Is box dye bad for your hair?

Is box dye bad for your hair?

Getting your hair colored at a salon can be a costly endeavor, leading many people to turn to boxed dyes and adopting a “do-it-yourself” strategy. Using boxed dye on your hair can cover gray hairs, restore your hair after salon treatments or sun-bleaching, and change your hair color to a more fashionable or desired shade.

But is box hair dye bad for your hair? Let’s look at the research and find out.

The Popularity of Box Dye

With over 75% of women and 18% of men in the United States trying it, it’s become a popular trend that dates to ancient times. In ancient eras, dyes were sourced naturally from plants including henna, indigo, senna, turmeric, amla, red ochre, and leeks.

Fortunately, dying one’s hair is not as complicated as it was in ancient times. Now that boxed dye has been invented, it’s now easier than ever to dye our hair in a relatively short period of time. However, using box dye does come with several pros and cons.

The Pros of Using Box Hair Dye

Low Cost

One of the biggest pros of using boxed dye at home is the cost. The average person can acquire a box of hair dye for less than $10 USD and change their hair color completely. Similar services at a professional salon can run up to several hundreds of dollars for the same service.

Efficiency

It’s also very convenient because you can use it on your own time and don’t have to waste time trying to book an appointment. You may have to wait to be accommodated at a salon and can count on spending several hours there. This simply is not an option for most working people. If you color your hair at home, you can watch TV, cook, and catch up on work while your hair color processes. This is not a luxury many are offered at your typical hair salon.

Easy to Use

Finally, box dye is very simple and almost anyone can apply it to their own hair. Box dye kits usually come with everything you need including applicators, brushes, developers, and sometimes deep conditioning treatments to use after dying your hair. They also come with very straightforward, easy to understand instructions that are clearly labeled with pictures. In addition, most companies who manufacture boxed dyes even have a support line one can call for clarity on the use of their product.

The Cons of Using Box Hair Dye

Damaged Hair

Although box hair dye has many benefits, there are several cons as well. If you were to make a mistake coloring your hair, it will definitely cost you. Although the instructions are very simple and clear, it is still very easy to damage your hair.

Costly to Fix Mistakes

Restorative procedures usually cost one a lot of money as well. Things can also go awry very quickly as the chemicals in most off the shelf boxed dyes affect everyone differently. Allergic reactions and chemical burns due to traditional box dye are unfortunately very common.

Serious Allergic Reactions

Some of these reactions even require costly hospital trips and weeks of recovery. You can never be sure how the chemicals in some box dye will affect you, especially when these chemicals vary from company to company.

What Other Options Exist?

Because of the cons of box hair dye, many people have started turning to natural hair dyes. Fortunately, modern companies like Vantage Specialty Chemicals invest millions of dollars into research and development to deliver natural ingredients that you can trust.

You may end up paying a little extra for natural products like these, but it’s worth it in the long run. The chemistry of synthetic ingredients changes the entire biological composition of your hair by causing the hair shaft to swell, and chemical dyes usually have a strong and unpleasant smell, unlike natural hair dyes.

In contrast, natural hair dyes usually have a mild, pleasant aroma and protect the health of you and your hair. They can also be used frequently and do not leave residues, unlike other products.

Choosing a Natural Hair Dye

When choosing a natural hair dye, look for ingredients such a jojoba oil, sunflower oil, castor oil, and other botanicals. It is also helpful to choose products in eco-friendly packaging and that are cruelty-free. By using natural technology, you can use nature’s own assets to give you a result you can trust instead of turning to box hair dye that can damage your hair and scalp in the long run.