Home Hair Colour vs Salon Colour

Many people colour their hair at home. You get a bee in your bonnet and whip down to the supermarket and buy a box colour then whack it on at home. We have all done it, me included. When I was a teenager I used to use a lightener on my naturally blonde hair. I know the feeling well - the excitement of ripping open the box. Completely ignoring the safety instructions. Popping the colour on, then washing it off after the alloted time with excitement....then drying it, with that increasing "sicky" feeling in my tummy as I notice I have orange roots and suspiciously green looking ends....dear God, if I knew then what I know now......

So whats the difference between a home colour and a salon professional service? Where do I start?!
Firstly home colours, though essentially made of the same stuff as salon colours, are made to cover a more generic hair type. They tend to have a very high volume of peroxide so that they can easily lighten even much darker hair. This really isn't good for the condition of your hair, and will affect future colouring, as you will have to treat the regrowth differently to the coloured hair.
Salon colours will be tailored to your hairs individual needs, and will be much kinder to your hair, protecting its integrity by using the correct amount of peroxide that your hair requires.


Hands up who does a patch test every time they use a home colour? Be honest! There have been many cases of people using home colours and suddenly developing sensitivity. This can lead to awful side effects, that can require hospitalisation. Some sad cases have even resulted in Death. I don't mean to scare monger, but I must stress the importance of a patch test, even when using home colour. Its just not worth the risk.


All salons are required by law to perform a patch test on a new colour client. If colour brands are changed, a patch test must be performed again.  We dont just do it to annoy you, I promise! It takes a few minutes, but worth it. If your salon is happy to do your colour without patch testing you first......don't do it!


I have done so many colour corrections from home hair colour its unreal. If I had a pound for every time I heard the sentence "it said dark brown on the box, but its turned out black!!" Its not the fault of the consumer, how are you supposed to know?
 But I can tell you, if you got a brown felt tip pen and coloured a WHITE piece of paper, would it be the same as if you coloured a RED piece of paper? Colour results very much depend on what the natural base is. Its not a simple as whacking it on, then 40 minutes later having the locks of Eva Longoria.... Hairdressers are extensively trained in the science of colour, and know how to mix bespoke cocktails of colour and peroxide specific to YOUR hair.
We don't just stand around talking about holidays and the weather you know ;-) well, not all the time anyway...

To be honest, the main issue with home colouring is in the application. Generally, when you colour your hair at home, you see your roots come through and pop the box dye on all over.
Its getting to the roots right? maybe so, but what's it doing to the rest of your hair?
Get that felt tip pen out again. Colour in a square on paper, then do it again adding a bit on the top, then again, and again making sure you are going over the original bit too. Light top and very dark, if not annihilated bottom???
Same thing in hair. You are building up pigment on the ends, that will cause it to be dry, dull, brittle and way darker (or lighter, if using a lightening tint) than your roots!

 In a salon, your stylist will apply to your roots first, then refresh the ends as he or she sees fit, using their technical knowledge to guide them as to what your hair requires.

"But salon colours are so expensive!" Yes, they cost more than £6.99 this is true, but you are paying for a bespoke service and colour that is applied safely and correctly all the while being entertained and waited on and and foot by highly trained proffesionals. You're not just paying for the tube of tint!
Besides that, have you ever spent an entire sunday, applying box colour upon box colour to your hair because it's just not turning out right? Did you end up having to get it fixed in a salon? Did you end up spending twice as much?????
 I am an ambassador for low maintenance hair I assure you! I have 2 children and a business to run, and have bills to pay like everyone else. But I don't even attempt to paint my own nails, I pay someone who knows what they're doing because I will get the result I want, without panicing that I have made a total hash of it!

 If you have a salon colour you can work with your stylist to create your perfect look, that will be as low maintenence as you require - and if you don't like it, you at least have some come back! We are here to make you look the best we possibly can with a tint brush (not to be mistaken for a  magic wand ).

Like I said before, If I knew then what I know now....I would of happily payed a professional £30 to do my roots, then risk £6.99,(paid it) orange roots,(had them) broken ends (snapped to hell) and an allergic reaction on a home colour (narrowly avoided thank goodness).