How to colour your hair at home

Getting help for home colouring mishaps
We prove that the first important step of DIY colouring is calling the help line (closely followed by the strand test).

The situation
Editor-in-chief Susan Antonacci tries to go blond from dark brunette in a one-box step, and winds up with shocking orange hair. In an attempt to tone it down herself, she throws on an auburn shade -- and goes cartoon-bright ginger red. Back at the office, in mid-search for a hat, Susan takes a break to hear what the home-colour experts have to say.

The advice
An appeal to one help line yields a surprise: the friendly consultant, after asking several questions regarding starting colour, the formula Susan used and so on, concludes that Susan should head straight to a salon for pro assistance. We like that advice, but try another hotline to compare notes.

After a similar series of questions, an equally friendly consultant suggests a medium ash-brown permanent shade to tone down the ginger red. He walks Susan through situation-specific instructions to minimize her chances of going too dark, and in the process gives us a little helpful hair-colour theory.

The result
Susan decides to give the home solution a try but nervously leaves the mix on for less time than the hotline expert advised. Still, she ends up with a considerably toned down light auburn, and can now get on with her day happily hat-free.

Before you start, call the help line for advice if...
• You want to make sure you avoid any pitfalls
• You want a drastic change, from light to dark or dark to light
• You want to adjust or correct your at-home results
• You want to custom-mix a shade
• Your hair is already highlighted
• Your hair is overprocessed, damaged or brittle
• You've recently relaxed your hair
• You are uncertain about anything or want additional tips

Colour maintenance
• Use colour-enhancing or colour-preserving shampoos and conditioners to prolong the intensity of your colour.
• When you notice your colour starting to fade, reach for a glaze or semipermanent formula that washes out in about six shampoos. Choose the shade that most closely resembles the colour you're trying to maintain.
• If you have lots of highlights, use colour-enhancing products that match the highlights when they're new.
• Deep condition weekly to maintain high, healthy shine.

TIP: Water is actually the biggest threat to your new colour. A few drops won't hurt, but when you're in the shower, don't stand under the spray for long. Shampoo right away, follow immediately with conditioner and leave it on until you've finished the rest of your shower.

Page 4 of 4