Why is Box color so bad for your hair?

We’ve all been there- it’s 10 pm and you just went through a breakup, lost a job, or had a fight with a friend. Major life crises tend to lead us down the path of changing our appearance outward- generally in the direction of hair color. You run into the nearest drug store pacing the aisle of hair color, in search of your next new color. Eva Longoria sporting a beautiful mocha brown color with a flawless style, or maybe it’s the platinum blonde you’ve always wanted.

You get home, eager to tear open the box which includes everything you need to get started which you spread out onto your bathroom counter. After mixing the two bottles per instructions with your gloves on you start painting away, the smell slightly unbearable – a small price to pay for a gorgeous new color. Once you’re done, you set the timer and you wait- anxiously awaiting the results you envision how good it’s going to look and can already hear the compliments you’re going to get. When the time is up, you jump in the shower, shampoo, condition, and rinse. You can hardly wait to get it dry as the glimpse of yourself you caught in the foggy bathroom mirror didn’t exactly match your expectations. Heart racing a bit, you start to question if you followed the directions…

After it’s blown dry, you’re instantly filled with regret- wishing there was an undo option and thinking about your collection of hats you own… maybe just have a Britney Spears moment and shave it off.

Your roots are glowing orange, the middle of your hair a muddy brown, and the ends just brittle and dry.

So why is it that you followed the directions and came out with a total catastrophe?

The answer is both simple and not so simple. If you had color on your hair before using the box dye, the hair that has grown out is ‘virgin hair’ or non-treated, whereas the hair beyond that has been treated. With the heat of your scalp boosting the processing time on the regrowth-it’s going to process a different result than the hair below it because it’s not getting the heat from your scalp and it’s been previously colored. For one, when you get your hair done professionally in a salon your stylist doesn’t just pick up a color and apply it- they meticulously formulate your color based on a multitude of factors. Your existing color, your goal color, your hair’s history, porosity, etc. It is virtually impossible to package a one-and-done kit that will provide long-lasting, healthy results to anyone who uses it. Not to mention, your stylist likely invests a lot of time and money into their education to provide you with superior results. A color correction is a hair service that is performed to mitigate prior color damage or results in an attempt to remove and or counteract its effects on the hair both internally and externally. Generally, the service will cost you $150-$200 an hour, making that $14 box of hair color a much less cost-effective option.

So despite what the box says, ‘ammonia free’ or ‘less damage’ box dye contains metallic salts. The undesired color is produced during a chemical reaction between the metallic salts and sulfur in your hair protein (hence the awful smell).

Aside from that, metallic salts do not mix well with professional hair color which is often why your stylist will ask for your hair history during consultation. Often it causes adverse reactions such as melting your hair or chemically burning it, if you’re lucky to avoid this it will most certainly dry, and dull and cause your hair to feel brittle as it damages the follicles.  There’s that saying ‘you get what you pay for and this proves to be accurate in the case of box dye or home hair coloring without a professional.

Full disclosure, my love for hair coloring started far before being old enough to enroll in Cosmetology School which means I have had my fair share of woes with box hair dye before my professional stylist career beginning. Upon learning the dangers of box dye and performing hundreds of color corrections behind the chair on clients who made the same mistake the risk is not worth it.

Book a color consult with a professional and budget out your hair goals to fit your lifestyle and desired look. Yes, you will be paying more but hindsight is 20/20; you’re also paying for a piece of mind and hair color that is perfectly tailored to you.