Another home hair color question

Peri

I think this is probably a dumb question but...

I've read all the warnings about wear old clothes or drape an old towel over your shoulders. Put down towels on the floor and on the counters. Wow.

But then you are supposed to get in the shower and wash it out. So no worries about it staining your shower?

2 years ago

General

15 replies

Latest reply was from Peri

rachylou

Veteran

The one time I tried to colour my hair myself, it wasn’t that I permanently stained any hard surfaces… it was just that I got colour on everything but my head! Lol

2 years ago

Eliza

Veteran

Can’t wait to hear how folks navigate this. My fear of dark hair color done by me at home during Covid is why my hair is now light silver. I know there is a way; just have no idea what it is.

2 years ago

Anonymous

I’ve never had hair colour stain the tub . The shower curtain , yes , though .

2 years ago

Joy

Veteran

I have not used anything on my grey hair . It just sounds like too much trouble. I get compliments on the color although it could probably use some help.

2 years ago

bella

(website)

Veteran

Good luck! I am quite the expert having self-colored for almost 20 years. Happy to answer your questions.

Things to remember: Clothes should be easily removable when you hop in the shower and not definitely not go over your head, or they will most certainly stain. Alternatively, you can just lean over the sink and wash your hair only, but I still manage to get stains then and not just on my clothes but all over the bathroom.

And no, you don't get stains in the tub - unless your tub is very old and the enamel (gloss?) has worn off. I've had this happen with very vibrant colors (think dark brown, black, red) in rental units in old and neglected student housing.

Another thing to pay attention to is the back of your head. Do you have long hair? It can be a bit difficult to coat your hair evenly with dye in the back of your head with long hair. You won't get an even look and your hair won't take to the dye if you don't completely drench it.

There is a method, and it would be helpful to have someone to help.

There are also other things to consider: Are you coloring virgin hair or is your hair already colored? Are you covering grays? etc. so read up on those if you haven't already done so to get the best results.

2 years ago

Bijou

Veteran

I think it depends upon the colour you are using and how strong it is. A good friend of mine was very cross at her daughter for dying her hair bright red (think Elmo red), as it caused the grout in the shower to turn pink. With lighter and semi permanent colours, there is not a problem.

My Mum dyed her hair brown when some greys started coming through and always washed the colour off in the laundry sink.

2 years ago

RobinF

Veteran

Everything Joan said! I did that for years and it really does stain fabrics badly, even the smallest drop. No problems with the tub or sink. However, Bijou makes a point about tile grout. My tub had a solid surround and wasn't tiled so that wasn't an issue.

2 years ago

cat2

Veteran

Oh, I had forgotten about that. I damaged the grout in a rental with dots of dye.

2 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I just had flashbacks to a trip to NYC with my college radio friends back in the 80s, when one girl decided to dye her hair purple in the hotel bathroom. The tub turned lavender. That poor housekeeping staff.

2 years ago

Roberta

Veteran

I always rinse my hair in my oversized stainless steel kitchen sink. And don't run the spray too hard, or the color will bounce. This isn't a problem in my kitchen which has black countertops! After that rinse I put the cream conditioner in for a few minutes and then rinse it off again in the sink. I have found that the heavy conditioner that comes with the box dye is very, very slippery in the shower.

I have a particular navy bathrobe and a particular dark green towel that I use whenever I color my hair. They're like old friends.

2 years ago

Beth Ann

Veteran

I have a shower and bathroom counter tops made of that 90-s synthetic marble-ish stuff. It will not stain on contact, but it can if you miss a spot! I simply wash down the shower area after I've rinsed my hair, and I use plastic bags to dispose of the dye containers and to protect the sink.

The other thing -- after your first time color, plan on just coloring the roots and washing through to the ends.

2 years ago

citygirldc

(website)

Veteran

Lucky for me I have short hair and tend to do root touch ups myself, and rinse under the kitchen sink.

2 years ago

NancyW

Veteran

My dad did my mother’s hair for decades. Kitchen sink always! They also had a set of old towels which they used FOREVER!

2 years ago

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

I’ve been coloring my own hair for years, and always in light-colored bathrooms. I always put down old towels on the countertop and floor where I’m standing. And I keep a roll of paper towels + sulfate-based baby shampoo nearby to immediately wipe up spills.

A big help in having less spills is not having more product out and on the counter, than I actually need. When I open a new package, I measure out half of the color and half of the toner in a small beaker, and mix them in a separate bowl. I carefully cap the remaining unmixed* products and save them for the next color session.

*(You can’t store mixed color + toner, or it will explode spectacularly, like running a blender with the lid off. Don’t ask me how I know this).

ETA: I realized I didn’t specifically address the shower, but... same as above. Clean as you go - an old towel + sulfate shampoo such as baby shampoo or Head and Shoulders both work great. An old toothbrush or scrubber sponge if you don’t get to it fast enough also helps.

p.s. - I sometimes use H&S to clean the shower while I’m in it. It cleans up soap scum nicely. But it will strip away deposited hair color, so keep it off your head!

2 years ago

Peri

Veteran

Thanks everyone for your help. I'm feeling a bit negative about the process though because my shower was newly renovated at the last minute BC19 and is currently the newest, nicest thing in my house. I hate the idea of staining it more than I hate my greying hair actually so I really may just continue to sit it out. I don't think it's worth the risk.

2 years ago

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