Box Color vs. Professional Color: The Dangers of Doing It Yourself

It's easy to be tempted by the low cost of do-it-yourself hair coloring kits.  However, the low cost of drug store hair color often comes at a high price.  There is a science to professional hair color, just as with any other professional service.  Your stylist has been through years of training and experience, and attempting to replace that with a store-bought box of color can be quite dangerous.  Here are three of the biggest reasons why:

1. You can't buy a consultation in a box

A good consultation is essential to a good color service.  Your stylist will sit down with you and analyze your hair needs, desires, and goals.  He or she will then evaluate the texture, condition, elasticity and porosity of your hair.  Your previous color, starting level, and gray percentage will also be considered.  A box of drugstore hair color doesn't know to ask you any of these questions.  It doesn't know how to look at your face shape and decide the color placement that will best accent your features.  It can't tell you what color is best for your skin tone, what cut would go best with this color, or how to care for your hair so that you get the longest life out of your color.  Your stylist knows the answers to all of these questions and is there to make sure that you get the color that is best for you.  Do-it-yourself hair color kits may be less expensive initially, but don't let the price tag fool you, because...

2. Box color could wind up costing you a fortune!

We understand that it can be tempting to go with box color because it is the cheaper option.  But believe us when we say that we have seen a LOT of botched at-home color jobs over the years.  Too dark, too red, blotchy and uneven coloring... We've seen it all.  The trouble is, there is no guarantee in a box of drugstore hair color.  If you're not happy with the result, then it's up to a stylist to fix it, and corrective color jobs are much more complicated than normal color applications.  Now that you need corrective work, you're getting into the HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS to fix it, rather than simply having it done right the first time for much, much cheaper.

You may be thinking, "So what?  I've used box color before and it turned out fine."  We're not saying that every at-home color job is a disaster, but box color will never give the beautiful results that professional color can offer.  Why?  The answer is simple:

3. Box colors are made for anyone; Professional color is made for YOU

Box colors are generic colors that are designed to go on anyone's hair.  This means that you are getting what the manufacturer has decided is a one-size-fits-all color solution, which usually includes stronger dyes and stronger developers, without taking into account whether it is the right thing for your hair.  You can't use the same color and developer on every person's hair, any more than you could use the same oil in every kind of car, or the same marinade on every kind of food.  These generic colors usually give a flatter, duller result and are more damaging to your hair.

Your stylist, on the other hand, is trained to evaluate every single variable that might affect your hair color, from previous color jobs to overall hair health.  Your stylist has multiple professional color lines, different strengths of developers, and hundreds of shades to choose from.  These shades are usually mixed to give you a unique formula that is perfect for your hair (as opposed to the handful of shades that most at-home color lines offer).  Your stylist is also trained in many different color and highlighting techniques, which means that they can give you a beautiful multi-dimensional hair color that you could never get out of a box.

As we said before, hair color is a science, and your stylist has training and experience, but most of all, your stylist cares for you and your hair in a way that a box never can.  Having your hair colored professionally will ensure that your hair is as healthy and beautiful as it can be!