Color Catastrophe: 5 Ways A Hair Salon Can Save You From An Out-Of-The-Box Disaster

So, you tried a home hair color that turned out disastrous, but you can't bear the thought of being seen in public long enough to get another box of color to cover up your laughable locks? Rather than panicking or hibernating in the house until your hair grows out, grab a hat or scarf or put on your favorite jacket with a hoodie and head to the nearest hair salon. There is hope, but you're not likely to find it in another do-it-yourself box of hair coloring: You need professional help.

1. Toning Down The Brass

If your hair disaster involves a glow-in-the-dark head of brassy blonde hair, the salon will tone down the harshest shades with warm undertones, while highlighting the darker roots. Brassy blond is a typical side-effect of store-bought color, especially after multiple colorings.

2. Muting The Orange From Over-Coloring

Also common with box after box of bleaching or lightening is an orange tint to your hair. This can be very unsightly, making you look cheap and unprofessional. That orange can be tinted out, followed by a glaze of healthy conditioner, which not only restores color to something more acceptable, but repairs the chemical damage you likely have going on.

3. Stripping The Color Completely

If the color of your hair is in such a sorry state that the salon doesn't think there's any way to turn it into something more attractive, or at least bearable, you have the option of having the color stripped away completely. In some cases, the resulting color might be an odd shade, but ready for a new coloring treatment, while in other cases, there'll be no color in your hair at all. Either way, stripping should undo what you did, paving the way for a miraculous restoration.

4. Making The Best Decision For You

You've probably been disappointed in the past by box color, especially since the results can be so dramatically different than what you expected or what was suggested on the outside of the package. That's because the new color combines with your existing color, often producing an unknown result. Hair salons are experienced in color matching and prediction, taking most—if not all—of the guess work out of the process. They'll help you decipher what a new pigment will do to the color you have now, along with deciding how much of a trim you need in preparation and how often you should be snipped thereafter. Coloring your own hair has many disadvantages, while seeing a professional regularly keeps you looking your best constantly and that makes it worth every penny.

5. Offering Professional-Strength Products That Undo Damage

Beyond saving you from your out-of-the-box coloring disaster, the hair salon will send you home with products that are far more results-oriented than anything you can buy in a supermarket or drug store. You'll have specific remedies for (your) specific problems and different hair products that actually live up to their promises. These professionally formulated concoctions are the secret to the great looking hair you see (and want) on celebrities all the time.

Harrowing hair color experiences can leave you feeling like you have no choice other than to accept the color you were born with or tolerate an ever-increasing number of gray strands. While you may be right to give up on the DIY home kits, though, keep in touch with that hairdresser because they know exactly what they're doing and exactly what will work for you, every time.