The details were different, but the end result was always the same. I would be cleaning up the salon shortly before closing, when a woman would walk in hair pulled up or a hat covering her head and ask if I had time to look at her hair. She would sit down in the chair and as I pulled down her hair she would look away from the mirror. Sometimes the color wasn’t that bad and could be salvaged with a quick toner or color wash, other times it was horribly blotchy and would require a multi step several hour and several hundred dollar process to correct. EVERY time box color was the culprit behind the mess, and every time a few more reasons were added to my list of why people shouldn’t use box color.

That was the part of the job I hated the most. I was drawn to hair because I wanted to help people boost their self confidence and help women feel better about themselves, not to charge a woman who had a rotten day and was feeling horrible about their appearance several hundred dollars they probably couldn’t really afford. Not to tell a woman she would have to come back tomorrow because I wasn’t authorized to stay three hours past closing to help her tonight.

So, although I no longer professionally do hair at this point, I thought I could help save some of you the pain and explain why using box color is a bad idea.

One Developer Does NOT Fit All

If you’ve ever experimented with hair color you will know there are typically two components: hair color and developer. What you may not know is that the developer you use should be customized based on what color your hair currently is and what color you are hoping to go to.

Obviously with box color you lose the ability to customize the developer and are stuck with whatever is in the box. It may not be the best to cover those grays, it may not lighten your hair enough, or it may be overly harsh on your hair if you are just trying to go darker or just a few shades lighter. If the developer is too harsh it WILL lead to breakage, dryness, and your hair will come more porous which will just cause any color to fade faster.

The Image in Commercials is NOT Representative

Hair dye companies LOVE to use celebrities as their spokespeople because they are seen as trendy and largely renowned for being beautiful. The companies want you to think “Wow so and so uses brand x! I can have hair like hers too if I try their product.” But as with everything else, advertising is all about smoke and mirrors.

First these celebrities probably have an annual hair budget that is far beyond the average Jane’s salary for the year, I guarantee that they are not showing up to the Oscars with box hair dye in their hair. Instead they use wigs and weaves dyed with the product, or even maybe just a few strands and extensions strategically placed here and there. Pull up a picture of your favorite celebrity and you can see there are several well blended but still distinguishable colors creating dimension throughout those gorgeous locks. Box color on the other hand adds no dimension. So if you are looking to emulate a celeb it is far better to save your money and head to the salon to receive the whole shebang including base color, highlights, and lowlights.

Previously Colored Hair Can Cause Problems

As a general rule color will NOT lighten color. So say for fall you went a rich mahogany brown, and now that summer is here you want to go a dirty blonde. That box of color in your hand is NOT going to lighten the parts that were previously dyed. Instead you’ll end up with blonde roots and in all likelihood some dull muddy shade along the previously dyed lengths.

This is why A LOT of colors say something to the effect of “product performs best on pre-lightened hair.” Of course pre lightened hair = bleach in most people’s minds and few things can be as damaging to your hair if not used correctly

Certain Brands Don’t Play Well With Other Color

I’ll never forget that time I was in cosmetology school and I heard a panicked yelp from the shampoo stations. Apparently after the hair color processed my fellow student had gone to wash her client’s hair and CLUMPS of hair started coming out.

This is where having a pro do your hair can save you some heartache IF you are honest and upfront. During the consultation a salon professional should always ask if you previously colored your hair, how long ago, and what type of product was used. Not everyone takes these questions seriously. Some people omit previous hair dye experiences thinking it has been too long to matter. IT MATTERS.

In this case a “natural dye” was previously used to color the hair and it did NOT play nicely with the professional color and developer. The chemical reaction caused the unsuspecting client to receive a jagged chemical “haircut” as the ends fried and broke. So take this to heart if you have experimented with “natural colors” or “progressive metallic colors” in the past PLEASE consult a professional before trying anything at home!

I’m not one to fear monger and I myself have been coloring my hair for well over a decade. Honestly I’m not even sure what my natural hair color is anymore. In an ideal world EVERYONE would be able to go to a colorist to get it done professionally, but I know first hand that it is a luxury people can’t always afford. Box color may work fine for you if your hair is in great condition, is previously un-dyed, and you are only looking to tweak your natural color a shade darker. But the truth is, it is BY FAR the least reliable option available and is just as likely to having you running to a salon as a stylist is packing up as it is to give you the self confidence boosting change you are after.