Anyone who has successfully dyed their hair, please come and give me your top tips

[foofi]

Can't put off dying my hair any longer. Don't want to go to the expense of having it done professionally every couple of months for the rest of my life, so would like to have a go myself, but am very nervous

My only experience was as a teenager I tried to put a wash in/wash out colour on my hair but somehow got it all over the bathroom and the towels and it made no difference to my hair colour

So, help me please! What are the best brands, and how do I manage this without making a big mess? (Hair is fairly long btw - although not as long as it used to be )

get a mate in to do it for you

or

go to local beauty college and be a students' model

or

get low lights that don't need roots retouching, thus longer between visits to your hairdresser

or

embrace your grey and wear with pride with a great cut

Thanks for replying - I don't have a mate who could do it and don't want to embrace grey just yet, but I might try the beauty college idea, thanks!

I dye my own hair, and have done for years.

Start off with a semi permanent - look for one close to your natural colour. The Boots ones are good, and have the advantage that their permanents are in the same colours when you need to do that. Link http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryParentId=4398&storeId=10052&c ategoryId=4440&catalogId=11051&langId=-1 here to Boots.com as it's helpful to think about colour choices before you stand in the aisle and get confused by the choice.

Read the instructions very carefully. You may need two boxes of colour if your hair is really long - more than half way between shoulder and bra strap seems to be about it, or if really thick

Then get an old, dark towel.

I stand in the bath and put the colour on, then pile my hair up and sit in the bath whilst it takes.

Follow the instructions carefully. Do not go over the time

Rinse really, really thoroughly.

All should be well !

A couple brands (I think L'Oreal?) have applicators that are little combs, attached to the end of the squeezy bottle. I find that a lot easier - it is advertised on the packaging, so you should spot them.

If you have long or thick hair, get two boxes. More money, but then you're not fretting about getting full coverage. Brush/comb your hair very very well before you start. And cover surfaces with newspaper - it does splatter.

But it's not rocket science - you'll be fine .

Thanks CMOT and Hassled - maybe I CAN do it! I like the idea of the comb things.

Is it best to go for a colour closest to my natural colour, or is there are rule about going lighter or something?

Do it at someone elses house if possible!

Vaseline your hairline.

Make sure you have phone/clock in bathroom to time it with so you don't have to run about your house dripping.

I often use nice and easy, but they all seem as good as each other. I've just bought the ten minute one to see if its any good.

Its really not hard, I've been doing it for years. Not quite as good as when the hairdressers do it, but not much in it (except about £60 of course).

DOn't do all the length every time or you get a build up, just touch up roots either with one of those root touch up kits or half of your usual (remember to chuck it if you've mixed it, doesn't keep).

Good luck!

I have always found nice 'n' easy good and fairly natural looking.

I have lots of hotel shower caps which I put on to stop the drips.
Have dyed my hair for years, just used Clairol Perfect 10 for first time and it was easy and quick to use.

gad yy to vaselining hairline

I third vaseline to hairline

I did mine on Saturday. Got DH to help me with the coverage and its a good job as i'd missed LOADS when I thought i'd done it all

I would NOT recommend you do it completely alone

yes sorry I forgot to add that my DH does mine as well.

Semi-perm are rubbish, IMO. Try the new 10 minutes ones, there's about 3 brands who do them at the moment. I'm a hair dye slag, I'll try anyone once . Yes to vaseline and keep a wipe or tissue and keep checking none has run.

I used Garnier Nutrisse in cocoa

foofi pics of my new hair here

its a permanent dye but luckily I'm pleased with result. Will go lighter in winter, I think, as DH and someone on thread both think it may be a bit harsh when I'm too pale!

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Wow MamaG, that looks great.

Don't think I can get my dh to help (and if he did I suspect he'd be useless ) but will def. be buying vaseline and shower caps. Good tips, thanks.

Oh I did mine for the first time in years a couple of weeks ago. I used L'oreal casting creme gloss and chose a colour as close to my own as possible. However the first one I bought had to be changed as dh said it was nothing like my haircolour - and he was right. Might be worthwile getting someone else to check and I can't be the only person who has a strange idea about her own hair colour.

I used dark towels, moisturiser around hairline and took a magazine to read while waiting (dh was child wrangling). It worked very well and looked great and was just as it said on the box - nice and glossy. However, it does need doing again and I certainly haven't washed it 18 times since.

I feel more brave now, so will use a permenant one next time.

I use Nice & Easy, I find it covers my greys far better than the other brands and leaves my hair really well conditioned. Garnier Nutrisse do some nice colours but was totally useless at covering greys.

I do mine in the bathroom, wear an old dark t-shirt that u don't mind gettin ruined, sort out the bottel etc in the sink (easily cleaned) and then just apply to your hair carefully, if you just 'slap' it on you will end up with splashes around your bathroom so just take your time with it.

If you've got a lot of grey roots you may want to apply to the roots first, leave it for 5 mins and then do the rest but to begin with I'd just do it all over and see how it turns out first.

If you wanna get 2 boxes Boots and Asda often do a 2 for £8 offer.

There was a thread a few months ago with some good tips, especially from macherie.

I really like the new L'Oreal 10 minute one.

Thanks all!