From anchor coif to mom “do”: my quest for a new hair identity
July 15, 2009 by Shannon
I’m not gonna lie. One of the greatest perks of my job as a news anchor was the station’s partnership with a fantastic hair salon. I got a cut and color every six weeks or so, and all I had to pay was a gratuity.
Now?
My locks have not come in contact with scissors or foils since mid-April. Three months of sheer inattention. (Or should I say, shear inattention?) I don’t really mind the loss of haircut privileges. It hasn’t been long since college, so I think it’ll be fun to grow it out. But I’ve quickly come to realize that hair color is no longer an option. It’s a necessity.
There is a Gray Hair Convention going on around the top of my head. Perhaps it’s more of a Gray Hair Festival, judging by the way the crowd keeps growing. Each one is inviting about 30 hair follicle friends to go ahead and strip down and enjoy the party.
I don’t really want or need a haircut. So I’m going to color it myself. I watched my mom do it for years at the kitchen sink — how hard can it be?
Tips? Tricks? Warnings? I’m open. Shoot ‘em my way. And promise not to laugh if I turn out orange, okay?
Peek at a few of my grays! Watch this week’s this week’s Momcast: Hairdo Don’ts
Comments (14)
Oh… I’d be scared to colour my own hair at home! My fear would be: What if something happens, like your son needs you RIGHT AWAY - like he falls and hurts himself - and you leave the colour in for too long, and when you go to rinse it, your hair is either orange or green or falls out altogether?
Sorry… I really don’t mean to scare you! Good luck - you must post the after picture when you are done!
I too am noticing some gray hair popping up. Please let me know how the coloring experiments go, as I fear I may want to think about keeping my look, looking young!
just don’t go lighter than your natural hair color and if you go darker than your natural color it can actually be good for your hair(darker color conditions your hair and the lighter ones strip it), also look for no ammonia formulas.
I haven’t colored my hair in a long time and I am starting to notice the grey hairs are congregating in the back of my head where I can’t see them very well. doing better than my mom though she was almost completely grey by thirty! But hey it just means that my wisdom is growing right?
Put some hair conditioner on the skin around your hairline and the backs of your ears before coloring. This will keep any messes from staining your skin. If you miss a spot and end up with stained skin, rubbing alcohol helps lift it, just don’t get the rubbing alcohol on your hair.
Don’t go for cheap when picking your product. If you are nervous pick a product that is semi-permanent and see how you do, then go with permanent color once your more comfortable. Also, start with the shortest amount of time when leaving the product on your hair, you can always adjust it next time.
Also, the color the product turns when on your hair is NOT the color your hair will be when you rinse it out.
Okay. First of all, buy a brown - probably medium brown - that has the word “ash” in the color. That way you won’t get the redish tint (unless you like it). And look for a product that claims to hydrate and moisturize. I’ve colored my own at home for years with success, although the last time it was colored was at a salon because I messed up my hair with a home highlitener kit (OMG!). Yes! Go long, Shannon! Well, you know me. I’m a long hair gal. And skip the shampoo. Just rinse out your hair every morning and then condition. You will be amazed at how much more moist your hair will be in a couple of days. Rinse just for a couple of seconds with cold water.
It’s not that hard. Put the color on that you want and leave it on for 20 to 25 min. Then rinse it out. Voila!!! You’re done. It’s a lot cheaper to do it yourself too.
If you do get dye on your skin Windex helps get it off. I know it sounds odd, but it works. Just get a little on a Q-Tip and you’re good to go.
Go see Jennifer Nelson at Highlights on Washington and Indiana! She is the best hairdresser in Spokane. I have gone to her for 5 years now and never left without being perfectly happy. She is a young Christian woman that loves her work. Instead of doing the color or cut yourself..give her a try. I don’t think you would be disappointed!!
This is all such good advice! I’m going to rub my ears and hairline with conditioner and keep the Windex/rubbing alcohol on standby. I should check the box for ammonia, though. Didn’t think to check for that ingredient in the store. Anything else I need to remember?
And thanks for the stylist recommendation, Jana. I’ll remember that if I’m ever in the area. But if I’m too cheap to go to a professional in Boise, there’s no way I’m going to go all the way to Spokane for a color.
I have a few pretty little silvery white strands and I think I might just let them come in naturally, after all, I’ve earned them!
I used to color at home and the only advice I can offer is to lean towards more natural products. Most conventional coloring products really strip your hair over time. I’ll try and get some more tips from my salon supervisor for you. 
I love my hair gal — Nichole at Plantinum. She recently opened her own shop downtown across from Mulligan’s. Right now they’re offering $20 off cut/color for new clients — it might be worth a shot.
as for coloring youself — i tried that for quite a while to save pennies, and in the end it just wasn’t the same. i couldn’t remember what color i got from time to time, but aside from that it didn’t have the same ‘punch’ as when i got it done professionaly. It can be costly, but it’s a nice little treat to yourself to have it done for you — a little relaxation, a glass of wine (yes, they have it at Platinum) and you walk out fabulous!
Your hair is pretty thick, right? You might want to buy two boxes for your first color, and use ‘em both. I always had to back when I was coloring. Trust me, you don’t want to get halfway through a color and realize you don’t have enough to smear all the way to the ends of your hair. Don’t worry — it won’t make the color any darker or lighter, it will just make sure you have enough product to go around.
Also, I’ve never tried it, but a hairdresser friend once told me that if darker color turns out too dark or just doesn’t look good, you can get some of it out if you wash your hair with Woolite within about 24 hours. Hopefully you won’t need to find out if it works!
And don’t stress too much. It’s just hair.
Ooh, that’s very tempting Michelle. Especially since I hear two of my favorite stylists from my old salon have moved over there. Very tempting…
But no! I must press on! This is an adventure I must experience at least once in my lifetime!
Good tip on the Woolite, Becky. I hadn’t heard that one. I do hope I don’t have to put that tip to use, however.
I gotta say….getting your hair professionally (sorry if I spelled that wrong) is a fabulous perk! For years (when I was a poor journalist) I colored my own hair and now I’ll never go back to doing it myself. It is quite spendy, but as Heather Locklear would say, “Because we’re worth it.” Or something like that. I’m sure she doesn’t color her hair at home. But as someone who also had orange hair once, take it from me, there are somethings best left to the professionals.