Hair dyeing for beginners, a step-by-step plan

If you’re going to dye your own hair and you’ve never done this before, it starts with choosing the right hair color. It’s best to dye up to 2 to 3 shades lighter or darker first. Use our hair colour advice tool so it can’t go wrong. If you are allergic to hair dye or in doubt, do an allergy test first.

Step 1: Determine which colour you want to dye your hair

Your hair isn’t dyed now? Then first determine the colour of your own hair. How dark or light is your own hair? Compare the (average) colour of your hair with the colours on our website. You will then know your own colour height. Color heights range from 1.0 – black to the 11.1 – very light ash. Decide for yourself what color height you are at, which can run from 1 to 11.

Do you want to dye your hair darker? Of course you can! Then choose a colour height that is only one or two shades darker than your own hair. You can go up to 4 shades darker. If in doubt: Always choose the lightest colour. Maybe the colour turns out darker than you expected. And also for the following reason: you can’t dye your dyed hair lighter, but you can always dye it darker.

Do you want your hair lighter? With our dye you can dye your undyed hair up to two shades lighter. So are you at colour height 5 (brown)? Then you can choose the lightest colour for the 7.0 (dark blond). An exception is our 11.1, which lights up to four shades. You can choose these if you are at colour height 7 or higher (lighter).

Is your hair even dyed? What colour height does your hair have now? You cannot choose a lighter colour. However, in principle you can dye your dyed hair up to four shades darker.

Step 2. Choosing colour shade of the hair colour

Do you know (approximately) what color height you want? Then think about the colour nuances within that colour height. For example, in colour height 7 (dark blonde) you can choose the natural colour dark blonde (7.0), the dark blonde ash (7.1), the gold dark blonde (7.3) and copper dark blonde (7.4). You see, there is more work to be done! The natural colors (.0) cover the best on grey hair. Do you want a cool colour, and do you prefer to dye your hair without heat or red? Then choose an astint. We now have a stint in colour heights 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 11. .3 are the gold shades and bring warmth to your face. The red tones are the colors ending in .4 or point 6. Also very nice and warm! Want to know more about the warm hair colours? Look at this page.

If you prefer a combination of two colours, you can do that too! Our colours can be mixed with each other. If you are very gray then a purple or red color can be very nice, but keep in mind that the color on gray hair will be very bright. The best way to grow out is to use two colours. You then mix a natural shade (.0) with another colour such as the copper dark blond (7.4), copper red light brown (6.64), the 5.5 (mahogany brown) or the 4.65 (mahogany red brown).

Step 3. Determining the number of paint packages

Do you have long hair or a lot of hair or thick hair? Then maybe you need more than one package of hair dye. So take a good look at how many packs of paint you need. There’s nothing more annoying than finding out during the dyeing process that your hair dye is missing…

For these first three steps you can also use our hair colour advice tool. Based on your answers to the questions, it will determine which hair colours you can choose for a nice result. It couldn’t be easier! (See also the orange-pink button above, tailored colour advice).

Step 4. Possibly allergic?

Are you allergic to hair dye? Then request a free tester in the colour of your choice. Because the composition differs per hair colour, it is important to test the correct colour. Allergic reactions may vary from colour to colour. Especially the red shades hardly ever give an allergic reaction. The dark shades do. The tester, which we will send you free of charge, contains a detailed description of the best way to carry out the allergy test. Read more about this.

Step 5. Order your desired colour

No allergy problems? Order your hair dye. Do you order before 16:00 on weekdays? Then your paint will be in your mailbox the next day. And you pay no shipping costs.

Step 6. Don’t wash your hair two days before dyeing.

Don’t dye your hair two days before you want to dye it. The paint picks up better on unwashed hair! The natural oils also protect your scalp better against the dye.

The most important tips

The most important tip is: Read the instructions for use of the products you are using carefully. Make sure you know how to apply, application time, etc.

Preparation

Make sure you have enough time.
Wash your hair preferably a few days before colouring. This will protect your scalp.
Do not use wax and other greasy products in the meantime.
If you make a temporary colour of wax, your hair will colour just before you start colouring (then it will pick up better).
Before you start colouring, make sure that everything you need is also within easy reach!

What do you need?

The paint
A few old towels
A plastic disposable hairdresser’s shorts or a large (old) towel
Paint tray
Brush
Latex or plastic disposable gloves or kitchen gloves
Coarse comb (non-metallic)
Alarm Clock
Possibly. Libra for when you need to mix and weigh something
Fat cream (udder ointment, Vaseline, etc.)

Applying the paint

Pack yourself well with plastic apron and old towels.
Put on gloves.
Before applying the paint, apply a thick cream to your forehead, along your ears and in your neck.
Then you can easily get the paint off your skin later on.
Watch out! If you apply cream to your hair, there will be no colour in your hair in that place.
Prepare enough paint in a paint tray. Don’t overdo it, you can always make some more.
With a Libra you work more accurately.
Do you have a grey outgrowth? First do the outgrowth and the last 10 minutes you color the points.
Keep a close eye on the time it takes to work in the kitchen, especially with lighter colours that are not too short!
Do not allow dark colours to work in for too long.
With temporary colourings you can determine the colour a little bit, the shorter the exposure time, the lighter the colour.
Work as neatly as possible with small tufts at a time.
Do you just want tufts? Use a toothbrush, dip in the paint and carefully put a few stripes in your hair.
Do you want blonde? Start at the back. It will stay dark the longest.
Use plenty of paint. If there is no product, there will be no colour!
Do not splash all the paint around! A mess is a lot of work to clean later on.