Avoiding At Home Haircolor Disaster

Recently I received an email about an article I had written about long hair informing me the author was obviously "clueless" about the topic.

Maybe I'm indeed clueless about long hair, but after having long hair (6" below my waist and holding strong) since 1988 I think I have some insider's knowledge of the topic.

Not to mention my experiences going to cosmetology school and writing over 3,000 articles about hair topics (consumer and professional) over the past 10+ years.

It should be noted the writer of the "you're clueless about long hair" email was promoting their own hair website and letting me know I should be using their work instead of my own articles. OK. Well a little strange way to make a new friend, but whatever.

At any rate, the number one email I am receiving right now is about a wide range of home hair coloring disasters. It is very frustrating to me because it's impossible to really help someone with a hair color disaster via email, or even over the phone.

Once a hair color disaster has occurred the very best tip is to find a hair color correction expert and work with them. Even better? To avoid the at-home haircolor disaster in the first place. After a color disaster has happened you have a brand new set of problems. Avoiding the problems is always ideal.

Of course this is my own opinion but after surviving my own hair color disasters, both at the hands of a licensed pro and my own hands, I don't think there is any other way to recover your hair color, at least gracefully anyway.

Sadly at-home haircolor disaster often occur when someone is trying to be frugal and not spend money to have their highlights, lowlights or base color refreshed.

I know the economy is tough and people are looking for every possible way to economize on hair, beauty and fashion budgets. However, when your hair is bright orange, lime green or purple and that was not the color you were going for, it can ruin your entire look. No matter what type of hair accessories you select or how cute your shoes are.

Surviving My Own Hair Color Disasters

I feel qualified to talk about at home haircolor disasters because I have had a few of my own before I turned my tresses over to the hair color pros back in the last 1980s. Some were pretty bad and I endured green streaks intermingled in my platinum blonde, gold ends and roots as well as problems with pulling red and orange with my blonde dying attempts.

When the economy became financially challenging I talked to my own haircolor expert, Rose Zuinga and she suggested going darker to allow me to extend my highlights twice as long. The other option? To go with an all over darker based with less highlights which could potentially extend my hair color for even longer.

Avoid At Home Haircolor Disasters

Unfortunately, the emails I am receiving are from hair consumers who have already encountered a "hair color disaster" or related emergency. There's not a lot I can do to help them other then recommending color correction.

Hopefully I can save others from at home hair color disasters with the following suggestions on how to Avoid At Home Haircolor Disasters:

1. Step Away From The Hair Color Aisle

If you've never used at-home hair color but are trying to save money by switching from the salon hair color treatments to the local drugstore color, please don't.

If you have a good haircolor pro who has been doing your haircolor, please discuss what your options are for minimizing costs during this challenging economy. Most hair colorists will work with their clients to prevent losing them completely. Either they will work to take them to a less expensive maintenance color or will help them by recommending the appropriate hair color for at-home touch-ups.

Even Hair Guru Ken Paves helped Ashlee Simpson some years ago when she wanted to go to a much darker hair color. He suggested what formulas to use and what colors to help her avoid pulling unwanted hues such as green or orange.

If your hair colorist is a true pro, they will try to help you do as much of your color at home as possible with the idea that you still visit them on a less frequent basis.

Of course if you've already use at-home haircolor with good results, this advice does not apply to you.

If you have never gone to a hair color expert or done your own haircolor please read #2 to avoid a Home Haircolor Disaster before it happens.

2. Let Your Fingers Do The Dialing Before You Buy

Clairol has an amazing group of consumer hair color experts who are available through the Clairol Help Line. Before you purchase home haircolor stop by their website and look at the various options. Then put your questions together and call before you buy any hair color products.

Clairol Expert Color Consultants are color and haircare specialists who are ready to give you haircolor advice at the following times and phone numbers:

Monday-Friday:

8:30 AM to 8:30 PM EST

Saturday: 9 AM to 6 PM EST

USA English 1-800-CLAIROL (1-800-252-4765)

USA Spanish 1-800-HISPANA (1-800-447-7262)

Keep in mind that the model on the box may or may not have the same hair color you will get from the box. A lot depends on the following variables:

A. Your natural base hair color.

Although a model with light blonde hair displayed on the box may be designed to offer a general guideline, if you have raven black hair the ultimate color which results for you will be different from the hair color that results from a natural dishwater blonde. This is because your base colors are so completely different and on completely different ranges of the hair color scale.

B. Your hair's color history

If you are a hair color virgin versus someone who has been up and down the color scale, your results will also vary widely. Hair that has never been chemically colored before will take color much differently than someone who has overprocessed or porous hair.

C. Amount of red or other natural colors in your base.

Keep in mind that there are many factors which may cause a wide range of results including pulling undesirable hues.

Research, Research, Research

I am not against home haircolor if, and this is a big if, the hair consumer either knows what they are doing, has recommendations from their own hairdresser or the experts at the hair color company, or has done enough research to understand what to expect.

Hair Color Disasters Cost More To Repair Than Many Other Salon Treatments

Unfortunately hair color disasters often happen late at night or on Sundays, when the haircolor help lines. Or they are the results of spontaneous decisions to go blonde or red or whatever color tickles someone's fancy when they are bored with their tresses.

Sadly, the amount of money you have to pay a color correction expert will more than wipe out any savings you have at the drugstore over the salon. Other than hair extensions and chemical straightening, color correction can be the most expensive.

Additional Information

Check out the following tips, articles and blogs for additional information:

Hair Color Disasters: How To Recover

Hair Color Tips: Understanding Laws Of Haircolor A classic article, the first on the Web regarding the Laws Of Haircolor.

The HairBoutique.com Haircolor Pages HairBoutique.com has one of the largest resources of hair color information on the web on our HairColor Pages. Stop by and visit.

Ken Paves boost up™ color drops™ If you wish to extend the life of your chemically enhanced hair color, use 1-2 pumps of Ken Paves boost up™ color drops™ with your daily conditioning rinse. The beauty of the color drops™ is that you can use it with your rinse-out conditioner, your leave-in conditioner or your favorite styling products.

To talk more about blondes and hair color visit HairBoutique.com's HairTalk messageboard.

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