Should I home-colour?

I use nice n easy and it is what is says, multi toned and it covers grey, been using it for years.

I have been following this thread with interest. I always went to salons to get my hair highlighted, but when I lost my job, age 58, I decided to bite the bullet and tried home colour. I was happy enough with it, but was not crazy about the one-all-over colour, so would get highlights done ever couple of years.
So I was excited about the Nice'n Easy 3 tonal colour suggested by gillybob with further recommendations from others. So I went to Savers (thanks Glammanana) and bought a box which I plan to use today.
But HEY HO - has anyone noticed that in small print, on the back of the box, it clearly states "On grey hair, colour is NOT recommended for use". And then when you open the directions inside it describes applying colour to "stubborn greys", several times!!
I'm going to use it anyway, but perhaps I will write to the company and ask for clarification.
And thanks TerriBull for the comments about Colour Wow. I have seen ads for this and have been tempted. I will give it a try for roots in future.

I used to have dark brown hair and when it started showing the grey dyed it using red henna which gave it great highlights.
Now i'm greyer I home dye using John Frieda Precision Foam Colour in Light Golden Brown, this covers the grey patches.
I 've also started using Nutress Multi-Lights Kit to add highlights and break up the block colour.
I would love to go grey but hate that badger growing out look and don't want to have to wear hats going out or cut my hair very short for the next six months.

Victoria 08 you can call L'Oreal Paris Uk at 0800 0304 031 , they are based in Hammersmith and will give advice about colouring, and I believe you can attend their school for a hairdo free.

I have never coloured my hair mainly because I have always hated seeing different colours at the roots of others hair. It really put me off. I am now 58 and my hair is quite grey. I was auburn and never appreciated how nice it was until it was gone!!

I use nice and easy every time and really like it. Watch the timing because if you leave it on too long the colour will be darker but you get used to it and will learn how long to leave it on and which colour suits you best.
I do mine when the roots show through and I go to the hairdresser every 2 months for a dry cut for £14.50 and it takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
I dont even want to pay them to wash my hair as I can wash my own hair perfectly well. My hair curls naturally so I dont need to sit there while the stylist takes an hour faffing around with the dryer, mousse, tongs and spray etc. i run my fingers through it and I'm out the door.
Good luck!

I'm also a fan of Clairol Nice and Easy. Have been using it for some time now and have got it down to a fine art - without too much mess. Old Tshirt and towel are helpful. I tend to use a lighter shade (med. champagne blonde) on my light brown/mousy hair and have to re-do it once a month - sometimes leaving it for a bit longer in winter. It's usually on offer at supermarkets - 2 for £10 - so much cheaper than the hairdressers.
If you still like the idea of going to the hairdressers, have you tried the local college? Much cheaper - and well supervised, so shouldn't be a problem. Many local colleges have hairdressing/beauty departments - open in term time only.

Just to point out that the supposed tonal shade box dyes are not actually 3 shades but because your own natural hair isn't one flat colour, it's formulated so that it gives the effect of multi/translucent tones rather than a solid wig effect.

Also, Colour Touch is a Demi permanent not semi permanent as it needs to be mixed with a peroxide based developer. A true semi is not mixed with peroxide and sits on the outside of your cuticle layer.

As a PP mentioned, you could consider visiting your local hairdressing college or Salon that runs training sessions. The charges are very reasonable and the students are supervised. If you can attend a level 3 advanced group, they will have already obtained their basic hairdressing qualification.

@Victoria08 one solution would be to find a training college who are running colour correction courses to remove your black hair dye. Let them help you find a better solution that isn't quite so ageing.

My sister is 70 and goes to a very trendy salon in Chesterfield that is owned by the current British Hairdresser of the Year - Mark Leeson.
She was a teacher before retiring and never bothered much about her hair or fashion but she looks fabulous now. It's never too late!

I have home dyed my hair for longer than I can remember. My hair is so grey, silver and white, that a "block colour" looks as if I have had highlights.
I was super ecstatic last week, to find my favourite colour in the the clearance section of Tesco. £1.75 a box, I bought the last 5.

I wear an old baggy tshirt and old paint splattered leggings, as our bathroom is all tiles, any drips or splashes are easily wiped away. Jumping into the shower to rinse away the colour is my method too.

Have you thought of looking for a mobile hairdresser to come to you SPF? You will probably feel less anxious if you're in the security of your own home.

I am now 70 years old and still home dying my hair black.

I am tempted to grow it out but always give in as my daughter comments on grey showing through.

Does anyone else have black hair. I have always had that colour and it's difficult trying a lighter shade as they don't take.

I realise that black can be a bit harsh at my age but I really don't know what to do.

Any others with the same dilemma, please reply.

Another problem is my hair is getting thinner with age.

I agree with Alea, although my husband is a hairdresser, I decided to go au naturel 5 years ago because , although it was free, I was having my hair dyed every 3 weeks , and I found there is more to life than sitting in a chair waiting for dye to take. Every one comments on how nice my hair is, and they wish they were that brave. It isn't brave to accept your age and have a trendy haircut and wear nice clothes , and lots of jewellery . If you do carry on colouring your own hair, please make sure you look at the back , as there is nothing worse than patches of grey showing through. Also do not be tempted to dye it the same colour you had when you were younger, as your skin tone will have changed over the years, and a dark colour will make you look paler. Lastly , why not go to your local hairdressing college where you will be a model, either free or very reasonable prices.

I have used N & E for many years. I was only 22 when the grey started. Just now I am resisting the urge to colour my hair as it seems as if grey hair is the in thing.
I think I am hair dresser phobic. I have not been for over 3 years so my hair is very long. I am trying to get the courage to have my hair cut.
There is a product which can remove previous dyes from hair. Has anyone ever used that and was it successful?
Thank you.

I have home dyed my hair for around 20 years. Around 15 yrs ago I decided to try going blonde. My natural colour is dark brown. I usually do it around every 5 weeks or so and every other one I use a pre-lightener followed by a light blonde usually a L'Oreal product like Recital. This works well for me and I have never had any problems. Now that I have a lot of grey in the front the back is a little darker but I have been assured it looks good. Having said that it helps that my hair is very short and spiky. I use an old towelling dressing gown with an old towel round my neck and don't have any mess. I have just sent off for the new esalon product which has had extremely good reviews, you have to answer a few questions online and if you can send a photo that helps. It is £14 + £3.95 p&p. I half filled it in on Friday but came out before finishing and on Saturday they offered it to me for half-price. So I decided to give it a go. Hopefully it will be good!

I decided to go grey but it turned out to be an odd mix of brown and grey, with white at the front. Back to the n&e.....

NotTooOld - Like you I go to the hairdressers and have a base colour put on and highlights, about every 3 months or so. In between I do my own roots with L'oreal Excellence, I always do a skin test, although a block colour, IMO my highlights still stand out. My husband does the back of my head. I do stay in the bathroom covered in an old dressing gown and towel which I use exclusively for this purpose. I don't venture out of the bathroom during the process because the colour will permanently stain a carpet but it's fairly easy to clean off tiles and anything that isn't porous. However, I have recently discovered a product called Colour Wow, which is similar to a block mascara which you can just brush on roots and does a great job in disguising grey. I use it a lot now and put off doing my roots the messy way for an extra couple of weeks.

i gave up going to the hairdressers to have a colour when the price went up to about £60!! no way i could afford that on my pension.
so it was home colour for me after that.
i wear an old sarong and use a dark towel which doesn't show any stain [although it seems to wash out anyway].
i don't use those silly little gloves they supply but my "bathroom" marigolds and, when the colour is applied, i cover my hair with a plastic carrier [suppose i'll have to pay 5p for one now and again] as my hairdresser used to cover my hair with a special plastic cap. it works and you can use a clothes peg to keep it tight.
mind you it's not a sight for anyone else so i pick a time when there's nobody around!
i use garnier nutrisse 3.6 - crimson promise - which leaves my hair in fantastic condition. it's not one that's got shades in it but looks good anyway - until my roots grow out grey nobody knows i colour my hair.
maybe one day i'll stop colouring my hair, especially as my daughter is greyer than i am, but i'm vain enough to keep colouring it every couple of months. and thanking goodness that someone invented home colouring kits!!!

Home hair colours have improved so much that the days of messy bathrooms are over. As the products are applied to dry hair, there is much less to drip! Make sure you do a colour test though. My hairdresser often compliments me on my colour. Helen Mirren advertises a range too !

I home colour using commercial products that hairdressers use - you can buy them online or in some local wholesalers.

I use Wella Colour Touch which is a semi permanant. It puts a coating on the hair but isn't harsh. It gradualy washes out and your hair is really shiny and healthy. You mix it with the Wella Color Touch Emulsion. It's as easy to apply as home colours and better in my opinion.

It won't be as good as highlights but isn't one deep un natural looking block colour.

Hmm, I know I should, Katek. It's taken me years to train this one up, though. I will definitely ask around.

Change hairdressers NotTooOld, that's not acceptable. I asked around after your last post and nobody had ever experienced this practice.

I've used N&E in the past and DH was very adept at applying it! He did have trouble with the teeny gloves and resorted to his box of latex gloves from the garage. My kit consisted of old zip up jogging top and equally old bath towel, I sat in the kitchen for the allotted time so as not to drip on the carpet and then jumped in the shower-just keep head forward until worst is rinsed off. It doesn't stain as it comes off dilute or I would be a fetching shade of 117b!

All very encouraging. Thank you.

Guess what? Further to my recent post (maybe on another thread) saying that my hairdresser is demanding a 25% deposit for booking an appointment (due to no-shows), I had another text yesterday saying she wants a 50% deposit for booking appointments in December! It was not even worded politely - just a flat statement.

I have just cancelled my last appointment for the same reason,fed up with paying through the nose and sitting for hours at the hairdressers. I am 45 and I have decided to go grey,or whatever my natural colour may be. I feel strangely liberated but also a bit scared (mainly of what people may say?!) Can't wait to see the outcome of my new adventure.

I have home coloured my roots for years and now am " growing out" my grey colour, so I no longer am doing my roots! I am having ash highlights and some slightly darker lowlights put in by my fab hairdresser ( not cheap but worth it) but it does mean I just go to the hairdresser every couple of months and don't have to do the roots every 3 weeks or so and I love it. The different colours in the hair really give me a lift! ( without a facelift) .