Have you ever been swept away by beautiful hair color on a product box, and ended up with something you would not want even for your worst enemy. Sometimes home coloring attempts go horribly wrong. Many women forget that hair color does not always come out looking just like they see it on the box. There’s a huge difference between do-it-yourself attempts and professional hair coloring.

For starters, it’s very easy to pick the wrong color to dye your hair. Unsupervised, and without an expert colorist’s assistance, you might end up with a fake look that people will dub “a bad box dye.” Who needs that hampering their personal style, right? Aside from picking the right color, you also won’t know enough about how a color will react to your hair. Stylists have this knowledge and can help you get a more natural effect.

At-home dye kits are also a little bit limited in their scope. It’s hard to get a drastic change with the color inside a box, so you’re only going to be able to shift your hair color a few shades (and usually only darker!) Covering roots and dyeing gray hair is easier to do at home, but if you really want to change up your look by going blonde, for example, a professional is your best bet.

We are all unique in many ways and that applies to hair as well. Professional stylists must consider several factors in order to give you a proper color service. Here are the main factors to consider:

– Natural level and underlying pigment

– Skin tone

– Level of porosity

– Previous artificial pigments

– Percentage of grey (if any)

Finally, if you make a mistake, you’ll either have to live with it or you’ll end up paying a professional anyway. When hairstylists make a mistake, which is much more rare, you get a free “fix-it” appointment. Mistakes can also damage your hair, leaving it dry and brittle, and causing more problems for your locks later down the line. If you’re not confident about dyeing at home, or willing to accept the potential risks, you’ll want to go straight to someone who can do it properly the first time: your hairstylist.

Don’t forget, as well, that hair dye kits can contain chemicals that are not exactly healthy to inhale. Some of the more commercial brands you recognize contain some elements that are proven carcinogens like Quarternium-15, Diethenolamine, and Phenylenediamines. If you’re going to embark on a long-lasting hair color change, heading to a stylist may be the less harmful route to take. If you want a great hair color mimicking celebrity hair icons then find a certified colorist and make an appointment!