1. One size does not fit all hair colors
Hair color is not nearly as simple as most people believe it is. Trust us, there is a reason we are required to have a license.
There are many considerations that need to be accounted for before developing the formula for any hair color. Things such as the hair type, condition, color, is it virgin or colored, medications taken, allergies, and more are all factors that determine what should be used on the hair to get to the desired outcome.
If you want a medium brown, you cannot just grab a box that says medium brown, slap it all over your hair and expect great results. (It would be nice if it were that easy though!!)
If you are currently blonde and want brown hair, the hair needs to be filled before the brown is applied. This means a warmer, copper, gold, or red color needs to be applied FIRST. Otherwise, the hair will turn a muddy/green/ash color and fade extremely quickly.
If you currently have black hair, the black needs to be lifted enough to take on the lighter color. This is typically a corrective color service and is a huge process that NO ONE should be doing themselves at home.
If you have previous color on your hair with roots growing in, you need to mix a different formula for the new-growth or else you will have two-toned hair.
Even when using professional salon color, we very rarely mix up one color straight out of the box. Typically each formula is customized specifically for what we are creating. We usually mix anywhere between 3-5 color tubes in one bowl, and sometimes use up to 5 differently formulated bowls for what is needed to achieve the ending result.
2. Terrible for your hair
I’m sure you probably already figured that box dye isn’t good for your hair, right? Believe us, there is a reason it is so cheap.
In order to save money and lower the cost, the manufactures use low quality dyes, chemicals, and additives to make this possible.
They typically contain high amounts of ammonia, PPDs, nitro dyes, metallic salts, and even henna. These are all harsh chemicals that can be extremely damaging to the hair as well as cause reactions to sensitive skin and allergies.
When you put box dye on your hair, it is permanent and these chemicals do not come out until the hair is cut off. Your hair will take on a new texture and feel stiff or straw-like due to all of the chemicals it now has imbedded in the cortex.
3. Box dyes are progressive dyes
What is a progressive hair color you ask? This means that each time you use it; the pigment will build onto its-self and get darker each time you apply the color.
Have you ever seen or noticed when someone’s hair is lighter at their root, and their ends appear very dark or almost black?
Because of the metallic salts and henna additives, each time the hair is colored; the ends pick up more and more color while the new-growth only has one layer. Causing a reverse-ombré,
This does not happen with salon hair color because it does not contain henna or metallic salts that bind to the keratin in the hair (keratin is the protein that your hair is made up of).
So in the salon while the color is not always needed to pull through the ends each time, it will only get as dark as the level used even if it is.
This is another reason why box dyes make for a much more difficult corrective color service. If I need to lift and break through years of box dye, the ends may not ever lift as light as the rest of the hair because it has so many layers of progressive dye on it.
Chances are the hair will break off before it will ever be a pretty light blonde tone.
4. You shouldn’t be coloring your hair yourself
When we do your hair in the salon, we have access to much higher quality products than you do. We use additives that avoid breakage and contain heavy duty maximum strength conditioning treatments that are not avaliable to the general public. And on top of all the chemistry involved, we also learn the techniques needed to color hair.
5. Your color correction will cost WAY more than going to the salon in the first place
Since box color never turns out the way it looks on the box, 9 times out of 10 you are going to need to come into the salon for a color correction.
Corrective color prices are significantly higher than a typical color or highlight because there is significantly more work and product required to keep your hair healthy and to get it looking pretty again.
