Barffie’s Guide To DIY Hair Colour.

Yes. I am a true blue el cheapo. I don’t pay others to colour my hair. Well, maybe just about… 3 times?

I have to colour my hair, because I have white hair. Lots of them. It’s genetic, because my sisters have the exact same kind of problem. So I have to colour my hair every 3 months.

So, I colour my hair myself, at home, ever since DIY kits crawled out of obscurity (read: very long ago) and into mainstream stores like Watsons and Guardian Pharmacy. At first there were only a few choices here and there, and they were all placed behind locked glass shelves with the imposing words “Poison: speak to a pharmacist” or some crap.

Nowadays, it’s quite the jungle out there! Open for all (who are fellow el cheapos) to pick and choose. Some people hate to go through the mess themselves, but for less than S$18 a pack in general, I’d say it’s a good deal if you are not looking for elaborate streaks or highlights.

Here’s what I’ve learnt, but don’t sue me if you screw up your own hair dye job.

Permanent vs Semi-Permanent
DIY hair colour kits are usually made of permanent hair dyes. Means that they last longer and the chemicals used are much stronger. Those that the salons use are usually semi-permanent hair dyes. So they generally don’t last as long as those you can find from DIY kits.

I’ve had semi-permanent hair dyes staining towels and pillows even after 3 days and a couple of washes later. No such problem with permanent hair dyes so far.

Lifespan
Hair colour from DIY kits usually last me around 2 months before they fade to a dark brownish tint, which is fine by me. But the effect from hair salon colours usually fade within 3 weeks or so into a lighter shade of brown, sometimes leaving my hair looking like suspiciously like hay or some kind. This is because…

Bleach
There are different grades of hydrogen peroxide/bleach used in the different products for hair dye. As the bleach (the developing cream that you squeeze the colour tube into) used for DIY kits are usually not as strong (perhaps for safety reasons or because you’ll probably screw up your own bleaching job if it’s too strong - resulting in uneven patches and *gasp* hair falling out in clumps), means that your hair colour will not appear as vibrant as those done in the salons.

Basically, you’ll never achieve the level of evenness that a colourist can create for you in a hair salon, if you are looking for very light and vibrant shades like anime blue or jewel purples. Crouching over the sink at home for long hours isn’t the best thing for your posture either.

Hair “Virginity”
The “simulated colour effect” on the packaging is usually quite inaccurate, especially if you are a hair colour virgin (referring to most youngsters whose school prohibit “unnatural hair colours”: this means that your hair has not been chemically treated in any way) - the colour achieved by using DIY kits usually look more like “tints” instead of actually being very strong on the colour front.

Dryness
In the past, DIY kits tend to be very drying because the kits consist only of gloves, developing cream and the colour proper. But the fact is, because hair salons throw in “free” hair treatment after the colouring sessions, so you’ll actually feel that colouring jobs done in the salons are less “harmful” to your hair. Not really.

Nowadays DIY kits come with really powerful hair conditioners that you can’t get off the shelves. They usually come in a tiny little bottle or packet and they leave you wanting for more. You can actually ration them a little, they usually last about 3 washes for my long hair.

Smell
One thing that bothers me about DIY hair dyes is the smell. I love sniffing hair dye… but I’ll hate to share it The smells usually wears off about 2 washes later though.

Some other things that I learnt
1. Do not wash your hair with shampoo before the DIY colour job. This strips the hair of the natural oils that will protect your hair from getting too dry. “1 day old” hair is good enough without being too greasy or unmanageable.

2. Mix the liquids up and apply the mixture really quick. The stupid brushes and combs don’t work. Use the gloves provided in the kits and do the following: “Squirt. Smear. Spread.” It’s much faster, and less messy. See next point about why “quick” is of the essence.

3. The mixture is at its most potent when you first mix them together. Any longer, and the colour won’t “stick”. How to tell when the potency drops? When the mixture in the bottle turns into the colour that you are trying to achieve. I usually use purple or reddish dyes, so it’s pretty obvious when it turns from the initial cream colour to purple, for example.

This is why they don’t advise you to keep the mixture afterwards, it’s pretty much useless beyond 10 minutes or so.

4. 1 bottle is usually enough for long hair. Mine is almost waist length now, and so far my favourites are L’Oreal Excellence and Garnier 100%. The former has more than enough for me, the latter is just enough.

5. Pick the creamy dyes like the 2 I mentioned above. The watery ones like Feria sucks. They drip all over and they don’t cover white hair much. Bigen is rather drying (not to mention, aunty-ish). So I don’t recommend that brand either.

6. Wipe off all drips and stains on your forehead, your ears, and the neck with a wet cloth before you finish up the application.

7. Leave your hair colour to develop for around half an hour to 45 mins. I usually lose count and only wash off around 1 hour. It won’t make your hair die (haha, get the pun?) especially if your strands are thick and stubborn like mine. If it starts to itch - wash it off, soon!

8. You can use the hair dryer to go over your hair while it is being “developed”, the heat helps to seal in the colour more quickly. I usually just wrap with cling wrap - it’s neat, prevent drips, and keep in the heat that is being naturally emitted by me. I usually go about doing my own things, which is why I lose track of time

9. Wash off with warm water first, slightly rubbing your scalp in the process to remove stains, and until the water in the bathroom turns somewhat clear, then go through with cold water if you can be bothered.

Use the pack of powerful conditioner, just enough to coat all your hair, do not rub conditioner into your scalp unless you want an attack of dandruff. Rinse (you’ll see a little more colour being washed out) and repeat a second time. First time you apply it, it’ll get rid of residual dye too stubborn to be rinsed off by water. Second time you apply, it’s for the actual “moisturising” effect.

You’ll find your hair much softer after the 2nd application of the conditioner after the residual dye is washed off. L’Oreal Excellence gives you a small bottle good for at least another 2 more washes (No, this is NOT an advertorial.)

10. Do not use shampoo to wash your hair after using the powerful conditioner. Leave it and let hair to air dry. Bear with the smell. And then you are done

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Hope my guide helps. Meanwhile, I have burgundy tinted hair to love for now