A Guide to DIY Hair at Home
The RIGHT way to cut bangs and maintain colored hair.
by CAROLYN MODIN ★ JANUARY 4, 2021
Quarantine has taught us all about how to maintain and handle our appearance on a budget! DIY hair especially, is all the rage right now. Since some people still may not feel safe going to the salon, DIY hair is the perfect solution and can help save you time and money! Here are our tips for achieving those Insta-worthy hairstyles from the comfort of your home.
Credit: VSCO (@lisamoreno)
Cutting Hair
It's no secret that it’s a lot easier to cut hair if it’s not your own, but if you’re looking to DIY things, here are some steps you can follow to make sure you get it right!
Step 1: Do your research. What look do you want? It’s always good to start with a clear idea of what you want to do, or else things can get messy. If you don’t know what look you want, I would recommend starting by looking through Pinterest or Instagram and saving photos of potential hair styles. Once you’ve narrowed down your options and chose the look you want to go for, the next step is cutting!
Step 2: Tutorials. For a full, detailed tutorial on how to get your desired look, the internet is your best friend! There are so many tutorials and videos online for how to cut hair, and YouTube is one of the best places to look. I recommend looking into videos from trustworthy and popular accounts to find a method that will work for you. Make sure to look at the comments on the videos you choose, too!
Step 3: Snip snip! Actually cutting your hair can be pretty scary, but check out these tips for a perfect cut! First, don’t use those giant kitchen scissors. You’re not cutting cardboard, you’re cutting hair! Scissors with a smaller and shorter blade will give you more control. Second, when cutting, you should always cut up into the hair, not straight across. This will make the ends of your hair much more natural-looking. Last, use a hand-held mirror to see the back of your head while you clean up the ends.
Coloring Hair
Pink hair, underlays, and bleached front pieces are so on trend right now, but dying your own hair can be pretty tough! Here are some tips to help you get that trendy new hair color.
First thing’s first. Read. The. Instructions. Every bottle of dye has different prep and application instructions, so you need to make sure you are doing it right! Make sure to also read the warnings.
Second, the base color matters! A lighter starting color (blonde, silver, white) will result in brighter colors. These days, there are tons of dyes for people with brown and dark hair, but even those will have better results with a light base. Also keep in mind that if your base color isn’t even, the color won’t be either.
Finally, always apply dye in small sections! The smaller the section, the easier it will be to make sure every piece of hair gets coated. Regardless of whether you are dying your whole head or just a small section, this will always apply! That being said, making sure you have enough dye for your hair is key. Don’t be skimpy. Buy an extra bottle if you’re not sure!
Maintaining Colored Hair
Now that you’ve got your perfectly bleached curtain bangs, the final—and most important—step is maintaining your look!
First, choosing the right shampoo and conditioner will help you to maintain your hair color. As a rule of thumb, always make sure the shampoo and conditioner you are using says “safe for colored hair.” Products without this label will strip your hair color so quickly. Another thing to keep in mind for cool-toned hair colors (purple, blue, green, silver, white), is that your color can “yellow” over time, but buying a purple shampoo and conditioner will help cancel out any yellow or brass undertones!
There are also tons of companies out there that sell color-depositing conditioners to help keep your hair color strong and vibrant! Some of my favorite brands that sell these conditioners are oVertone, Keracolor, Joico, and John Frieda. These products are not dyes, and do not do any damage to your hair! In fact, they help nourish and strengthen your hair, just as any conditioner would! Plus, they literally have products for every hair color, natural or otherwise.
Credit: Instagram (@lulustone_)
Hopefully, these tips and tricks will help my fellow DIY hair enthusiasts! For those who may be nervous about DIYing things, just know there’s nothing to fear. In the end, you’ll be glad you finally went for it. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen?
Cover photo credit: Instagram (@lulustone_)