It doesn’t matter where you live or what you do for a living, the effects of the struggling economy have not been lost on you. Maybe you drink a few less lattes a month or perhaps you’ve had to downsize in larger areas. But when it comes to your hair, deciding to cut back – in anything from product to cut – is a monumental undertaking. Before you entrust that friend who swears she “knows how to cut hair” with a pair of scissors and carte blanche to traipse her way through your tresses, try leaving the cutting to the pros and give coloring at home a shot.

The first – and most important – step to a successful home hair coloring session is choosing your color. If the purpose of the dye session is simply to cover some creeping grays, then opt for the box of color most similar to your won. If you’re looking for a different shade, then let the most conservative voice in your head win out. You can always go more extreme, but less is often difficult.

After you have your shade selected, the next step is to test it out. Start with dry hair and drape a dark colored towel over your shoulders to protect your clothing and be sure to use the gloves that come with the kit. You’ll be glad you did. The best way to test hair color is in two places – at the nape of your neck and at the crown of your head. Hair in different places reacts to and holds color differently. Choose a strip of hair about an inch wide in each area and be sure that these strips can be easily camouflaged if the hair color you have chosen is horribly wrong. Apply some of the dye formula and be sure you like it before you proceed with the rest of your hair.

If the test goes well and you’re pleased with the result, it’s time to move on. Finish prepping for the dye session my applying petroleum jelly to your skin next to your hair line. This will keep the dye from staining your skin, but it will also keep it from sticking to your hair if you’re not careful, so stop just short of your hairline. The last step before the dye is to part your hair down the middle all the way from your forehead to the nape of your neck so it’s easier to distribute the color evenly.

Squeeze the dye out of the applicator and apply it to one half-inch-wide section of hair at a time starting at the back and moving forward. You will want to get the dye all the way to the roots and stop a few inches shy of the ends. The ends of your hair are porous and will absorb the dye more quickly, so wait until you’ve finished working your way forward one half-inch section at a time and then run your fingers through your hair, distributing the color evenly and now working it all the way to the ends. Set a timer for the duration on the box and wait.

The last step is the rinse. Be sure to let the water run over and through your hair until it turns clear. Use the conditioner included with the color kit, leave it in for 5 minutes and rinse. Be sure to wait at least 24 hours before shampooing. Dry your hair and style it as you normally would.

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