How To Use Box Dye The "Right Way" | Tips From A Professional Hairdresser
- Posted on 13 July, 2021
- Trending
- By Anonymous
Am I encouraging you to use box dye? No, definitely not.
But, if you're gonna do it anyway, you may as well know these tips first!
Hopefully this will help you get better results and have more realistic expectations when coloring your hair with box dye!
KEEP IN MIND, you're not going to get Instagram/Pinterest hair from a box. Professionals go to school and spends tons of time and money learning how to color hair for a reason!! But, if you're just looking to cover your gray roots and/or have a solid color and don't have the means to go to a salon, this video is for you!!
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Step one: just don't do it just kidding hi guys, welcome back to my channel or, if you're new here hello, welcome my name's sam. I am a professional hairstylist specializing in hair color and today i'm going to share with you how to use box color correctly. You might be thinking huh. I'Ve always heard that box dye is terrible for your hair and you should never use it. Yeah, there's a lot of reasons why professionals advise against using box color and despite popular belief, it's not just because we want you to come to us, so it puts more money in our pockets. It really just isn't great for your hair there's a lot of harsh cheap ingredients in it, and i mean you can just tell the difference. When i look at someone i genuinely can tell from across the room if they have professional color or if it's box color. Just because of the way that it makes the hair look, it can start to look very dry and just very opaque and there's just no dimension to it at all. And it just looks very harsh and very unnatural, and it really isn't the best stuff and it also can be tricky to get the exact results you want when you come into a salon and you go to a professional, stylist, they're gon na talk to you about Your hair history and your goals - and you know, look at what color your hair is now what level are you at and they're gon na go on the back and they're going to formulate a custom color for you there's a lot of mixing that goes involved. It'S not just like. I want that color. You pick that color and you put it on your head, there's more! That goes into it. I, of course, highly suggest that if you have the means and are capable of going to a salon and getting your hair colored by a professional, that is of course, always going to be the best option. However, i am not naive to the fact that people are still using box eye on their hair and there's nothing that i can say that's going to stop them they're going to do it because they want to whether they just want to save some money and they Want to do the cheap option, or you know some people have anxiety about going into a salon, whatever the case may be. I would rather, if you're, going to use box dye i'd rather share these tips with you and help you use it in a way. That'S going to give you better results and help your hair in the long run, and i know i'm going to get some from other hair stylists out there. But i look at it like the same way as like teaching an abstinence, only sex, ed program in a school right like that's, proven to not be effective. People are gon na, do what they wan na do anyway, so we may as well teach them how to do it safely. Is that a weird comparison? I don't? I don't know so. My first tip is, if you are doing a fresh brand new application say i go into the drugstore, i'm starting out with like a medium brown, hair color, and i want to make my hair darker rather than going home and just slapping it all over your head And just going section by section and pulling it all the way through apply it to your roots. First, what i suggest doing is splitting your hair into four sections to make it a little bit easier. It'S more helpful to like stay neat that way: you're not missing any spots. Um so section your hair down the middle and then off of that part, come down to your ear on either side so that you have two sections in the front and two sections in the back. So just squeeze the product out right at the root, rub it in a little bit and then just work on each section. At a time doing nice neat partings, apply it all over to your root area. First, when you are depositing color. So if you're trying to change your color, you either want to like deepen what you already have or go darker. If you're trying to go lighter, you want to do the opposite. We'Ll talk about that in a second. Your roots are new fresh hair, so the cuticle is a lot tighter because it's baby hair, it's fresh, it hasn't been exposed to hot tools and just like the environment, you know your hair on the ends is older hair. It'S been through more so the cuticle is going to be a little more open. It'S going to suck up that color more quickly and you don't want your ends to look super super saturated and be darker than your roots, so apply to your roots. First, give them a little extra time to really take that color and then, after you've applied it all over to your roots. You can then pull it through to the mid strand and ends of your hair, and i suggest using a wide tooth comb or some kind of like wet brush or something to comb it through to make sure that you're fully saturating everything and that you're not missing Any spots, my second tip, is, if you are doing a retouch, let's say: you've been coloring your hair, dark brown, we're just gon na stick to that, and now your roots have grown in and you're like okay, it's time for me to refresh my hair color. I know a lot of people will then take that color and they will apply it all over their entire head roots. To ends. Do not do that. You do not want to be overlapping that box color a million times on your ends. That'S how it's going to end up looking flat and dull, and it's going to start being real obvious that you have box color in your hair and it's just going to feel really dry, especially so when it's time to do a retouch again just apply the color To your roots, first, and then, if you do need to refresh your ends, because you know sometimes the color can fade a little over time wet the ends a little bit first brush through make sure it's all even then apply the color to the mid strand and Ends just for the last 10 to 15 minutes. The ends already have color on them. You just want to refresh it a little bit. You don't need to do a full application to them again. If you are looking to go darker, i suggest whatever color it is that you want to be go one shade lighter than that box. Color can be really really intense. That'S the thing it's made to be like a one. Size fits all kind of situation and it's meant to cover the most stubborn, stubborn, full 100 gray, hair right. And if you don't have that much gray or any gray, you don't necessarily need it to be that strong and that powerful so often times. Based on what i've heard people tell me, and just based on my own experiences because i'm guilty, i used to use box color back in the day all the time it usually ends up coming out darker than what you originally wanted and sure over time. It can kind of like fade and lighten up a little bit, but if you want the results that you're looking for right away after your first application, hi just pick one shade lighter okay. So now, let's talk about going lighter with box color, because everything that i talked about up until this point is like i said: if you want to go darker, if you just want to like richen up your current color. But now let's say you want to go. Lighter, let's use my hair as an example. Let'S say i wanted to be blonde. I can't do that with box color if i were to go and get a blonde box color and put it on my hair best case scenario. My hair would turn orange, but i'm not gon na get blonde from a box color with my hair being as dark as it is so with box color. If you're trying to go lighter, you can go, maybe one or two shades lighter, but that's about it. Your hair just gon na end up turning orange, it's gon na be brassy. It'S it's not gon na be good, but, let's say you're just looking to go one shade lighter than where you're at now and you're. Okay with it being warm, that's the other thing to keep in mind. Your hair is going to be warm if you're trying to go lighter with box dye. It'S always going to have a warm finish, but let's say you are just trying to go. One shade lighter when you're applying your color, you want to do the opposite of what i said to do if you're looking to go darker, so you want to apply it to the root area last and without getting too technical into all the details. Basically, if you're trying to go lighter and you apply it to your roots, first or even, if you just apply it roots, to ends right away, your roots are gon na end up coming out lighter than your ends and you're gon na have the look of hot Roots where it's like brighter and more vibrant and lighter on your roots and then not as much on the rest of your hair and it's not going to look right so apply it. I would say about an inch or two away from your roots. First down to the mid-strand and ends, and then after you do that and that has sat for about 15 minutes or so then go through and apply it to your roots. Another thing to keep in mind, i said with box color, you can only go like one or two shades lighter than where you're starting from right. That is only true. If you have virgin hair meaning you have not colored, it is fresh natural hair that has just grown right out of your scalp. If you throw a dark brown color on your hair and then you decide, oh, i want to go a little bit lighter. It'S not going to happen with box color, it's just it's not color! You may have heard this term before color does not lift color, meaning you cannot throw color on top of previous artificial color and make it lighter it's not going to remove that. You need to then use either color remover bleach. You know some kind of lightener to do that. Those are things that i would not recommend doing yourself at home, especially if you don't know what you're doing, if that is the case, go to a salon. Go to a professional, my next tip is after you do any kind of box. Color always follow it up with a good, deep conditioner because, like i said box, color can be very harsh and it can be very drying to your hair. So you want to make sure that you're putting that moisture back into your hair after using the box color and then my last piece of advice is just honestly: don't do it unless you are fully committed, and it's like your only option because here's the thing, if You'Re like oh, i really just don't, want to go to a salon and pay to get my hair done. I'D rather just go to the drugstore and you know pay six dollars and do it myself. But you know that you're, the type of person that you like to change your hair color all the time box color is very difficult. It can be very, very difficult to remove from your hair. So unless you are committed like this is the color that i want to have for the next five plus years, and i don't plan on changing it at all anytime soon. Don'T do it go to a professional, because if you have box color in your hair and then you decide that you want to change it and it has to be removed from your hair or lightened. Not only is it going to end up being extremely expensive, because now it's a color correction, which is going to cost you a lot more than just a regular color appointment, because there's a lot more that goes into it. It'S a lot more time consuming a lot more difficult, but it's also going to end up creating more damage, or at least it's going to definitely increase the possibility of damage. It'S really hard to remove these harsh colors from your hair, without causing any type of damage at all and you're, probably not gon na get the results that you want. It'S gon na take a long time and be a long process. Your hair can end up looking like this, and this this this, it's not pretty it trying to remove box color is a pain in the ass and then, like i said it's a long process, not just the one appointment. It can take multiple appointments over months and months. It can take up to a year or more to get that box color out of your hair and finally get you to your goal and at that point, you've already spent well over a thousand dollars most likely. So it's like was that six dollar box really worth it. I know it's like easy and convenient to just do it yourself at home and it's so cheap in the moment. But if, if you know that you like to change your hair and you're, probably going to want to be lighter, it's just it's just not worth it, it's really not honestly so yeah that is it for this video. Those are all of my tips. Like i said, i am not trying to encourage anybody to use box color on their hair. I i know that there are people that are still gon na. Do it no matter what i would rather be one of those stylists, that's going to help people and be realistic rather than just being like nope nope, don't do it at home? Don'T do it because i'd be a hypocrite! I used to do my hair at home. That'S how i discovered my love for this industry, i'm just trying to be realistic. Thank you guys so much for watching. I hope that you found this video helpful if you would like to see more videos like this one make sure to subscribe to my channel here and also go and follow me over on my instagram page styled by sam vay. I share tons of hair tips over there as well, and hopefully i'll see you in my next video bye. You
Comments
Sam Vay: I did another version of this video, but with products from Sally's: https://youtu.be/s3yv3wjXN3E
Kayla Natalie: I have been shamed so much by hairstylists for using box dye which is exactly why I use it. First off, not everyone can afford professionals and after being judged by every one I’ve ever known, I won’t ever go back.
Grace Martucci: I love that you did this video and you don’t just say no box dye ever and shame clients for using it. I never judge clients for using box dye in a pinch or trimming their bangs or whatever. Shaming someone is not the way to get returning clients & it’s also just mean! Love that you’re educating & not shaming that’s what I try to always do
beckles75: Not everyone can afford to go to a salon, especially when they're dying their hair every 3-4 weeks to cover the gray like I do. I've been using boxed dye for over 15 years with no issues whatsoever and I get lots of compliments on my color.
mon chaton: Box dyes have given me better results than the two different hairdressers Ive seen, one was a colour specialist with yrs experience the other a popular, well recommended hairdresser. Not only were they crap but so damn expensive. I'm too scared to try a third time.
lauren k: it’s funny to me because i’ve been dyeing my hair copper red with a l’oreal box dye for more than five years now and i’ve had hairdressers believe it is my natural colour, meanwhile i’ve had professionals that have bleached my hair and it has looked mediocre and kinda dry… i say do whatever you want to do, your hair is YOURS
F H: Theres so much difference between the brands… some are really BAD! And most have too less in it to color long and thick hair. John frieda is the only one i use! Its easy with foam and the colors are beautiful! Even makes hair lighter without turning orange
rey hoffman: As expensive as it is to go to a salon, have you noticed the prices of haircolor at Sally's? Over $9 a box. The prices have jumped so much every year. Their profit margin keeps getting bigger and bigger. May as well buy the box dye. Heaven help you if you screw it up, AND YOU WILL. Cutting and coloring can get tricky. All the money you save (for a rainy day) by doing it yourself, or with the help of a friend, you truly do need to save that money for when that hair disaster hits. You know what they say, when it rains, IT POURS. You will be poor again after the salon tries to fix your mess. Try getting your money back when THEY mess it up. Good luck. I'm still taking my chances, doing my hair myself. Too many times, I took the chance at a salon, and in 45+ years, I can count on one hand the number of times I was happy when leaving a salon. I'm 61 now, and if it gets messed up, nobody but ME to blame. BUT...If someone else messed up MY HAIR... heaven help them and heaven help me. One thing is certain, IT WON'T BE PRETTY. So I stay away from their chair, far away. Just saying. I'm down from my soapbox. Sorry if I sounded like a 'Karen'. Go forth, and be beautiful, or whatever you want to be.
Lindsey: Not to mention being SHAMED for using drug store shampoo!! I’m so over salons. Not everyone can afford $30 shampoo PLUS just the cut and color
diane pereira: You must be an exceptional hairdresser. The times I have had my hair dyed at a salon...there wasn't any special mixing of colors or asking me questions of my hair history. I have found a salon color is a lot more expensive and does not neccesarily result in a better color than using a store dye.
Silently Spoken: I don't go to the salon because they talk crap about you after you leave instead of schooling you on your OWN HAIR while you're there. That's part of the service we pay for. You're supposed to teach us how to care for our hair so we keep coming back to you, not just sell us products you get paid to sell. I'd rather do it myself than pay these people to talk and post about me.
Kate: Thanks for acknowledging that some of us are anxious about salons. After salons have been closed for so long because of covid I still feel a bit nervous about going places and the salon is one of them. I’m not quite ready yet so I’ve been using box dye to touch up my grey roots. I’ll get back to the salon soon I hope! Thanks for another great video x
JimBearOne: I have always said: You CAN do ‘Box Color’ HOWEVER, it has LIMITS - Do not try to go more than Two Levels Lighter or Darker. Use the root retouch method on hair that is already colored and don’t change shades / brands too frequently.
Hannah S: I’ve found that when going darker, box dye literally looks and feels the same as a salon dye job, all my friends who religiously go to salons for their colour have very average hair. Hairdressing is a business so of course they’d rather you pay them $200 instead of $10.
-ˋˏ VIPER ˎˊ-: i avoid the salon at all costs. for starters, it’s incredibly expensive and i’ve heard so many horror stories of people leaving with ruined patchy hair after spending £200+ on it. now of course, there’s some really talented stylists out there who really know their stuff and props to them. if you can afford it, including all the touch ups then a salon would definitely be a good option because they’re clearly more professional. BUT, in my personal experience, i’ve been doing my own hair for a while now and i’ve had many colours and bleached it multiple times without much problem at all. it fits my budget and looks exactly how i expect. if you find decent products and actually research the right way to do these things, you shouldn’t face many issues at home. personally, when i’ve box dyed my hair a natural colour, and when it’s nicely styled, it looks incredibly natural and not from a dye at all. just expect that there could be problems (just like in a normal salon), read the instructions and research how to maintain it well after including the products you use.
Vero Rg: Ive been using drugstore hair dye for....30+ years and my hair is sooo healthy.. And curly .. So It also depends on your hairctype. Shampoo you use. Conditioner... Etc.. BTW I love how simple your makeup is in this video
Megan Brennan: For brunettes going blonde (I went from mid ash brown to light natural blonde) the L’Oréal Paris line is actually really good. Look for the ultra ash line to help nix brass tones and the creme line works well to minimize damage. You probably will have to take split ends off tho.
Joanne Formisano: I am retired and can’t afford a salon so I am forced to cover grays at home. Hair salons are crazy expensive.
Benny Edwards: Yes!!! I never judge my clients when they use box dye! Education on why you should use professional products is key but I get so mad when stylists are rude to someone for using box dye
Joy Andrus: I am guilty of box dyes. I struggle to pay $160 for something I can do at home when I can work it in. Which is usually after 10 pm. I appreciate that you understand your analogy because it is very true
World Lit: I have received compliments from hairdressers for my box dye - so I really do not understand the stigma around it. Dankeschön for this video, really helpful. Btw, I do go to the salon for highlights, lowlights, and complex dye projects that you study years for - totally understand that this is a real skill.
Elizabeth B.: I started doing my own hair a few years ago with box dyes and hairdresser scissors. My hair has never looked so good and shiny. I even get compliments from people on my hair color. Garnier Nutrisse to me is the best box dye brand, you have to choose a lighter shade than what you want, but they truly have their thing together! At salons I pay fortunes and they judge me everytime. I'm mixed race and they know nothing about that type of hair which makes me sad. They should be educated about all types of hair that exist in the world, it's almost racism to only learn about white people's type of hair. Only one hairdresser I've had in my life was educated about my type of hair. They shame me for using my straightener too much and one even said it looked like my hair went in an air fryer and argued with me that my hair wasn't also naturally dry. Bold when she knows nothing about mixed race type of hair. I was 7 years old never touched a hair straigthener and my hair was already super dry it's just a dry type of hair and needs lots of keratin and moisture and she really wasn't educated on that.
Glam Girl Gabi: Great job girl!I am a hairdresser Youtuber too and I TOTALLY agree with you. You aren't going to convert everyone so you may as well teach people how to do it with less damage. No one likes a judgy hairstylist and I'm not sure why our industry has this negativity towards people who need to cut their own hair or box colour their hair. There are enough clients for everyone (especially if you're talented). Support over judgement!
IrishRose: As someone who does use box dye (I'm so sorry Sam ), this is why I totally plan to start going to a professional and having it done when I'm in a better financial situation. I consider it so much easier to have someone else do it, and it truly does feel better! ❤
Erin Wyrick: Judging clients/ people who use box color is Classssisssttt
LeAnna: I have black hair and I don’t notice a difference between going to the salon and using a box dye. I like going for the experience a few times a year but color wise it looks the same . I also will not ever be going lighter I’ve gotten that out of my system buttt I use Olaplex and Joico so my hair is healthy . Be careful guys !
Christiana Dillow: I’ve had my hair messed up SO badly by the professionals … I’ll stick with the box thanks!
skrittle: i would have to disagree about bleaching your own hair. i've been doing my own balayage for like 5 years with no cosmetology schooling, simply because a hairdresser once ruined my hair to the point that i had to get a pixie cut so now i only trust myself with my hair. it's honestly just a matter of common sense as far as i see it. but common sense unfortunately isn't all that common lol. if you do zero research or practice before bleaching your hair, it's gonna suck. it's the same with pretty much any skill. just do your research and practice safely.
Amy Host: You should do a video like this but with what you’d use from Sally’s. I know a lot of people that use that instead of box color.
Michelle SFO: Thank you for this insight! The downside to box color is the flat, one dimensional appearance. But sadly, $200 every 6 weeks ( or $1,600-1,800/year ) is a lot for me vs. $14 box ($122/year). I do give myself a home hair mask every week so my hair remains soft and well hydrated. It also helps to give a little bit of shine.
shmooi: I've never had the results I'm looking for in a salon and I'm never even looking for anything extravagant, I know the limitations of my dark brown hair. I just want dimension and a richer looking brown. I had one that wanted to do blonde highlights and I warned her my hair pulls orange and she was like "no it's OK, you'll see!" The strands pulled orange and she had to tone it to a more caramel which clashes with my skin. I'm done paying $175+ for awful results.
Sim Gahir: My only bad experience with dying my hair was at a salon where I paid 88 pounds for a colour that looked awful! The best results I ever had came out of a box... box dye has improved massively over the years. I'll never pay a salon to dye my hair again, I know my hair better than any of them.
D A: I went for a HAIRCUT after 1 year of not going to a hair salon because of covid and the stylist spent the first 15 minutes asking me if I use box color and telling me she can feel it and making faces (like "eww" type of faces). First and last time I went to that salon.
Saiga-sama: Two $4 box dyes gave me the result that a hairdresser wanted $200 for. Then I started using henna, which the hairdresser tried really hard to discourage me from, and it only made my hair look better lol
Love&Peace: I am 60 and have been using L’Oréal ammonia free for a few years now I even take it to my salon for them to use. My hair is long lush and shiny. The best it has been . It seems to work for me but we are all different. I can afford to go to the best salons but have never been happy with the results. Thank you for your advise though very helpful.
Denise S: I've used box dyes for as long as I can remember. I've never had any issues with them whatsoever. I've always stuck to dark brown and black. I had black hair for years until I decided I wanted to go back to my original colour which is brown. My natural colour is what you've got! I used a colour remover to rid the black and that didn't cause any damage BUT did leave my hair feeling dull straight after use but once I did a deep condition it was soft again. I dyed my hair 2 weeks after and it came out beautifully. No dryness, no missing bits, healthy looking and shiny. I have curly hair, being mixed race and my curls popped back! It's not affected my hair in the slightest. I can't afford going to a salon every time I need to do my colour. I have grey roots that pop by every 3 months to say hi and having to go to a salon every 3 months would cost me a fortune. Box dyes haven't caused me any problems so I will be continuing to use them and us box dye users should never be made to feel guilty. It's what we can afford. You being a hairdressers can workout the cost it would be to do it every 3 months! Thanks for the video but I doubt it will help anyone that can't afford going to a salon on a regular basis! Salons are not cheap. I live in the UK and believe me just going to get a trim is expensive! I now trim my own hair and do a pretty good job if I say so myself lol.
fabledgeist: I really appreciate this. I wanted to get my hair colored green, but was too scared to do it myself. I went to a stylist, and for 300 dollars I got a shitty haircut and a bad dye job. I was insanely sad. Decided to try again and did my own hair dye, and immediately it was 1000x more successful.
Lynne Slawson: Every time I've had my hair badly coloured it's actually been in a salon ! You pay your top stylist and they hand it over to a junior??!! Once I looked like a traffic cone another time I ended up looking like a thunder cat and had to go dark brown to cover all the different colours. Had some terrible salon experiences.
Van R: My high school years were spent dying my hair using box dye LOL now that I’m way older I’ve had my hair dyed at the salon and I definitely enjoyed it and did not worry about the mess, but I tend to touch up my own grey roots at home because I only had one spot that was going grey. Fast forward to NOW, I’m trying to let my hair grow out and fade the color to get a nice clean slate love your videos as usual Sam
Beemergrl: What you’re saying, although often the case , is not always the case. I used boxed dyes for years and my stylists often asked who does my color. I’ve had a few ask if it was my natural color as well. It looked darn good!
THELICENSEDGURU: From one professional to another, perfect advice… So many try to avoid the salon out of convenience, or to save $… If anyone watching has very dark to black hair like hers & wants a cool toned blonde color from a box, you’ll have to grab the absolute whitest coolest shade (w/ no warmth at all), only after the second coloring weeks later is when you might start to see the tone begin to cool down, purple shampoo in the meantime is a good helper through that process. Avoid HENNA color at all costs if you see yourself even considering a coloring at a salon in the future, it you can take yrs to completely grow that out, use caution… Your HENNA hair has a chance of chemically reacting with the salon color so if you find yourself in this tough spot, tell your stylist before they start coloring, you may need to gently have the color stripped from your hair before applying your new shade. Some box colors can randomly conflict w/ professional color as well… Medicines you may be taking can do the same… Advice is to take one day to DO A TEST STRIP, it’s a good way to test and see if you’ll like the color, if you have an allergy to the chemicals, and how your hair will react… It’s always good in general to do one with any new color or brand, just grab a strip of hair that is hidden in the back… Am subscribed now, great video …
Karin Binnie: It's one of the great injustices of the universe that there are dozens of blond shades, but only a few shades of red and only half of them are believable. When I started coloring my hair I couldn't find a color I liked, so I called the help line. He was so helpful and told me that I could mix colors of the same brand to get the color I wanted. So I mixed two colors and sometimes used a third color for highlights. After more than thirty years I thought about going grey during lockdown but noooooo... Not yet.
Keely Ruckle: I don’t have 100 bucks to get it professionally done soooo….
Daniela Chacin: I've used box dye (red color) since 2015 and my hair has always looked good with it, shiny and healthy. Of course the aftercare its super important but I don't think it is as bad as some hairdressers make it to be. Also I get compliments a lot for my hair color.
MM B: We ALL used box dye during the pandemic. There was no other choice. I wish you’d recommend some box dyes / products that are less damaging. I sometimes use a root touch up in between salon visits when I can’t get there.
Kara Stover: I get more compliments on box dye ... I walked out a salon with hot roots and the stylist said oh will go darker next time . It was horrible and I had to strip my color out . I had bad highlights that fried my hair . Never going to a salon again
megankz: Thanks for this Sam! I know it’s not great, but sometimes it’s just not feasible to go to the salon. I appreciate you considering that and I loved how detailed your explanations were
Priscilla Nieto: I understand that people will use box color anyway and that there will always be people who prefer to go to the salon as well. So as a future professional I'm always on the fence about the knowledge I share and don't share about box color. Your analogy about sex education is spot on
Constance Sousa: Great video thank you for being real. However, after years of being a salon guru, yes highlights, color etc. I have used box dye, pretty much for the last few years. My gray hair became really difficult to manage. Every 4- 6 weeks I had to shag to the salon, make an appointment, then wait for an appointment. The expense was becoming really crazy! All in all I made peace with what I was dealing with and chose a color that I could maintain, natural brown. I have also found peace with more time for myself and not running to the salon.
Austenhead: I've never got any good advice from a salon, and I've yet to see a hair dresser who has better hair than me (theirs is usually fried crispy), so the only thing I let hair dressers do to my hair these days is cut it, and they screw even that up half the time. I tried everything back in the day, platinum blonde to raven black, even went green for a while, but now I've been rocking my natural hair colour (chestnut) for 15 years, which is honestly the best way to live. The grays can still be managed with tweezers, but when they can't... I think I'll just let them come. Mine are silver and actually sparkle like tinsel in my hair. I kind of like the effect. If I decide to start dying again, though, I definitely won't be going to a salon. Box dye all the way. I remember it working perfectly well for me. And for god's sake, never let them talk you into buying the products they sell - they're no better than the stuff from the supermarket, it's a complete scam.
Jess & Genesis: Question: I went to many hair salons fancy and basic but stopped because of these issues - please help me understand… why do hairdressers tease at the base of the hair or at all when coloring or styling? Doesn’t that break or weaken your hair? Or why do they comb from the roots down if that makes tangles worse? Sorry one more - why do they whip the hair around when towel drying or styling if that causes damages the cuticles? Comments please
Rose Crow: Absolutely wonderful d.y.i. ideas for at home coloring. Love your channel! You're an excellent speaker and make these instructions so easy to understand. I share this channel with everyone I know ❤️
cindy cheung: I personally use box dye on my hair...n so far to be honest I never had a bad experience it worked good thankfully....
Red Squirrel: I've had my hair professionally dyed once, and been coloring my hair for nearly 15 years. I have to say my at home dye jobs always look and feel better, is far cheaper, and lasts longer. I also refuse to switch back to professional shampoo and conditioner or styling products. Head and shoulders is my ride or die, and Shea moisture is the bomb. I get that some people need to use the more expensive option, and bleaching is something people really need to be careful with. But for my head I'll keep doing myself.
Kira: I went to get my hair bleached and coloured grey at a salon— amazing results. But after over a year I decided to finally dye my hair back to my natural hair (black) YESS I DID USE BOX DYE but it’s just the ends of my hair so I’m like whatevs LMAO - Will say, if you go to a pro salon and get it bleached it honestly fades better. Even after over a year, my hair didn’t look brassy at all or didn’t turn orange. It just turned light ash brown My sister went to an u professional one and her hair lost it’s colour and turned brassy orange after 3 weeks
A Chick And A Duck: Love this!! I think telling people never to use box dye is like telling teenagers not to have sex. Some of them are going to do it anyway, so it’s better to tell them how to do it safely so they’re prepared.
Mars: I remember one time going to a stylist who ripped me a new one for using box dye 2 years prior to her doing my hair. She said I purposefully lied to her and told her I didn’t color my hair, etc. This was in Wilmington too. What reason would I ever have to lie to a hairdresser? I literally had forgotten I used it one time 2 years previously. She was also really rude because I showed up 10 min early while she was with another client. She made me feel so bad I never went back to her again!
Chelseeea: 8 years of Dark Auburn box dye so dark my hair was almost black. I went to a professional when I wanted to lighten my hair and I still remember how scared my stylist was to touch my hair. She kept checking my foils constantly. Took over two years slowly to transition blonde with very questionable awkward colors between appointments. I don't think I'll ever use box dye again.
livingthecatlife: I was totally willing to spend the money for salon dyed hair, but I genuinely am so disappointed every time after about a month and half the time I get a different colour than what I asked for
Natalia Morales: Thank you so much for this! I was just thinking exactly about the convenience and the $6 but when you said that if you were thinking of going lighter don’t do it, YOU SAVED MY HAIRRRR LOL. I am seriously considering going back to blonde or at least strawberry blonde. (I’m redhead rn)
Tai Godfrey: Been using box hair dye for 10 years. I used to go to the salon too and it usually costs 200 for a cut and dye. I've never been happier with my own haircut and hair color at home. I like to try different color at the store...and love to be surprised. Life is short, nothing has to be perfect. Just be happy. I did use your trick on the comb I didn't do it before, prob lazy but now I have gray hair, it is a must. Thanks for the tips.
Gina Reynolds: I just stumbled across this video & decided to watch it. Now for years I went to a salon to get my hair done & I was completely satisfied. I started getting grays in my early 20s so I've always had the base color and highlights. Somewhere along the way..I'd say 2014..things changed in the salons. The base color was no longer right and the highlights were not light enough. I simply fluctuated between heavy highlights in warmer months and lighter in Fall/winter. What's so hard about that? My stylist was no longer doing my hair right, so after about the 3rd time, I found another stylist. Explained the issue, oh they swore they could fix my hair. NOT! So many times, iver and over throughout the 5 years after that I was going through the same thing but still having to dish out that money. I decided I would do it myself at home & at least save almost a couple hundred. It took a while to find my perfect color box dye but I did. Then I decided I wanted to experiment with my own highlights so I started going to Sally's. I had learned over the years the products I needed. Foiling your own hair is very hard but not so bad if you don't try to do heavy Highlights. I have been doing my own hair for at least 4 years and it looks great!! Once a person learns what their undertones are and the same things the stylists learn, no problem. My question is, what happened? Did the products change? Did the stylist learn a new technique to make more money by messing your hair up? Just what happened? If I'm a cool, and the stylist is applying a warm color on me, that's not going to work out. If I ask for platinum blond highlights etc and you give me some yellowish highlights, we got a problem. What did the stylist Stop giving women the lightest highlights? I wish someone could answer that question. And what makes it so bad is, I would see some of them walking around with exactly the color I wanted and I would say the 2nd time I went there, That's the color I want on my hair. Just like you have yours!! But did I get it? NO...just sad overall. No offense to you dear...I just wanted to vent about how hair stylist changed back in 2014 and Nobody knows why ☹️ OH and one more thing, I see stylist shopping at Sally's all the time so there's nothing wrong with doing that if you know what you're doing
Cute and Fluffy Pikachu: It took me 7 weeks to go from black to blonde it cost me 1/3 of what it costs in the salon to have it done and it looks really nice I definitely have hair salon anxiety I haven’t been to one in 6 years because I had a really bad anxiety attack last time I went to one and being a hairdresser aswell really helps
Sasha Frost: I've had my hair done a salon many many times and have had good results sometimes and not so good results other times. The last couple times I colored my hair I used box dye and I actually received more compliments on it than anytime I went to a salon. It just seemed richer and shinier. People were shocked and I told them I was using Olia by Garnier. It's very rare that I've gone to a salon and actually received what was on the photo that I showed the stylist. I think the best reason to go to salon is to avoid some of the chemicals but to be honest they use plenty of chemicals too. I actually had a really bad allergic reaction once after going to a salon that lasted days. To this day I'm not totally sure what it was in the brown dye. I've never had an allergic reaction to box dye oddly enough even though it supposedly has more chemicals.
Simon Bartha: Amazing ! Thank you, people needed that. Once I dyed my hair because I wanted a dark brown shade and I tought that I shouldnt leave my brows because it would look wierd. So I covered my whole brows and 1-2 cm around it because I DIDNT KNOW IT WILL DYE MY SKIN TOO The color turned out black and my half face was painted witht the dye and I had to walk around with dark brown paches on my face for days . It was kinda awkward Im a hairdresser by now so that was a fun learning lesson. Go to a pro guys! ❤️
UNDERJOYED: Great video, very nicely articulated Also not me pretending i didn’t just dye my hair jet black from sallys hair dyes knowing I constantly change my hair
J j: I asked a girl at my work what salon she goes to for coloring as her hair is always gorgeous. Her answer was she does it herself w/ a $7 box from Walmart. I worked with her for 5 years, hair was always great
mirrbot: Thanks for the tips girl! I can't afford a salon so this will have to do :)
matchapaca : You're right about box color being intense, i tried to dye my hair back to my natural hair color Before school and decided to use the dark brown dye. IT TURN MY HAIR JET BLACK, LIKE DARKER THAN MY ORIGINAL HAIR BECAUSE THE DYE IS DESIGNED TO DYE GRAY HAIR my normal hair reflects orange and or red when exposed to the sun, after i dyed it, it reflects white and the same shade as my mom's hair (darker than mine) and it looks weird but thankfully it kinda washed out after washing it with my anti-dandruff shampoo
Gerli: I would love to have a professional hairdresser color my hair since I'm afraid to do it myself, but sadly I've lost any and all trust in those "professionals". Every time I've gone I've regretted it since they made it worse. The latest couldn't even cut my hair straight, everyone could easily see it was over 1 cm different lenght when straight. After which she tried to make my hair wavey (and failed. Made horrible locks instead at which point I wanted to leave that hell) to hide it so I only noticed the horrible haircut after shower. Add to that tried to heavily convince me to bleach my hair lighter(am already naturally dark blonde, don't need it) which is so damaging and ''professionals'' should not advice to do that when not asked. When I discovered after shower how horribly my hair had been cut I just cried for 2 days, almost 100 pound for a haircut that made me cry. Never trusting one again. So I love your video that explains how I can color my own hair and I wish I had met a hairdresser like you instead.
madelaine: I’ve been box coloring my hair longer than this girl has been alive. Best advice, go one shade lighter then you think or you will end up crying.
Lauren H: Thanks for the info :) I had grown out all my previous dyes and plucked up the courage to go to the salon for a “mushroom bronde”… ended up with my natural brown hair with red undertones and highlights half way down my head. Have stuck with it for last 6 weeks but can’t bear it anymore… box dye on the way to fix the expensive salon botch job.
tiggz R: Thanks for the tips. I'm glad ur not like Brad mondo who flat out shames people for box dye. Some people don't have the salon option you know
somegirlcalledjordan: I wish i had had this info when i was a middle schooler discovering the joys of changing up my color. So glad I made the switch to a salon to avoid further damage (although still paying for the damage already done!)
nozzywozzy: I can 100% say the only reason I have used box dye is because I cannot afford to get my hair professionally done. I dyed my hair red one time and I could not remove it lol... it was awful.
Lara King: There is literally no difference in box dye and professional dye. It’s literally the same companies making them and they actually make more money from box dye. The only difference is 1) the volume strength is set and often box dyes come with the highest volume 2) Getting the exact colour you want is a game of luck. A hairdresser usually creates the right shade and tone for you using multiple colours. When you buy a box it’s just the one and either it’s going to give you what you wanted or not. There is nothing you can do to adjust the colour. But from an ingredient point of view there is no difference.
Magdalena Mustać: The prices at salons are insane but Is still pay if it meant getting what I want, but thats sadly never the case. I always end up with exactly what I didnt want and then have to pay for it. Ive been trying to be a brunette again after dying my hair black on accident. Ive got the color down but they could not get the right shade of brown and once a hairdresser dyed my hair black again on accident Ive had enough. Ive started doing my hair by myself. Its not perfect, but its cheap and Im actually a lot closer to the color that I want.
Inoghmia: Thank you for being so sweet, not judgemental and straight to the point :)) Since covid I've been a scared of going into a salon especially that even in 2022 it's absolute hell in my city and it doesn't look like it's getting better. I rly want to go to a salon since I want a very specific color that reqieres bleaching my hair and mixing colors, but after waiting for over 2 years now I'm just going to dye it a similar color myself. Thank you :))
Stranded in Seattle: I used to lighten my own hair and my stylist never guessed until years later when she discovered my natural roots. She was astonished how well I did it on my own, kept asking my technique. Me: Well, I pour one bottle into the other and just slather it on my head.
Leigh Honey: I’ve gone really blonde (around a 9) from Brunette using box dye. I use L’Oréal 01 that lifts 4 shades. It’s not a bleach just a hair colour. I did it gradually over time. My hairdresser told me I wouldn’t get blonde hair from using it, and without bleach, but she was wrong. I use Fudge Professional Purple Shampoo and conditioner to keep the brassiness at bay, and I use lots of Olaplex number 6 to keep my hair in good condition. Once a week I use a treatment specifically to moisturise. I also only wash my hair twice a week to let the natural oils condition my hair. And if I’ve got nothing on I’ll leave my hair all week without washing it. I do go to my hairdresser for a cut every 6 months, and I get my fringe trimmed once a month. I cut my fringe at home as well but my hairdresser does a better job at that!
Amber Bamber: I get a lot of compliments on my hair and I use box my whole life
ainashay: I have naturally dark brown (L4ish) hair and I've used soft black and blue black box dyes on it in the past-- within a month the color completely fades out, after a couple months my hair looks as brown as it was before. I really like using box dye to go darker because at least on me it's never permanent and I can change my hair color pretty frequently, but I'm curious whether the dye remains in my hair even if I can't see it anymore...
EVA Gosselin: I liked the video bc you spoke so professionly and with alot of class.I really can't afford to get my hair colored at a salon, I have to add color every 4 or 5 weeks. I've been doing a box color for years and it comes out soft and shiney all the time.. I do thank you for your advice, very helpful!
C Sea: I actually got great compliments from a hair dresser when I dyed my own hair with a box and I was FLOORED!!! Lol I'm like really?!
clipinqueen: Great vid with excellent advice. I just want to make note, that it doesn't seem to be the 'box colour' that is the problem; it's the person applying it! LOL. It's just that we do our hair every month with the same colour on top of the old colour and it builds up. Then it becomes a b*tch to remove. I've seen permanent professional dyes that were also hard to remove and come up warm. I never had any damage to my hair until I started using professional products, but I put that on 'me.'
Orbitofchaos: Having to box dye my hair back after a horrible job by a hairstylist. First time dyeing my hair and I always held back bc I wanted it done well by a professional but my hair was left completely damaged and dry from the bleach and she never told me it was temporary. Washed out almost completely in about 3 washes :(
Aisha A.: Hey girl, great video. I learned the hard way to quit coloring my own hair even with salon quality hair dye. Could you do a vide on the best at home hair glosses and salon quality hair dyes? I have a few stray gray hairs and can't justify going to the salon to dye literally less than 5 hairs lol
Olyvia Page: I just watched your video for the first time . You are so extremely good at explaining things, completely honest and so much more ! You are very good! Wish I lived near you so I could come have you do my hair! I’m so extremely impressed with YOU! You’re a very honest, sincere and lots of integrity! Bravo !
Jane Kellie: I actually am so interested by Sam Vay's Advice and honest information!. Everything she is saying is True To Me Personally. I even tried box colour removal..then again tried to apply a light brown colour to my hair. I only left it on for 10 - 15mins ..and it turned almost black ...But Today ladies I attended a Hair Dresses of my Chose. She used a built up hair colours remover..yayy...I'm A Happy Bunny With My Whole New Look.
Bumblebee: I’ve had great success with box color over the last 20 yrs. Dark brown or dark burgundy are my favorite colors. Mixing developer & color in a bowl, weighing, precise measuring …. - a real hassle.
Christina Martinez: Sam, I am 44 years old and I am so tired of redyeing my gray roots every 3-4 weeks. I just tried the Redken gray hair dye and the G.O.D. (Gray Oxidizing Drops) and it's been 3 weeks, and my gray roots as usual are needing to be touched up again. Do you have any tips for gray hair or do you know a hair line that helps gray hair dyed longer than 3-4 weeks? Thanks in advance.
Myra House: I’ve never been to the hair dressers for colour I’ve done it myself it has always turned out lovely and it costs me little…. Compared to the huge prices at the salon. Thanks for the information x
S.J Somers: Thanks - I've spent a lot on two different salons now, who couldn't grasp achieving a colour. ...I warned them both of basic concerns which they ignored, i mean basic. One managed to unevenly bleach me, leaving my roots super bright & ends way dark, like a solid stripe, then they pretended they couldn't see the problem. The other this year simply failed to listen to me on a huge point i asked them not to do after bleaching if they werent sure, they went & did it (ruining/covering their own good initial bleaching work) so now i'm ironically having to consider a box dye to just have something strong/pigmented enough to cover it so this helps, thank you.
Lauren X: I went to my salon with platinum hair and 2 inches of roots that were BREAKING after the last time THEY bleached my roots and said I want to go back to blend the roots and go back to a natural ombre blonde look and what I walked away with after £80 was streaks of brown and still very obvious roots. I have had bad experiences in almost ever hairdressers I've been to and I'm sick of paying premium for it.
xVacunaVenomx: I love my hair jet-black. I've been dyeing it for 10+ years, and don't plan on going back to my natural hair. (It's light brown) The first 2 times I made the choice to go black, I went to a salon. BIG MISTAKE. I told the hair dresser I wanted the blackest black they could go. Absolutely jet-black, nothing lighter. Well, turns out they dyed me dark brown. It was hard to tell the first day, but after a wash at home I WAS PISSED. I went back to the salon to ask like wtf, why did you not give me what I asked for? They told me it was "impossible" to go that black on virgin hair. And me, not knowing any different, said okay. I scheduled another appt. with them to dye it jet black this time. AGAIN I left with dark brown hair. I was in tears and cried forever. I absolutely hated it, and they charged me a lot of money. That's when I decided to try myself. I was sick of paying $100+ a visit to get a result I hated. I did some research, and ended up with my brand of choice to this day, Revlon ColorSilk Ammonia-Free Dye in shade 10 Black. It looks amazing every single time. My hair is healthy and looks exactly how I want it to. Honestly, I will only go to the salon now for a cut, never a color again. But seriously, if you want an awesome permanent color that doesn't ruin your hair, I HIGHLY recommend Revlon ColorSilk.
T May: I internally laugh when hairdressers lecture and say ‘u know u won’t get the colour on the box’ well yes it’s always a guesstimate (only use in financial tight times when desperate) and u know what I’ve been to so many salons over the years and not once have I got the hair colour I’ve asked for either. They give the exact same line ‘it will never be exactly what we intend we just have to guesstimate and see when it settles what happens…even when it’s been done on my ‘virgin’ hair that hasn’t been dyed in a year or 2. I do appreciate that to go blonde I will always go to the salon but red/brunette shades can be relatively safe if that’s ur natural shades (I.e not natural blonde).
Destiny Palomares: I love this! Literally I do not trust hair dressers anymore! I pay so much money for my hair to come out with a vrassy tint I hate it so much! So thank you for this
spanky: I always do my whole head when I retouch, and I've never in my life had it damage my hair. I do it the way my grandmother taught me. You put hair oil on till it's stringy looking, then just put the dye in like you would shampoo, roots first. I trust her over any hairdresser cause she's in her 70s and looks like she's in her 50s and her hair is honestly old Hollywood glamour all the time. Also I have dyed one box right after the other without damage because of the oil. (Not bleaching though) All box dye says to do it on "dirty" hair... Ladies your hair isn't dirty after one day of not washing...and yet I have never once heard any advice giver mention that the hair is supposed to be dirty per the box instructions.
Charisma Hornum-Fries: I’ve bleached and colored my hair for the duration of the Covid. And I now have a short and platinum hairdo. Blondme has be some my best friend next to Olaplex 1+2 and a SPF for my scalp. If you can get your hands on professional bleach and / or coloring it’s both cheaper and will be safer. It’s really worth it.
LHC2020: I’ve used box dye 11.0 natural blonde for years. Schwarzkopf. I always added Lanza colour trauma treatment to the mix, and honestly, had great results - but, maybe a little hot at the roots. Im a six. Couldn’t afford to get my fast growing hair done at the salon. Anyhoo…it got a bit too brassy, so went to a really reputable salon to ask for a creamy blonde…. they did all sorts of magical things to my roots and lengths. It didn’t look too good to be honest, was very ashy. A month later, my hair broke off. I mean, it broke off at the root, it broke off in the mids and ends, I have tufts on my crown, I have a two inch difference in my back length on one side, I have thinning all over and I think I have lost about three quarters of my previously thick shoulder length hair. I have had blood tests to make certain there is nothing sinister going on. It all points to the salon, over processing my already over processed hair. I’ll stick to box.