The truth about using professional hair dye at home

The safest way to get professionally colored hair from your home actually requires that you invest, at first, in a salon visit. Your colorist will work with you to find exactly the right shade to achieve the look you want. You just need to make sure she shares that information with you, so you can buy the dye and repeat the process yourself when the color fades and you start seeing roots. Some salons even recently started sell color-at-home kits (per NJ.com), though it’s unclear if this trend will continue and spread to other salons. 

If plunking down cash for a preliminary salon coloring isn’t an option, you can still consult a professional on which hue to choose. New York City-based colorist Rachel Bodt told Allure that she will FaceTime with clients. Websites like Madison Reed provide a detailed online quiz to determine your best hair shade, and then allow you to live-chat with a color expert who can guide your decision. If you’re not familiar with this brand and would rather use one that you can find in many salons nationwide, L’Oreal Professional has a website, Color & Co, that also provide live assistance selecting a L’Oreal Pro color. 

Keep in mind that in-home professional color is your best bet when you’re trying to maintain a simple color. If you want to add highlights, go ombre, or change your natural hair color by more than two shades, you’re probably better off going to that salon, after all (per Racked).