pretty much of a muchness.

Uneven application of home dye could be an argument I guess but why is that different to having different professional colours in eg balayage or roots?

So I'm wondering why are box dyes so bad?

(I'm tempted by an esalon colour because I can't get to the Hairdressers for a while.)

I think it’s just snobbery.

My friend’s hair turned green after a hairdresser dyed over box dye in her hair. Ironically, we ‘fixed’ it by dyeing over it with box dye!

Because they don’t want you to do it at home for £10 when they can charge £100?

Some box dyes contain metallic salts (professional colours do not) which react with other chemicals, the hairdresser won't be able to guarantee the result when going over a box dye.

Never heard that, I might get groan that I've covered over their lovely work bright red but my hairdresser always sorts it

@AnnaTortoiseshell

But was that the box dye/ professional dye mix or the colours? Eg if you put any brown dye straight onto bleached hair, chances are it will go khaki coloured.

@limoncelloo
Fair enough but don't some conditioners etc contain them too and they might stay on the hair too?

Well, it's hard to redo the roots with a box die yourself, but I think the ingredients are pretty standard.

I know a salon that won't even cut your hair if you have an obvious box die. His rationale was that he didn't want people going about town saying "I got my hair done by Julien Beauregard de La Mode"(fake name)

@JoyPeaceHealth

I guess it shows he has pride in his work?

Sometimes you can spot a home dye a mile off. I guess like botox though, you only notice the bad ones.

Exactly this. Been going to my hairdresser for over 20 years and she has no issue with me dying my own hair as I just couldn't afford her prices (over £100 and I have short hair). She even compliments me on my hair dying abilities. Her criticisms of home hair dyers are more about the fact they miss bits especially at the back.

She has even done lowlights on my hair after I've home dyed it a base colour. I've been home dying for years (every 6 to 8 weeks) and my hair is in fabulous condition (confirmed by my hairdresser) so I don't think there's an issue with the quality of the dye.

I don’t know. She left the salon with some colourful bits and then they went green when she washed it. They were really good hairdressers as well and were mortified it had happened.

After Covid forcing me to use box dye on my hair will never ever go back to it. Firstly it does not cover grey. Shades are generic and created for the masses. Hairdressers are trained to look at your skin tone, hair type etc and make up a colour to suit you. Also she blends in the color in to my hair so its not obvious. It took a while to fix the box hair dye that i had done over Covid and you can tell the difference

I would also think by using box due its a kick in the teeth for the hairdressers who have trained some for years to do what they do

I have been using box hair dye nearly 30 years. I expect they won't want to lose custom.

Economics.
I've had my hair dyed twice at a hairdressers' and both times it was a less good result that my home dye jobs.

I know hairdressers advise against using box dye but I’ve never heard of them refusing their services to someone who’s used one?

Cost, they make more money.
Used to have a hairdresser who would complain about box dyes, as if they were the devils work
Hairdresser I use now is very experienced with dye (she's v popular) and has nothing against box dyes.
Had it done at the salon once to see difference for a treat, zero difference.
Think if you get a mix of colour, highlights etc worth going to hairdresser but for all over colour there's no need, for me anyway.

Because most clients will use a darker box dye and ask the hairdresser to lighten it and it’s hard, time consuming and expensive not to mention the results are unpredictable and often not to the clients liking.
So it’s a false economy to use a box dye then ask a hairdresser to fix it.
Unless you find a nice shade that suits you and your happy with it. But don’t chip and change between salon colour and box due or you will just annoy your hairdresser.
Someone mentioned metallic salts which is bad news as it can fry your hair if your hairdresser doesn’t carry out a strand test beforehand. Nh

During lockdown, my colourist pleaded with me not to box dye it, saying she had spent years building layers of subtle colour & highlights and if I dyed it one flat colour, it would take years to grow out.

In the end she came round and coloured my hair, sitting in the garden, wearing masks. 😀

The peroxide in some is much higher than a salon would use for the same result. Some of the dark box dyes have 30 volume developed when you'd only usually need a 10 because you aren't lifting the colour

Snobbery and money making. I highly recommend Nice n Easy!

I have been box dying for decades. I am probably nigh on 100% grey now, and I have never got less than perfect coverage. By being a bit careful with root touch ups I can get multi tones as well. The advantage of being grey is that I can go from brown to very light brown - gradually - if I want. I could probably go blind if I wanted.

I have been told by hairdressers that I am using the perfect tone for my skin colouring...

I use L'Oreal excellence. It just works perfectly. I did try a Garnier one once that was crap.

I am a brunette though. I suspect it is harder if you are blond. The only time I think brunette box dyes fail is when people use too dark a shade especially as they get older.

*blond not blind ffs!!!

I think if you're good at what you do and you've seen enough messes, and you know you could do the best job for people, you might be a bit snobby and not too keen. If you're bad then you have competition.

Around my way you can take box dyes in for them to apply.

My hairdresser is always very non committal about what I've done to my hair with various home dyes (I don't ask her to fix anything as she's a great cutter but not such a great colourist, I think it's quite common to be better at one than the other).

I think the home dye market is getting better. Plenty of bleach options that a few years ago might have only been available from a specialists. Plus places like esalon.

@AthenaPopodopolous

I remember reading years ago that box dyes always come out a shade or two darker than the picture on the box. Not sure if that's true or not.

The only time I asked a hairdresser to fix my hair was when my roots were grown out and I tried to dye my hair auburn. I ended up with an orange skunk stripe 2 days before an event. I think the hairdresser just covered my roots and showed me how to part my hair to help hide any future mishaps. 🤣

Yes they do tend to come out darker because people usually just throw the whole lot on rather than only do the roots so the build up darkens.
I think the poster who said about the generic 30vol is right as it can lift upto three shades so that opens the hair shaft cuticles and can lead to less shiny hair.
I find box dyes quite dull rather than light reflecting like you can achieve with salon colouring techniques. However I’ve dark hair anyway so just idea L’Oréal box dye which I’ve been quite happy with for years. Starting to go grey now so I don’t want a demarcation line, might quit permanent box dyes and just do a semi permanent from salon services…
I’d love to be a blond but it’ll never happen.