Shot of Amazing: Top Tips: How to Dye Your Hair at Home

I've been dying my hair at home since seventh grade, when I first started experimenting with color. Lately I've been very happy with my dark red hair color. These are my tips that I accumulated over the years, followed by the routine I do when I dye my hair any color! Disclaimer: not a hairstylist, just what I do when I dye my hair!

TIPS:

Don't wash your hair for a couple of days before. Let it get greasy. It will help the color adhere better to the strands. Try not to use any product during those days.
If you have product in your hair, rinse it out. You don't want your product to get in the way of your color. However, don't wash your hair with shampoo or put conditioner in. I rinse mine out the night before, so my hair has plenty of time to dry completely and so I don't have to do it all in one day.
I would recommend not buying box dye. Some of it has ammonia in it, and it's harsher on your hair than the professional colors. (Plus when you buy at a beauty supply store, you can talk to the workers to make sure you have exactly what you need!) I've noticed a change in the health of my hair since switching to a professional color.
Wear old clothes. You don't want to dye your favorite sweatshirt. I have a t-shirt just for dying my hair.
If you're worried about getting dye all over your face or neck, put some Vaseline on your forehead and neck. It will keep the dye off of your skin, so when you wipe off the Vaseline, the dye will wipe off with it.
It's a messy process, so make sure you have permission before doing it. Also, put down an old towel or something before doing it.
If you do get dye on your skin, makeup wipes or rubbing alcohol do remove it.
If this is your first time dying your hair a certain color (or at all) don't be surprised if your hair doesn't hold on to the color for the length of time you want. Your hair may not be porous enough, you may be using the wrong shampoos/ conditioners for your hair, or it may be a hard color to keep. For example, the first time I dyed my hair red, the intensity only lasted for about 4 weeks, but now I can go about 6-8. (Lighter colors tend to wash out quicker, so if you are doing a pastel color, just know that it will wash out quicker than if you dye your hair black)

Routine:

I get my stuff together! I mix 2 ounces of this Ion Color Brilliance Permanent hair color with 2 ounces of 10 volume developer.
Then I section off my hair as if I were going to straighten or curl it. I make sure not to get too big sections because I could make a mistake and not get a section.
Then I get smaller sections within the section I’m working with. They’re usually about half an inch in width.
Then I start apply my color. I get a small amount and work it into my roots, then work it down the length of my hair. I take care to get every strand. Then I brush through that section with a paddle brush to make sure I get every strand.
Then I put my hair into a bun, and put a plastic bag around it so that it wouldn’t get everywhere.