How To Dye Hair at Home in 8 Easy Steps

There’s no denying that hitting the salon for a professional hair transformation is relaxing—but the bill you receive at the end of your self-care day tends to put a damper on that. Fortunately, you don’t have to splurge every time you want to experiment with a new hue: If you learn how to dye your hair at home, you can do it yourself for a fraction of the cost of a professional service.

Dyeing your hair at home may seem intimidating if you’ve never attempted a DIY hair color before, but we promise—it’s easier than it seems. All you need is the right at-home hair coloring kit and a little bit of patience. If you need proof, keep scrolling. Ahead, we’re sharing an in-depth, step-by-step guide on how to dye hair at home like a pro, plus tips on maintaining your at-home color.

How To Color Your Hair at Home in 8 Easy Steps

While you can highlight, ombré, or even balayage your hair at home, we suggest first-timers start simpler with an all-over color. Below, we’ll walk you through the process and share tips on how to ensure a seamless color application.

1. Choose a hair color kit

The first step in dyeing your hair at home is to choose the right hair color kit for your needs. While most come with everything you need for an at-home transformation, different kits and formulas may offer different benefits.

The L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color is a great kit for beginners and seasoned at-home hair color enthusiasts alike. It boasts a no-drip gel formula for a precise, mess-free application and comes in a wide variety of natural-looking shades, including blonde, red, brunette, and black hues.

If you have grays you’d like to cover, we suggest picking up a kit designed to do just that. The L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Crème Permanent Triple Protection Hair Color and the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Universal Nudes collection both provide 100% gray coverage for rich, vibrant-looking color without the need for a salon visit.

And for those seeking a bolder, more unexpected color, we recommend the L’Oréal Paris Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color. The luminous dye comes in a range of gorgeous, on-trend hues, including bright coppers, vivid reds, and inky blacks.

Editor’s tip: If you have long or thick hair, consider picking up two boxes of your chosen hair dye—you don’t want to run out mid-application.

2. Prepare your workspace

Before getting started, you’ll want to make sure that you have everything you need for a hiccup-free DIY hair color application process. Your kit should come with the tools necessary for dyeing your hair, but we also recommend grabbing a hairbrush, some hair clips, and towel (one that you don’t mind staining) to drape around your shoulders. If you’re worried about staining your skin, grab some petroleum jelly, too—you can apply a thin layer around your hairline and on the tops of your ears to help prevet the dye from staining your skin.

3. Brush and section your hair

You’ll be applying your chosen hair dye to dry hair, and there’s no need to wash it before coloring. You will, however, want to detangle and section it (the sectioning helps ensure an even hair dye application).

Start by brushing your hair to remove any knots or tangles. Next, use a comb to part your hair in the center, going all the way down the back of your head as if you were going to create pigtails. Clip one side out of the way for the time being. Then, use a comb to create a horizontal part that extends from the center of your middle part to the back of one ear, effectively splitting one side of your pigtail in half. Clip both sections out of the way, then repeat the process on the other side of your head. When you’re finished, you should be left with four roughly equal sections of hair. If you have very long or thick hair, consider splitting each side of the pigtail into three or four sections instead—it’ll make the coloring process more manageable.

4. Color your hairline

Next, don your gloves and mix up your color as outlined on the package instructions. Once your color is mixed up, you’ll want to begin applying it right away. We suggest starting with one of the front sections of hair. Remove the clip, and use your fingers or the brush included with your kit to begin applying the color to your hairline. Take your time—you want to make sure every strand is fully saturated. Once you’re done, remove the clip from the other front section and repeat the process. If needed, use your gloved fingers to “massage” the dye onto your strands.

5. Work on your part

Leaving both front sections hanging free, use a comb to create quarter-inch sections along the length of your part. Use the brush or your fingers to apply the dye at the root of each section, taking care to ensure every strand is completely covered. Continue the process on both sides of your head all of the hair on either side of your part is colored at the root. Then, clip the front sections of hair out of the way so you can work on the back.

6. Saturate the back

Take out the clip from one of your back sections of hair and begin by coloring along the remaining half of your part. Don’t be afraid to over-squeeze the dye, as it’ll be more difficult for you to see what you’re doing at the back of your head. It’s better to work with too much hair dye than not enough—using more dye won’t make the color more saturated, but not using enough could leave you with a patchy result. Appy the dye to your roots are you did with the front section, clipping each section out of the way after you’ve finished applying your color. Pay extra attention to the hair along the nape of your neck, since this will be on full display whenever you wear your hair up.

If you’re having trouble with the hair on the back of your head, use your fingers to lightly massage the dye into your roots. This will help to spread the hair color, ensuring that you won’t have any dry spots.

7. Color your length

If you just need a quick root touch-up, you can skip this step, but if you’re coloring your hair for the first time or looking for an all-over color change, now it's time to focus on coloring your remaining length.

Working with sections that are about two inches in size, apply the color and spread from root to tip using your fingers. Start at the front and work your way toward the back. Continue to do this until your entire mane is saturated. Be generous with the dye—your hair should be as saturated as possible to ensure even, all-over coverage.

Editor’s tip: If you ever find yourself unsure about your application, chat with a pro via the L’Oréal Paris Hair Color Concierge. Our experts can help answer any questions you may have and provide advice on achieving the best possible results with your at-home color.

8. Set a timer

Follow the instructions and leave the hair dye on for the allotted amount of time. We recommend setting a timer on your phone so you don’t forget. Once the time is up, rinse out the hair color until the water runs clear.

Follow up with the conditioner included in your at-home color kit to help nourish and hydrate your hair. Then, rinse, squeeze out any excess water, and finish up your shower routine. When you get out, let your hair air-dry or style it as usual.

How To Maintain Your DIY Hair Color

Knowing how to dye your hair is essential for a gorgeous at-home color, but so is understanding how to care for it.

Start by swapping out your shampoo and conditioner for a color-safe duo, such as the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair Shampoo and L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair Conditioner. The duo gently cleanses and hydrates color-treated hair while helping to reinforce weakened hair bonds to strengthen the hair. If your hair is damaged, you may want to also consider adding the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Bond Strengthening Pre-Shampoo Treatment to your regular routine to help reduce breakage. How often you’ll want to lather up depends on your hair type and lifestyle, but it’s a good idea to limit washing when you can to help preserve your color.

It can also be helpful to take a break from heat styling, or at least cut back on how often you use hot tools. Excessive heat can damage your hair or cause your hair color to fade more quickly. If you do need to use a hot tool, be sure to prep your mane with a heat protectant first.

Finally, remember that all hair color can fade as time goes on. To keep your strands looking glossy and vibrant between touch-ups, consider adding a glossing treatment, like the L’Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss One-Step In-Shower Toning Gloss, to your regular routine. This in-shower gloss deeply conditions, boosts shine, tones, and helps enhance your hair color, with results lasting for up to 10 days. Use one of the tinted glosses to give your boxed color a boost, or try the clear one for shine sans any added pigment.

Next Up: How To Dye Dark Hair Without Bleach

Photo courtesy of L’Oréal Paris