2009 comebacks: Home hair coloring
Filed under: Budgets
It seems a logical place to cut the budget. Why spend $100 for professional hair coloring when you can do it yourself for $8? Certainly in tough times, Americans could spend less than 60 billion dollars/year on beauty.
If you've tried or are considering the "do it yourself" route to hair coloring, consider yourself in good company. The salon business is feeling the recession. Consumers are "stretching out" or, "stalling time" between visits. Business was down at 72% of hair salons surveyed by the National Cosmetology Association last summer.
The industry is sufficiently strained that the National Cosmetology Association postponed its annual SalonLife Conference and Expo (originally scheduled for August '08 to July '09). It wasn't framed quite that way in the June announcement
but it's easy enough to read between the lines (or through the spin).
While the salon business is feeling the recession, hair dye sales to nonprofessionals have seen a steady rise at Sally Beauty Supply, an international distributor of beauty products.
Today, more than half of Americans color their hair and they aren't all women anymore. Men - graying baby boomers likely leading the pack - are coloring their hair in record numbers.
Do you dare do it yourself? Maybe. Maybe not. It's more than simply self-promotion when hair colorists report an increase in frantic calls from do-it-yourself-ers who arrive for the first available appointment wearing a large hat. Repairing a bad hair dye is often more costly than the original professional coloring. The more times you try to correct a problem yourself, that is the more chemicals you put into your hair, the more expensive it will be to have a colorist solve the problem.
While hair coloring products are getting better all the time, salon products do tend to be of higher quality. You will want to leave your hair in the hands of a professional if it is already damaged.
If you do try it yourself, use a semi-permanent hair color first, choose the color and read the instructions carefully and don't skip the strand test.
If you haven't been coloring your hair, this probably isn't the time to start. Join consumers manifesting the, "lipstick effect." Inexpensive cosmetic purchases have been a popular consumer mood boost since the great depression.
As for this baby boomer, no longer inclinced to pay $90 every six weeks to hide the gray, I'm considering the L'Oreal route with the guidance of an experienced friend. I'm also considering the purchase of a Hair Coloring Brush, now on sale at The Vermont Country Store which, with the assistance of 2 AA batteries (not included), is said to, "Easily distribute color with precision and ease." Reduced from $24.95 to $11.99.
It might be worth a try.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-22-2009 @ 9:22AM
annmarie49 said...
It is almost impossible to bleach your hair your self,you overlap spots and end up over processing your hair thenbefore you know it your hair i all burned up. & in other cases you miss spots leaving a big dark spot somewhere in the top or back of your head--BIG problem!! It is never a good choice to dye or bleach your on hair--you will always be sorry----
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1-25-2009 @ 12:12AM
Char said...
I have been lightening my hair for 20 years (I started with 'Sun In' - anyone remember that?) and so far I have been very lucky.
I have dark blonde hair and I have never had a problem lightening it a few shades. I even use a hair-painting technique to highlight it so it looks more natural.
My friends never knew I colored my hair and when I told them I colored it myself, they begged me to do theirs!! ;-)
I should've gone to Beauty school! I have heard many hair horror stories and could be making money doing it.
My mom has colored her own hair since she was 14 (40+ years) and she had her hair turn green once!!! Yikes!!
1-24-2009 @ 10:59AM
Marlene said...
I've been coloring my hair for more than 35 years and I never had a problem, except once when I had it done at a hair salon. They gave me a perm followed immediately with coloring my hair ....BIG mistake!!!!
Since then I've been doing it at home using a tooth brush. It is a little tricky covering the dark roots at the back of the head. Having a friend or relative to do that part for you is very helpful.
I find L'Oreal Excellence Creme is the best for me.
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1-22-2009 @ 11:48AM
Katherine said...
The idea of the "color brush" is misleading.
Number one:
It is the formulation of the color and analysis of the individual's hair that controls the out come of the color.
Number two: This color brush does not prevent over lapping, and it appears it would stretch the hair during a fragile state and cause breakage.
I have seem many people on the street who thought they did a good job with home hair color but, to my professional eye it looks more like shoe polish than hair color.
Personally, my business is up by twenty percent this year.
People are getting tighter yes, but, they are also wanting what they pay for, and that is where a real color artist comes in the picture.
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1-25-2009 @ 11:39AM
M.B. said...
Speaking as a professional, it isn't necessary to pay a small fortune for professional hair care. Perhaps looking around and asking questions of friends would help. We have been in business for 30 years and have many customers who have stayed with us as well as constantly getting new customers. Our prices are very reasonable (hair color $30.00 per app) and we intend to keep it that way. We are professional and are constantly attending classes to keep our techniques updated.
We have to make a living also. But we are not arrogant enough to charge $100.00 for a hi-lite or $50.00 for a hair cut.
Our customers are happy and keep returning. That says it all for us.
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3-25-2009 @ 11:57AM
gERI said...
Aside from the expense (which is outrageous) who has the time! 30 minutes on my head, while I load laundry, make the bed AND load the dishwasher! with travel time to the salon, the gabby colorists running from client to client, usually gossipping as they go, you're talking 2 hours. I'm a professional too, I teach your children to read, and my time is valuable as well.
Geri
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