The age old question for many women – why pay for professional haircolor when it can be done at home?
Taylor Lyons, stylist at Aurelio Salon, wants to make sure her clients are crystal clear on the differences between professional and DIY color and why it’s always best to seek professional services. So, she compiled a list of the “Top 12 Reasons To Use Professional Hair Color vs. Store Bought” and posted it on the salon website for easy access. There will never be a doubt in anyone’s mind again – pro is the way to go!!
1. Varying factors when choosing a color. Two women may have the same level haircolor and yet get different results when using the same box color. Natural level, underlying pigment (red, ash, etc.), skin tone, medication, hair condition, amount of gray, previous artificial haircolor and hormones all play a factor in how the end result will be. None of these factors are brought into consideration when buying it off the shelf.
2. One size does not fit all. Box color is made to color hair ranging from dark brown to light blonde and coarse to fine hair, all with the same box. The agent in box color that activates the lifting and depositing is often at the highest amount allowed in salons, or higher! This frequently causes over processing and added stress on the hair.
3. Professional licensed hairstylists are trained. The average person does not know much about porosity, density and elasticity. Professionals have gone to school and passed their state board exam qualifying them to color hair. Box color doesn’t take these factors into consideration, let alone how to test for them.
4. The back of the head. No matter how many mirrors are around, it’s hard to see the back of a head when applying color to your own head. Color is meant to go on new growth only (roots that have grown in up to the line of previous color), once there is overlap on previous color with new harsh chemicals, there is more damage and color can appear splotchy and uneven.
5. Misunderstanding about condition. Many people believe coloring hair is a direct correlation to dry damaged hair, but professional brands have unique conditioning agents that condition the hair while it is being colored. Many products even improve shine and texture, not to mention healthy hair holds color better and longer.
6. Polka dots and bleed marks. Two terms that originated from “cap highlights.” Besides the fact that pulling hair through a plastic cap with something that looks like a fish hook is painful, there is no way to prevent the bleach from swelling at the root and causing bleed marks. And, the holes are all placed in a pattern, so there is no customization for needs or face/head shape.
7. Wanting that celebrity haircolor. Beyoncé, Eva Longoria, and Gwen Stefani – they are not buying their own $8 box color and putting it on themselves, even though they may be spokespeople for box color. Nope, they have trained professionals that maintain their beautiful color.
8. Expiration dates: How long has the box been on the shelf? Is it old, have the active ingredients lost their oomph?
9. “NEW” and “Improved” Formula? With box companies constantly changing their formulas to try and keep up with professional color, it’s hard to get predictable results. Not only is professional color safer, but also each color line has various colors, shades, hues, additives, and developers, so colorists can adjust or change the formula based on an assessment of a guest’s hair.
10. Savings? Most people color their own hair at home to save money, but what happens when blonde is orange? Or the pretty dark brown on the box looks like an ashy green? There are two options: walk around feeling less than beautiful or go into a salon for a $200+ corrective color service. In the end, professional color will save the day.
11. Changing color is easier said than done. The average person is unaware that artificial color does not lift artificial color. Going from brown to blonde at home is not going to happen. Even going from blonde to dark isn’t easy. Box color doesn’t contain “fillers” or “extra missing pigment,” things the average person doesn’t realize they need. Switching from box to professional also isn’t guaranteed because of the different dyes in the two.
12. Friends/Cashier’s advice. Don’t seek advice from anyone when purchasing box color unless they have been properly trained, know the product line and take hair texture, porosity, existing color and hair condition into consideration.