Before you begin, you should test a tiny bit of the hair dye on your skin. This allows you to find out if you will develop any allergic reaction to it, and is especially important if you have sensitive skin. All you have to do is apply a tiny amount of hair dye on the back of your ears and leave it on overnight. If there’s no itching or stinging sensation, that means you can go ahead and use the hair dye according to the instructions written on the label. If you observe any allergic reaction, wipe it off immediately and toss out the hair dye.

In addition, you should also test out how the dye will look on your hair. Sure the box comes with labels on how the dye will look on different hair colours, but there’s no way to guarantee it’ll work the same way for your hair. To do this, pick out a small section from an area where you can conceal, or trim off a small portion, and then apply the dye. Leave it on overnight, and if you like the way the colour develops, go ahead and use it.

Dyeing one’s own hair is not the easiest thing to do when you’re not dextrous like a pro. Which is why it’s inevitable that many of us end up getting brown patches dyed onto the skin around our hair line or on our ears.

Here’s a trick to prevent hair dye from staining your skin: Smooth a layer of petroleum jelly like Vaseline or even a thick lip balm on your hairline along your forehead, behind your ears and at the base of your neck.

This forms a protective layer over the skin so that the hair dye doesn’t come in direct contact with it.

Photo: Instructables/Pinterest

The last thing you need to worry about while you’re halfway through reaching to the back of your head in order to spread hair dye evenly is to be scrambling for tools that you need. Which is why it’s super important to have everything you need within reach so you can easily access them.

Some tools to prep include gloves, fine-tooth comb (preferably with a sharp end to make sectioning your hair easy), protective ear cups, a plastic sheet or old towel to cover your clothing, a brush to apply hair dye, hair clips, rollers, mixing bowls and a damp cloth.

Remember how your colourist always sections your hair into four to six parts before applying the hair dye? They have a reason for that. This is to ensure that hair dye is evenly distributed throughout all your hair so that the colour doesn’t not end up looking patchy and uneven. It also means you only have a smaller section of hair to deal with at any time so that you have better control over your application.

While it’s easy to find DIY hair dye kits that come in various formats, each claiming to make the process of self-application easier and more effortless, if it’s a professional result that you’re after, stick to using a mixing bowl and a brush to apply your hair dye.

You can use any unwanted or old plastic bowl, and simply empty the contents of your hair dye kit, mix well before applying onto your hair. This method also enables you to control the amount of product that’s distributed on the different sections of your hair for the most even results.

Now that you know what it takes to master this in the comfort of your own home, try these hair dyes that can help cover greys, touch up your roots or take away brassiness:

For consistent colour across your entire head, attend to your roots first. Part each section of hair with a fine-tooth comb, apply the colour and then comb it through. Add the rest to the ends and comb again, this time from top to bottom.

In addition, you should also start by applying hair dye at the front of your head as it takes a longer period of time for the colour to develop at the roots. So if you start at the front of your head and focus on the roots first, the effect of your DIY dye job will be more even.

So you don’t miss a spot at the back of your head, check it with a mirror and comb more colour through if necessary. (You can also get a family member to help you check.) If you have trouble getting colour to take, cover your head with cling wrap to keep the heat in and intensify the process.

READ MORE: Expert Tips To Help You Achieve Healthy, Radiant Hair

Create a natural highlighted effect by coating glove-covered fingers in bleach and running them down small sections of hair. If you’re after super-fine streaks, cover a new toothbrush with your desired shade and colour half-centimetre sections at a time.

READ MORE: 10 Hair Colouring Ideas To Brighten Up Dark Hair

Photo: StylesPower/Pinterest

Don’t put colour on top of colour – it’ll make hair darker than desired. Apply to your regrowth and leave on for 20 minutes. Colour the rest of the length, but only leave on for five minutes.

If you have olive skin, go for warm shades like gold, copper and chestnut. A cooler complexion will suit ashy, beige and chocolate shades.

READ MORE: 15+ Low-Maintenance Balayage Hair Colour Ideas Perfect For The Office

To prevent the colour from fading, start washing your hair with a colour-protecting shampoo and conditioner. But if you’ve gone blonde and it’s turning brassy, use a toning conditioner. Try not to wash it too much to prevent the colour from changing. And stay out of the sun – UV rays can be damaging.

READ MORE:
Mushroom Brown Is The Low-Maintenance Hair Colour Perfect For Working Women
“You Shouldn’t Shampoo Daily” And 7 Other Hair Myths You Need To Stop Believing
5 Hair Treatments In Singapore For Damaged Hair

Text: Bauersyndication / Additional Reporting: Elizabeth Liew and Joyce Cheo