Find out whether salon hair dye really is that much better than box hair dye
When it comes to dyeing your hair, you have to keep up with your roots, especially if you’re going for a natural look. Color touch-ups are usually done every four to six weeks to keep a head of hair looking consistent in color and without a major root line. If you’re getting your hair dyed at the local salon, that can add up quickly. However, the only other alternative is using box hair dye at home, and many individuals question the quality of even the best box hair dyes.
So what’s the truth? Is salon hair dye better than box hair dye? Here’s everything you should know when deciding between whether to shell out cash for professional touch-ups or saving your funds by using more affordable hair dye at home.
The Difference Between Salon Hair Dye and Box Hair Dye
Not all hair takes color in the same way. In fact, your hair’s length, health, texture, and thickness all play a role in how it will absorb hair dye. The advantage of salon hair dye is that it is specifically formulated for your hair by the stylist. This means that the developer amount will vary from a standardized box hair dye, as well as the amount of product used in the process. However, all this is to say that salon hair dyes and box hair dyes, essentially, use the same chemicals to get the job of coloring done.
The difference when using an at home hair color, is that the formula is standardized, which means that it can’t be adjusted to work better for your hair type. It also means that you might over-process one person’s hair with the same box hair dye that under-processed someone else’s. What’s important to remember with hair dye is that it is a form of chemistry, and your hair’s texture, color, and history are all key elements in how the process will turn out.
When Is It Best to Use Box Hair Dye?
Just because box hair dye doesn’t allow the specification that salon hair dye does doesn’t mean that it should never be used. Considering that salon dye jobs and touch-ups can cost anywhere from $50 to $200 dollars, and hair box dye usually costs between $6 and $20 dollars, it’s easy to see why price becomes a large incentive in choosing to use box hair dye.
If you’ve decided that you can’t afford regular salon touch-ups, or if you simply don’t want to shell out that much money that frequently, then using a box hair dye is a wonderful alternative, so long as you make sure you find a type that works well with your hair type.
The golden rule when regularly using box hair dye is to find one brand and color that provides the right amount of processing for your strands and stick with it. This way, there are no surprises each time to give yourself a touch-up.
Tips for Using Box Hair Dye
If you plan to dye your hair at home using box hair dye, here are some useful tips for getting the job done safely and successfully. Knowing what you're doing goes a long way to making sure your dye job turns out gorgeous. Stocking up on mixing bowls, combs, and other tools for dyeing your hair will also ensure better results.
1. If you’re using a new box hair dye, always apply it to a small section of hair first before applying it to your entire head. In doing this, you can test out what the dye looks like when used on your hair color and texture. Remember, you can never trust the model on the box to be showing you the exact same color the dye will look like on your hair.
2. Working in sections, though it may take a little longer than applying the box hair dye to your entire head of hair at once, will help you to avoid patchiness. The easiest way to do this is to divide your hair into four sections and apply dye from the back to the front. The purpose of this is so that the dye can spend more time on the back of your hair than the front to create a natural look.
3. Keep your hair down for the entire time you’re dying it. Even if you’re trying to multitask and get some housework done while you wait for the timer to ring, you should never wrap your hair into a bun or twist it beneath a clip. If you do this, the color won’t be even when you rinse the dye out.
Resources— Sally Beauty, Inside Halton, Byrdie, Allure
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