How to prevent a DIY ombre hair fail

Ombre hair is definitely a gorgeous colouring trend, but it's also a very expensive treatment and many women who can't resist the lure of ombre hair resort to DIY hair dye to save on costs. Here's how to do it right.

Colouring one's hair is not just a matter of choosing a shade combination, applying the dye based on the instructions and reveling in the desired result.

• Ombre hair treatments, with a naturally cascading hair shade transition on the lower part of the tresses, are notoriously difficult.
• Even hair colour professionals in salons fail at this, as many disgruntled clients could tell you.

Understanding various factors that make or break DIY ombre hair colour

The shade on the sample coloured strand on the DIY hair colour kit will not be the exact shade of the dye when applied on the hair.

• This is why hair colour books in salons carry so many shade variations for a single colour. Salon professionals are trained in selecting specific shades to use when clients ask for a certain hair colour or effect.

Chemical deposits from hydrogen peroxide, henna and other hair colour substances need to be washed out thoroughly before a major hair colour treatment is applied.

• In the event that there are multiple layers of dye in the hair, a professional washing-out service could be required.

When applying the hair dye, stylists should understand the contents of the hair colour kit and how to perform proper hair sectioning.

All hair colour kits come with precautions or disclaimers that protect a manufacturer should a major hair colour disaster occur.

• To minimize health risks, make sure the kit you will use is of high quality and approved by the Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety branch of Health Canada.

Choose a trusted and proven brand of DIY ombre hair kit.

• Go for the most user-friendly kit with realistic claims and a user hotline where you can get advice.
• Research online to read about consumer feedback and understand other people's experiences. Take note of brand suggestions, tricks that work and those that don't.

Do your research

Learn as much as you can about colouring hair at home.

• Don't just rely on tutorial videos as they may not be reliable or accurate.
• If you can, observe how the process is done in salons or ask a skilled friend if you can watch the process.

Backup plan

Finally, ask yourself if you have a backup plan if you end up with a DIY ombre hair fail. This includes enough money to visit a salon if urgent hair colour repair is required.