Not long ago I read an article about “at home haircolor.” Naturally, being in the profession- I got a little defensive. But then I noticed that the person giving the “advice” and “how-to” is a colorist in NYC. So I thought I would remove myself from my professional position and see what she had to say…

The goals within the article were to revitalize haircolor, cover gray and lighten up. I was quite amazed in just looking at the pictures because the women looked great with their new “do’s.” For this- I have no problem giving credit where credit is due. This intrigued me even more but then came the “ah-hah” and I started to notice some of the fine print.

There were several tips for these DIY colors: stay conservative, enlist a friend to help, make sure you have natural light, perform a strand test in a spot that can be hidden..and so on. And then, a final disclosure that stated “there’s room for disaster so follow the tutorial carefully and a have a “how-to-fix” solution ready.

Things we hear from our guests on a daily basis are things like- “I don’t have a lot of time,” “I don’t want to invest a lot of energy or spend a lot of money.” I think the obvious perk in DIY haircolor is probably the time and money factors. However, even though these women did turn out quite beautiful each of them still had comments that I couldn’t help but shout a mini “that’s what I thought!” Some of the things they said were “I don’t think I’d have the courage without the stylist next to me.” Or, “the highlighting process was pretty complicated so if I feel like I really need some lighter pieces- I’ll just go to the salon.” And lastly- “I loved how my hair turned out but didn’t realize all of the extra supplies I would need to keep on hand. Paint brush, timer, rat tail comb, alcohol based toner to remove stains from skin, etc.”

So, okay- I named my not-so-positive feelings about the article but one thing it did do- is get us thinking! Back to the comments we hear from our guests…what could we do to help? Because you know we’re not going to suggest the DIY. 🙂 And so, we were reminded of some the things that we believe help our guests on a daily basis.

Complimentary consultations for any service so that the guest is 100% comfortable. A level system for our stylists, an extensive training program and continuous education. Our guests can maintain their fabulous looks within their specific budgets but also feel safe and happy within any level of stylist. Color Express service offered within 3 weeks of their color service for the guest that has roots peeking a little sooner than desired. $35 gets them in and out with color accelerator and covers the hairline, root and halo areas.

With all of this- of course we know it is possible to do at home color but in the end are you really saving time, that much money, and importantly- the integrity of your hair?

So to add our own disclosure: ***Most, if not all, box colors have metallic salts that can not be removed unless they are cut out of your hair. And they can prevent you from other specialties like Keratin treatments and sometimes the ability to make certain color changes. Just some food for thought…in the mean time- Be kind to your hair!