Hate is a strong word that we don’t like to use often. But a professional colourist will almost definitely use the H word when it comes to colouring hair with box dye.
Hairdressers are all about encouraging people to do what makes them feel good! But as a colourist that has spent years training to use salon dye that matches individual hair types, we draw a solid line at box dyes.
So Why Do Hairdressers Hate Box Dye?
This age-old feud comes from a long line of box dye concerns that hairdressers would rather avoid. So when you or a friend are bored at home and think that box dyeing your hair is a wonderful idea to cure the boredom, you might want to think again.
What Are The Potential Risks Of Hair Colouring With Box Dyes?
Many hairdressers have experienced clients coming into their salon with already dyed hair wishing they could go back to their natural colour. This scenario happens not just because they dislike the box dye colour they chose but often because of other concerning problems arising from using box dyes.
Here are the potential consequences you risk when dyeing your own hair:
The Box Colour Doesn’t Match Your Skin Tone
We’re starting with the minor issues. Box dyes are well-known for not turning out the right colour and negatively altering your complexion. Although if you dyed your hair with a box dye on the morning of a special event and it came out very wrong, this wouldn’t quite be a minor issue!
What looks good on the box might not look good on you. You won’t know until you try it, but is it worth the risk when a professional hairdresser can help instead?
There’s Not Enough Box Dye
Depending on how thick and long your hair is, you might find there’s not enough dye to cover all over your hair. When you’ve washed and dried your hair, and you find the equal grey coverage is not so equal after all, you may regret your choices.
Sometimes you may also find that no matter how much dye you use, even people with thin or fine hair types get it wrong. Too much dye or processing time can be a disaster.
Your Box Dye May Contain Harsh Chemicals
Something colourists know all too well about your typically fairly inexpensive box dye is that it’s cheap for a reason. Box dye is so cheap because it’s full of harsh chemicals that are terrible for your hair.
While the cover girl or guy on the box looks great, a box dye will have unpredictable results. The one result you are guaranteed, however, is that a box dye stains hair (especially blonde hair) and will negatively and permanently alter your hair texture.
It’s More Expensive To Fix Hair Colour After It’s Already Been Dyed
As mentioned above, box dyeing is usually inexpensive, so it’s an attractive option for non-hair professionals who don’t know the risks yet. For this reason, hairdressers are familiar with the “fix hair colour” booking.
Unfortunately, it makes hair colouring with salon dye seem much more expensive because professional hair colour needs to be used to repair the damages.
Commonly Asked Questions From Clients
Clients who opt-in to see a hairdresser for a professional colour service tend to have the same questions about box dye. A professional colourist is always happy to hear a client is curious about box dye because then it’s their time to shine like a good conditioner and describe all the ways a box dye isn’t good for your hair!
Here are some common questions about box dye and the answers based on professional colourists that know a thing or two about hair colouring:
Does box dye damage hair?”
Box dye can cause minor to serious hair damage if you don’t know what you’re doing. Hair is already easily damaged enough from numerous influences such as:
- Weather
- Stress
- Over washing
- Chlorine and salt
- Health conditions
- Diet
- Heat
- Over or under brushing
So as a hairdresser, we ask the client, “Why add harsh box dye chemicals that potentially dry out and burn your hair into the mix?”
Why is salon dye more expensive than box dye?”
There are various reasons salon dye is more expensive than box dye – and for good reason too.
Hairdressers take the time to check out every detail of a client’s hair, including:
- Hair texture
- Hair type and
- Hair porosity
Hair stylists and beauticians are professionally trained, so they can colour match your skin tone and easily dye over grey hair. They ensure complete coverage of their client’s hair when colouring. There’s nothing worse than having blonde hair and trying to box dye it yourself only to find you’ve left a considerable chunk of blonde at the back.
But it’s not just the expertise that you’re paying extra for; the dyes used in salons contain less harsh chemicals than store-bought dyes.
Can I get blonde hair with a box dye?”
If you want to dry out your hair and risk causing severe hair damage to your hair cuticles, not to mention burning your hair with the number of invasive ingredients in the box dye, then the answer is yes. You can get blonde hair with a box dye.
Here are the ingredients you typically find in a blonde box colour:
- Alcohol
- Ammonia
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Pigments
All these ingredients are not healthy for your hair and, if coloured incorrectly, can cause severe damage while trying to achieve that lighter hair colour.
What’s The Difference Between Store Bought Box Dyes and Salon Dyes?
The first benefit worth mentioning here with professional hair colour jobs is the quality and expertise of the hairdresser. Hair colour tones turn out best and most natural-looking when the salon colour used matches your skin colour. Hairdressers generally have a good eye for this!
- Box dyes are generally made for all hair types. This one-size-fits-all solution means that the box dye doesn’t take into account how thick, thin, brittle, dry, porous, or coloured your hair might be. A professionally trained hair colourist, on the other hand, will mix a dye that suits your hair type to avoid unnecessary harm to your hair and scalp.
- A salon hair colour will also usually be made and mixed without the harsh ingredient of ammonia. Once ammonia gets into your hair cuticles, it will change your hair type permanently until you cut it out.
How To Deal With Clients Who Have Used Boxed Hair Dye To Colour Their Hair
If a client has come to you to have their hair fixed after using a box dye, it’s essential to be sensitive to their situation. Don’t make people feel worse than they already do. Openly discuss what results they were trying to achieve from the box dye and let them know the process going forward.
Shed some light on the differences between box dye and salon dye, so they understand why this situation has happened. Then, encourage them to go straight to a hairdresser next time they want premium permanent hair dye with long-lasting colour.
Final Thoughts On Box Dye Vs Salon Dye
Although it seems cost-effective, don’t risk using a box dye if your hair health is important to you. The damaging effects caused by box dyes might end up costing you a lot more in the long run.
The right hair colour is a huge part of what makes a human feel confident in their skin. Making sure we get it right using professional-grade dyes will make you feel more satisfied with your hair colour than ever. That’s why we highly recommend avoiding box colours and using salon-grade professional hair colours instead.