Whether you’re trying to save money, don’t want to deal with the hassle of booking an appointment at a salon, need a last minute change, or just enjoy the ease and convenience, there are many reasons you may choose to dye your hair from the comfort of your own home—and we don’t blame you! However, it’s important to note that although this may seem like the easiest route in the moment, there are several mistakes that could be detrimental to the overall appearance and health of your hair if you’re not careful. In fact, while many people color their locks in order to cover greying or maintain a more youthful look, some pitfalls could have the opposite effect.

To learn more about the most common at-home hair dye mistakes you should avoid at all costs if you want the best results, we checked in with experts Jamie Mazzei, creative director for NuBest Salon & Spa and Linda Vaqari, Stylist at G2O Spa + Salon. They pointed out three in particular you should steer clear of:

1. Assuming The Color Will Look Like The Box

Vaqari and Mazzei both agree that one of the most common mistakes women make when choosing a hair dye is expecting the color to turn out exactly how it looks on the box. "The photos on the box are not an accurate representation of the color," Mazzei warns, noting that instead of relying on the photo of the model's hair, you should "look at the little hair swatch at the store." 

Vaqari concurs, stressing that box dye is not a "one size fits all" situation, so you should never assume that the product will look the same on you as it does on the model or anyone else who uses it. "Each person's hair is different and no one product will have the same outcome on every hair," she explains. This is true for both the color itself and the effect it can have on the health of your tresses. 

"You won't hurt your hair by using the wrong shade," Mazzei says, "but you'll be disappointed if you wanted a certain color but end up with something totally different." It should also be noted that not every color is equally flattering. Choosing the wrong shade or tone can instantly age you by drawing attention to fine lines and discoloration on your face, or even emphasizing thinning locks. No matter how old you are, though, it's only natural that certain colors will complement your natural beauty, while others will do the opposite. 

Finding the best hair dye for you requires the consideration of many different factors. Vaqari notes that professional colorists appraise a variety of elements, like natural color level, skin tone, level of porosity, previous artificial pigment, percentage of gray, and more, when coming up with the best game plan for a client's hair. If you choose to color your hair at home, you should take these things into account as well. 

2. Leaving Product On For Too Long Or Too Short

Pay attention to that timer! Mazzei says that leaving your hair dye on for too short or too long can have consequences on the health of your hair and the overall color. If you're dyeing your locks a darker shade, he warns that letting your hair soak up the product for too long could make it darker than you intended—and then you may end up with an unflattering or undesirable result that could have an aging affect, as we mentioned above.

Additionally, if you're lightening your hair and leave a lightening agent on for too long, Mazzei says you could seriously damage your locks. You may run into issues like weak, brittle hair and breakage. Yikes!

For this reason, Mazzei stresses that you should "make sure you have a timer so you leave each product in the hair for the specific amount of time outlined in the instructions." Noted!

Nothing draws negative attention to your hair like a spotty dye job, and Mazzei and Vaqari point out that this is one of the biggest mistakes women make when they color their hair at home. They both say evenly coloring hair is a meticulous process; you can't just apply it all over as you would with shampoo or conditioner and hope for the best, Mazzei warns. "You need to properly section off hair and apply the dye to each section, ensuring all of the hair is saturated from root to tip," he says.

Vaqari says if you aren't careful, you'll end up with what's known as banding. This refers to "dark spots/stripes caused by overlapping color on top of color-treated hair," she explains. This patchy look can have an aging affect, especially because, as hair expert Ghanima Abdullah points out, many older women experience greying in different areas (chunky highlights should be avoided for the same reason). Vaqari notes that in order to avoid the issue, the dye "needs to be applied extremely precisely."

Unfortunately, proper application can be tricky on your own. "Doing this to yourself can be very difficult, especially when applying to the back of the head," Vaqari says. Of course, the best option is to allow a professional colorist to handle things, but if you must color your hair at home, it's important to take your time and be as precise as possible. You may benefit from asking a friend to help and handle those hard-to reach spots.

In addition to the possibility of an unflattering color or insufficient application, box dye can do serious damage to your hair, leading to a more aged look caused by thinning and dryness: "Damage to hair and overall hair loss can be common as box dyes may be harmful to some hair dyes," Vaqari points out. You may benefit from purchasing quality-assured professional hair dye rather than cheaper drugstore brands, who "don't spend nearly as much money researching the product's ingredients."

At the end of the day, though, the best way to avoid all of these issues is to leave the job to professionals. As Vaqari says, "there is nothing like professional application." She also notes that many times, a failed at-home dye job will have you running straight to the salon for damage control—so why not cut to the chase and start there? "If you’re going to pay professional quality prices eventually, you might as well start there in the first place and take care of your hair," Vaqari concludes.

If you're looking for a way to get the most out of your professional hair color without resorting to damaging box dyes, Mazzei offers a solution. "I recommend No Fade Fresh to my clients," he says, explaining that these semi-permanent color-depositing shampoos and conditioners are designed to refresh your hair color each time you shower. "This will help extend the life of your hair color at home and help prevent the number one problem with hair color which is fading," he says. That way, you can limit the amount of money you spend at the salon and avoid the negative effects of cheap dyes.

If you do choose to use box dye and try your hand at coloring your hair at home, it's definitely possible to get a good outcome. Just avoid the mistakes outlined by Mazzei and Vaqari, and you'll be on your way to the best results possible!

Faith Geiger is a New York-based writer and editor. When she's not covering the latest in health and wellness for SheFinds, she spends her time watching reality TV with her roommates, browsing used bookstores, and enjoying live music. You can reach Faith at [email protected]