What to Do With Your Hair After a Bad Box Dye Job
We've all been there before—you're excited to refresh your look and have just come out of the shower after applying a dye you bought in a box that shows an image of your dream hair on the front—but when you finally take the towel off your head and reveal your hard work, you're left feeling a lot less elated and a lot more…troubled, to say the least.
It's a common situation that many of us have faced, but that doesn't make it feel any better when it happens to you. With that said, though, you aren't left completely helpless when you find yourself dealing with a bad box dye job. Here's what you should do next!
1. Don't Panic
Relax. Breathe. It's just hair. Yes, this is easier said than done, but the worst thing you can do is freak out and do further damage to your hair just to make yourself feel better momentarily (and worse in the long run). Besides, what might seem like a completely undesired result to you might be barely noticed by others.
(via Shutterstock)
Also read about: Suffering From a Bad Bleach Dye Job? Here's How to Bring Your Hair Back to Life
2. Do Not Try to DIY a Solution
Going along with the theme of "don't panic," don't jump to try some sort of quick-fix solution that you think might undo or fix what you've done with the first box of dye. What is more likely to happen is that you'll only make matters worse and do much more damage than good.
Also read about: Suffering From a Bad Bleach Dye Job? Here's How to Bring Your Hair Back to Life
3. Find a Stylist You Can Trust
While we hate to admit it (box dye—and its price tag—can be tempting), there's a reason why professional hairstylists will urge you never to dye your own hair at home. These products can lead to problems like "banding," which takes a lot more work to fix and get your desired result than if you were working with hair that has never been dyed or that has only been dyed at a real salon.
So, while it might hurt you to wait and hurt your bank account to have to pay a pretty penny for it, you'll want to find a stylist you can trust to get your hair back in good shape. If you've never looked for a stylist before, ask around—especially for stylists that specialize in color correction services. Send them photos, be honest about what happened (trust us, they'll know when they actually look at your hair in person anyway so you may as well tell the truth) and be realistic about what results are possible, especially in one session.
(via Shutterstock)
Also read about: How to Get Your Hair Holiday Party-Ready
4. Be Patient
In the meantime, learn to work with your current color. As we mentioned before, the color you ended up with probably looks worse to you than it does to anyone else (and probably simply because it isn't what you were going for). Even if it is truly "bad," wearing anything with confidence helps you own it and make it work. Besides, it's only temporary—once you've found a good stylist who can get you in for an appointment and once you feel confident you have the money to spend on both the service (a good stylist can charge upwards of $80-100 per hour, and color corrections can take time) and tip (you should tip at least 20%, just like with most service jobs), you've got the worst part over with. Now rock what you've got for now and get ready for your ultimate glow-up when you finally get your desired result, even if it takes longer than expected.
Need some help finding a stylist after a bad box dye job has you nearly freaking out? No need to stress so hard, just click HERE to read about how to find a good one you'll love.