How To Color Your Hair At Home

Choose a shade and product. Try to stay in the same basic color family as your current color.

Colorants can stain. Wear old clothes, and use a towel you don’t mind getting dirty. Wipe up any floor drips immediately; the solution can stain ceramic tiles.

Put on the kit’s plastic gloves, mix the colorant with the developing solution, and shake vigorously.

Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly along the neck and hairline before coloring to prevent skin from staining.

Apply the color mixture according to package directions. Use smooth strokes and work from the front toward the back of the head.

Leave the mixture on your hair for as long as the package directs. If re-coloring, apply color to the root area and wait 20 minutes. Then apply the remaining mixture to the rest of the hair, and let process for five minutes.

Rinse your hair thoroughly with cool or lukewarm water.

Apply the conditioner that came with the coloring kit, and rinse according to directions.

To maintain your new color, limit shampooing to every three days and use cool water, which keeps hair cuticles smooth and locks in color.