Friends don't let friends use box color.

Let me start this with a confession: I have indeed used drug store box color on my hair. So I am not acting high and mighty here, I am just pleading with you...stop using box color! There are about a zillion reasons why professional is the way to go. Allow me to list a few.

• Before I even begin explaining why professional product is superior, can I just point out there is a reason we hair stylists go to 2000 hours of school? It is because believe it or not, there is theory behind hair color. Science even. And the better you know it, the better your results. Also, there is a method to the application process. Master your profession, and allow us to be masters at ours. Leave your head in professional hands...it is a safe place to be.
• Have you ever used box color and it went WAY darker than planned? I know I have been there. This is because usually when we color hair we use a 10 level system rather than terms like "medium blond". This helps us have much more control over our results. We know exactly how to formulate to get the precise results we are going for. For a knowledgeable colorist, there is no guess work. Only thought out formulation and application.
• Have you ever tried to go blond with a box? I am guessing it might not have turned out your favorite color. Lightening hair is quite a process. It also takes a trained brain and hand to get it right and even. It is also hard on your hair and can be quite risky to do yourself. If you aren't careful, you might just fry your hair off. Box color also does not include a toner. Often when lightening hair unwanted pigments remain like yellow or orange. If you are in a salon, we know how to counteract that with a little help from our friend the color wheel. If it is midnight and your hair is flaming orange and completely uneven? Well, that can be a stressful time.
• So let's say you are usually a box brunette but want to go blond for the summer. This is much more challenging than if you had been a professional brunette. Box color molecules penetrate deeper into the hair making it much harder to lift the color out. This means you probably won't be able to get as light as you would like in one sitting, and we will need to use a harsher lightener that can be harder on your hair. So don't be afraid, just understand you are in for more of a process. If you go to a professional they will take good care of your hair and make sure they don't over bleach.  This overly deep penetration is also responsible for color going too dark at times.
• Last but not least, professional color contains ingredients that actually soothe and enrich your hair. When someone has damaged hair, I actually recommend coloring it. It helps seal down the cuticle and adds conditioner to make hair softer and shinier, something I am sure we could all live with.

So I already know there are people out there who 1. use box color and are perfectly happy with their results and 2. have gone to a professional and it has ended terribly.  And I definitely understand box color is much more affordable. So take this for what it is worth. If you are happy as you are then great! I don't think so highly of myself that I have the right to force my opinions on you. But I have had many clients come to me to repair the damage that has been done in their own bathroom, and it is quite a process. Just stop and think before you color. And if you can, make an appointment. Go let someone else do the dirty work while you relax and leave beautified with the expected look. Also, not all stylists out there can be trusted, so ask around. There are many out there so choose wisely. Or hey, I am always happy to help.