((cough)) Hair dye for men... ((cough))

Err on the side of being too light, and then try a darker color if necessary.

Then remember what color you used.

Now that was easy.

DD's correct.

Start lighter - the dyed bits will come up as highlights in your hair and at least look relatively natural. If you go too dark, you end up with a mat of hair that is one colour and, really, no one has a head of hair that is all one colour.

Natural hair has a lot of variation so highlights give a much more natural effect.

Fear not hair colour. The new technology makes it easy to use, and fairly difficult to muck up.

A really important thing is to make sure you've covered the spot at the back of your head just below the bump-in on your skull. Lots of people miss it and it makes it obvious that it's a home dye-job.

Watch for Feria by L'Oreal to be on sale. It really is a marvellous product - easy to use and is less likely to give you 'flat' results than some of the other choices.

A woman after my own heart.

Feria is the BEST drug store hair color product.

Please note to all novices....money saving tip.

It is not necessary to mix and use the entire box in one sitting.

Feria is nice because the dye is liquid, in an amber colored bottle. The developer is a white cream. This applies to other brands too, where the dye may be in a tube.

You can pour half the white developer into a disposable, or old bowl, and add in half the dye, mixing together with a color applicator brush, which is cheaply found at Sally's or I guess drug store, like less than a buck. I have two that I've been using for years.

The remaining developer and dye are perfectly safe for a long time, as long as they remain separate in their own containers.

That way, if you have short hair, you can get 2, 3 or more applications from one box. Just as long as the ratios are correct. Don't worry, even that doesn't have to be this ultra exact formula. Consumer brands are made pretty goof proof.

Adding to this - do make sure to not store the mixed-together stuff - just throw it out - as it can be volatile.

For those ready to take it to the next level, I've discovered a really great product at Sally's

Argan Oil Hair Color



You can buy a big bottle of level 20 hair developer, whatever is on sale, and it can be used with any brand of color....20 is the standard for consumers to use, don't use 40 unless you really know what you are doing, like a professional.

Anyway, I just love the way the Argan brand looks on me. I got the 4R, which is a brown/red. It absolutely does not fade, and creates natural looking hair. It's not all flat one color, I'm sure the fact it's coloring gray makes it create its own highlights.

My hair is now shoulder length, and the tube pictured above will last me for 3 or 4 applications, even thought it says it contains two.

When applying to the roots, I leave on for 35 minutes, then comb out/apply more to the length, leaving on for an additional 10 minutes.

unless you have my kinda hair and need two boxes for one round of coverage

What kind of hair do you have? Is your's really long and/or thick?

I was especially thinking of you when I mentioned the Argan brand. Really lasting color.

I started going grey in high school. I'm almost 40 and dyed by hair for a time several years ago. Now I'm well over 50% grey but I don't care. Forget the hair dye and go natural. A little salt and pepper never hurt anyone!