How to prevent hair color disaster

Anyone who has used a hair coloring kit knows they should test the product before using it on their hair. The instructions are right there in the pack - and yet most of us choose to ignore them.

Hair color products nowadays are safe, effective and mostly foolproof. But disasters still sometimes occur usually because people don’t follow some simple steps.

You need to do two tests - a patch test and a strand test. You can do them both at the same time to avoid remixing the product. For the patch test you apply a small amount of mixed product to an area of skin usually the inside of your forearm and wait 48 hours for any sign of allergic response. For the strand test you apply the product to a small piece of your hair to check the final color result and how long it takes to develop.

Here’s five good reasons to test before you color your hair:

Color results vary - especially for gray hair. If you don’t do the strand test you might find out too late.

Manufacturers vary their formulations - you could react to a new ingredient in the product.

Your body changes - it’s very common to suddenly become sensitized to certain stimulants later in life. Don’t assume everything will be OK because you’ve used it before.

It will only hold you up 48 hours - surely not too long to make sure you get it right?

You can complain to the product manufacturers. If you didn’t follow the instructions on the pack - forget it!

So be sensible - next time you have a hair color session at home - follow the manufacturer’s instructions and you’ll avoid any unexpected problems.

Related articles:

• Hair color - salon or home?
• Take care with your choice of hair color