Many women are obsessed with changing their hair colors, and this “trend” has been around for ages. To be more precise, women have been changing hair color for over 4,000 years! The women during the Ancient Greek civilization used lead oxide (which was very toxic by the way) to turn their hair black while the rich women from the Elizabeth era used saffron and some dangerous chemicals to turn their hair into fiery red.

So, if you love to color your hair, it’s very fortunate that you live in the 21st century. Hair coloring chemicals now won’t put you at risk of any fatal consequences. They’re also widely available. The only problem is that going to a salon each and every time you have the urge to change your hair color can be quite expensive. It’s a good thing that box color products are available. Or is it?

In 2011, there was a 12% rise in the sale of home colorants especially those under the permanent hair color category which accounts for 80% of the market. Brands like Wella, John Frieda and L’Oreal are very popular and there is also a wide range of colors for you to choose from. Home dye kits will cost you an average of $10 – $12 and hair coloring professionals charge at least 4x more if you opt to get your hair colored in a salon.

The truth is, opting for box hair colors will turn out great if you know how to use it correctly but it’s generally advisable to simply go to a salon to be sure. Hairdressers are trained to create colors that you simply cannot find in hair color kits and they also know which shades will suit you.

If your hair is gray, head to a salon

Gray hair is the most difficult kind of hair to color because there’s no pigment to work with. You will need the expertise of a good colorist. They’re kind of hard to find but a really creative colorist will know how to dye hair even if it’s 80 to 100% gray.

If you want highlights that look very natural, head to a salon

Creating highlights require skill and training which is why it’s highly unlikely that you can do it successfully using a dye kit. Highlights will work great on short styles and medium styles, and the outcome will be much more favorable if you let the experts do it for you.

If you want semi-permanent color, do it at home

Some women aren’t really sure what color they want so they want to play around with different hues first. If this is the case for you, using semi permanent colors which can be removed after just 10 washes would be ideal. You don’t need to go to a salon for this. Simply buy one of those wash in wash out kits for about $8 at the local drugstore and try it at home.

If your hair roots need retouching, do it at home

Your roots grow every 4 weeks which means that after this time, it will show a darker or lighter shade that’s different from the hair color you have. You don’t need to go to a salon to redo your roots because that takes time and it’s also expensive. Simply buy a touch up kit at your pharmacy to hide obvious regrowth.

Home color products have definitely come a long way over the years and they’ve now been perfected to suit busy people who simply don’t have time to go to a salon to have their hair colored. These are also ideal for those who don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars a year on professional salon services. However, there are instances wherein going to professional colorist is important and necessary. Check your current hair situation so you can better decide whether you should simply buy those cheap hair color products or opt for a salon service.