You have more courage than me. I too, have been covering the gray for at least a decade. Even though it's well over $150 for me, it's my one luxury that I have always afforded myself. I admit to being afraid of looking like a creature from the black lagoon if I tried to dye my own hair.

Good luck with the new products; they are likely better than what you used as a kid.

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DFL > DNF > DNS

Save for the last year or so (and the highlights for my wedding 8 years ago), I've always colored my own hair. If you are fairly conscientious about it, you can get decent results (I mean, you can pick a bad color, but...).

Normally, I'm cool with the $150-200 every few months...but between er, wasting money on a bike I did not need (or, two of them, maybe...), and the oldest dog's medical bills these past few months, I kind of feel liek I've burned my luxury allowance :D

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mmm-mmm-Momo Charms
Handmade beverage charms, jewelry, and miscellanea
http://momocharms.wordpress.com

I couldn't tell you about that product, but I will say that I've been using this stuff for about 17 years and have never really had a problem with it frying my hair, even though I tend to leave it in twice as long as they recommend:

http://www.lorealparis.ca/...ndissima/bleach.aspx

There are a bunch of reviews here: http://www.makeupalley.com/...ma/LOreal/Hair_Color

I don't use any colour after; just go from medium brown to light blonde and leave it there. I only do so about once a year now (because I'm lazy), but used it more frequently in the past.

Cheers!

-mistress k

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ill advised racing inc.

That one is a bleach, right? That's been what's keeping me a non-blonde for the last decade or so. :D This new non-bleach formula has me curious, as I'm not sure how it'd work.

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mmm-mmm-Momo Charms
Handmade beverage charms, jewelry, and miscellanea
http://momocharms.wordpress.com

One of the reviews says "this product does not contain bleach"; I honestly have no idea. I do know they changed the formulation a couple of years ago; went from a really eye-stinging smell and a bit of scalp irritation to none of the above.

Best of luck!

-mistress k

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ill advised racing inc.

When I did my own, I just went with colors fairly similar to my natural color (light ash brown and medium ash brown) and figured that if I messed it up I could always present myself at the salon and beg for their mercy to repair it. I have been coloring at the salon for about 6 months now, for convenience and root-avoidance.

For blonde, though, I might start at the salon and then ask them how to translate it into at-home.

I am freaking out that it costs you ladies so much for a cut and color! Yikes!
I was going to a pretty fancy salon and paying max $100 for a cut and color. Then my stylist left and went to work at a chain salon, so I followed her, now I pay $45 for cut and all over color. I believe it's $75 for highlights! I have short, fine hair and a lot of grey so I go every 4-5 weeks.
I'm in AZ, so it must be cheaper here!

I too have dyed my own hair for the better part of my life and I've found that if you try to go too light with the boxed haircolors, you get that orangey "sun in" thing. I personally tend to stay pretty close to my color (dark blonde/light brown) and use the Loreal Colour Experte stuff that has an extra highlight/lowlight step. If I were looking to go lighter, I'd have the professionals handle that whole "double process" situation.

I haven't tried the bleach-free color, so I'm curious to hear your results if you go that route.

M

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The beatings will continue until morale improves

Be careful if you have red in your hair now and try blond it may be pink at the end of the adventure.

I'm looking into "touch of grey". According to the marketing it will make me irresistible to both perspective employers as well as the womens!

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
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About ten years ago my wife went from an "ash" to a "golden" blond (or the other way around, I forget) in order to spruce herself up for a job interview.

The result: green.

Fortunately she found a salon that could do some damage control, and she landed the job. But she hasn't coloured her hair since. Since I don't mind red, I'm OK with that.

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Citizen of the world, former drunkard. Resident Traumatic Brain Injury advocate.

I have been dying mine forever too. I found a product at Sally beauty supply that actually will strip the color out of your hair and leave it ready for a new color. It is helpful in getting an even color especially with your roots.

I use it every time I color. My hair has a reddish tinge to it naturally so when I want to go auburn I especially use it because my hair will be a lot redder from the bottle dye.

You're lucky. If you're pleased with the results then STICK WITH IT. I travel about 8hrs for my stylist & hate the thought of changing. At this point she just knows me, she knows my hair, she knows my athletic schedules & can still make my worthless hair look good. Left to its own devfices I wind up very "Sarah Plain & Tall" with boring, flat, straigh-as-a-board, fine medium brown hair. I pay about $160 (pre tip) every 3-4months to get my head pampered for about 3 hrs. She foils in color, does an all over color process, uses a super-hydrating treatment, cuts/shapes whatever chaos I've got going on & lectures me on whatever mess I'm creating with the chlorine/salt/sun/bromine/lake water on my hairlines. I wind up with gorgeous semi-normal looking hair....she's also one of Redken's top color artists & teaches many of their schools, so I know I'm in good hands. I literally just walk in & say "fix it" & let her do what she wants.

I've colored myself before but am never quite as happy with the results as when someone else does it. Plus I always manage to get some color SOMEWHERE - either shower curtain, tile floor, toilet lid, counter or something that winds up staining.....the world is safer when someone that's a professional does it.

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AW