How Not To Dye

When you move to a new place, there are many things you need to find. Naturally, there are the things that are buried in boxes but I am talking about other, more urgent considerations. A new physician for example. But as a woman, a woman who has no idea what her actual hair color is, the hair stylist is the single most important person to find.

This stylist must be good at their job. They must understand your hair. They must be able to interpret your color and cut instructions. Like, wispy bangs, longish but not too long, brown but sort of red but not too red and sort of caramel but not really that yellowish. That kind of stylist.

I have not found one yet. Frankly, I haven't had time to look and I only know one person here and she is a cyber friend that I have never laid eyes on. So, I got nobody to give me a name.

So....I decided the roots couldn't hold out any longer. The RGH and I headed down to Walmart to buy some hair color. I have some advice for all of you do it yourself-ers out there. Here goes...

1. Do not let your significant other pick the color for you. Particularly if the significant other is a guy who does not know the difference between peach and mauve. I needed a dark brown color. Not cool brown, warm brown. According to the box, Natural Darkest Brown was exactly the color of my hair in the opinion of the RGH. Let me just say that I am aware color will fade. Perhaps one day my black hair will be brown again.

2. Do not color your hair and rinse it in a fiberglass shower. Our old house had porcelain tubs and showers. The new house is fiberglass. Unfortunately, Natural Darkest Brown hair color will also color a fiberglass tub and shower quite nicely. It makes a nice pinkish amber shade. Two rounds of Soft Scrub with bleach will turn it back to whitish. Be sure to wear a smock. The Soft Scrub with Bleach will splatter and you'll have lovely bleached out specks on your clothes. Trust me on this.

3. White towels are not the best choice when dying one's hair. Fortunately, you CAN bleach white towels but I don't use bleach. I had to buy some. I'm not buying new towels. Do yourself a favor if you are coloring your own hair; buy one brown towel. You'll thank me, I promise.

4. Do not dye your eyebrows if you are planning on leaving the house the same day. The dye will stain your skin. You will look like Groucho Marx for at least one full day. It helps if you wear glasses. You can also scrub the heck out of your eyebrows with a creamy soap and follow with a nice skin lotion. But you'll still be able to see the nice outline of color around your brows.

5. Do not rinse the dye out of your hair in the shower if you have a plastic shower curtain. It will turn lovely shades of purple if you use brown (or nearly black) dye. I imagine a blond or red would make a lovely yellowish orange tint. If you have a plastic shower curtain, I'd use the sink instead.

6. Once you are done with the dye job, admire your work...Even if your work is way darker than you anticipated. Repeat several times, "I saved a bundle today" followed by "color will fade, especially in the summer." Positive self talk is good for the soul.

Now, I have made all the mistakes for you. You should be confident to go forth and dye. Just be sure the person helping you choose the color is not color blind. Then, when you have made the perfect selection, buy the next lighter shade...I'm just sayin'.

Blessings,

MaryC