I started by dyeing my own hair and finally convinced my parents to take me to a professional (or at least a semi-professional). I’ve found that there are pros and cons to both ways, just depending on what you’re looking for. Neither is the ‘wrong’ way, it just might be the wrong way for you. 

First, the DIY way. Honestly, this has a lot more cons than pros for me. I started dyeing my hair in 2020, when I was at home during quarantine. The thing is – I’m not a patient person. So to do it myself, I just slathered it on. Which happened to be the wrong way. 

So yes, I definitely didn’t do this right. But if you’re a patient person and can section your hair, making sure you evenly cover each section, this could be a good, cheap option for you. 

Now, the professional way. I go to Crave Beauty Academy to get my hair done and it’s really nice. It’s a lot cheaper than a professional salon because the stylists are in training. They really take the time to make sure it’s done right. Every time I walk away from the salon, I love the color of my hair. 

Unfortunately, getting it done professionally does take a while. There are more products that have to be used and they use different dyes from what I use at home, which takes longer to process. Even though it is cheaper, it’s still more expensive to go to someone else instead of dyeing it yourself. 

But if you have the money, I definitely recommend it, at least for special occasions. I get mine done before dances and for school pictures. Then I let it fade between that and I’m going to start doing touch-ups with semi-permanent dye until before Prom, the next time I’ll make an appointment.

Dyeing my hair is a way for me to take control of my appearance. It’s really important for me to be able to look in the mirror and see something that I chose to change. I’ve done this for a few years and although I definitely have a preference, both of these methods are worth trying.