Match: When colouring at home match the shade to your current hair colour. You can look for a shade thatʼs a tone lighter than your current shade. . A neutral dark brown is the safest for most Indian skin tone. Black can drain out colour from your skin.

Trim: Before an at home job, get a trim to snip out the dried ends, which can look brassy and brittle post colour. Deep condition your hair two days before colouring.

No-no blonde: Blonde as a hair colour tone don’t suit Indian complexion. So avoid that. However if you still want to try the hue then seek professional help rather than try it at home. A honey blonde looks better on us than light blonde.

Be free: It is essential to buy a kit with the lowest amount of ammonia possible. Higher levels of ammonia in DIY kits can lead to dry and damaged hair.. Read the boxes carefully. Do a patch test definitely.

Be generous: Donʼt skimp on buying hair colour. Imagine getting over with it half way through the job. A regular pack is suitable for shoulder length to mid length hair. But if you have long hair then buy two packs and save the amount not needed

Kit up: The application tools supplied by most kits are pretty flimsy. If you want the job done right, pick up proper tools at any beauty-supply store. Invest in rubber gloves, a good colour brush and a cover sheet to protect your clothes.

Follow rules: When colouring at home, keep the colour on only for the stipulated time mentioned on the box. Going beyond that will not help. Also keep petroleum jelly like Vaseline handy to wipe off any stains. You can also try an alcohol-free nail polish remover to get colour off you in case you get few stains on you.