Why Do Hairdressers Hate Box Dyes? Full pros and cons

at the supermarket

Many hairdressers hate box dyes for three main reasons:

Hairdressers invest a lot of money to have their own stock of hair dyes
Box dyes don’t allow for creativity
Box dyes have a lower quality

Obviously, it’s more complex than that.

So, if you’re interested and want to know where this hatred for box dyes comes from, I invite you to follow me all the way to the end.

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The subject is complex and can have rough edges, but I’m going to give you my opinion as a stylist.

I own a hairdressing salon, which means that there’ll be many other respectable points of view.

In this article, I’ll you in detail why I believe box dyes are a stone in my shoe, even if they’re a time saver for some people.

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The hair dye is the salon’s star

blonde highlights in hair salon

When a stylist decides to open a salon, one of the first things they do is look for a hair color brand.

What do we look for in a hair color brand?

That it’s the one that best suits our way of working
That its tones represent us
That it gives us the certainty that we’ll obtain an excellent gray coverage
That its tones don’t wash out easily
That they’re bright tones that allow us to mix and match
That our clients go home with their hair in perfect condition

Why are we looking for this?

Because we positively know that color WILL ALWAYS BE the star of the salon.

The haircut inside my salon is my personal signature: all my clients can go to other salons to get their hair cut, but no one will do it as I do.

Is that because I’m the best?

It’s because I have my own style, and it’s different from the rest.

The same thing happens to all stylists: we have our own style, which is our personal signature. No one can repeat the work of another colleague.

It’s not the same with hair color because many salons use the same brands.

The secret to making the difference is how we apply the hair dye and the way we play with the blends we invent to create the color for each client.

Then, the color becomes a trademark for each of you.

3 reasons why some hairdressers hate box dyes

box dye after bleaching

The stylist invests money to have his own stock of hair dyes

A stylist invests a lot of money to buy all the tones of a brand.

The goal is to meet all the clients’ expectations by providing them with a complete color palette. Then, suddenly, a client arrives at the salon with a box dye.

What do you think the stylist’s reaction will be? We certainly don’t like that.

We should ask ourselves: What would a restaurant owner think if I came to dinner with a package of noodles and asked him to boil them and put butter and cheese on them?

Wouldn’t it be the same situation?>Would you do it? Would you walk into a restaurant with a package of noodles?

Keep in mind that your stylist has invested a lot of money. He will have the tone the client brought in. It’s certainly not an exotic or exclusive tone.

Box dyes don’t allow me to be creative

If a client brings a box dye to the salon, the stylist has to work with a product that doesn’t allow him to create anything new. Instead, what he has to apply is prepared in a way that doesn’t allow for second choices.

Therefore, it takes away our creative side as stylists.

Box dyes are of lower quality

The three best-known and most important international brands worldwide have scientists in their laboratories working tirelessly to produce the most sophisticated hair dyes with the best results.

However, at the same time, they launch second brands under the same brand name to cover all markets from professional salons to supermarket shelves.

Of course, the same goes for the pharmaceutical industry that launches specific drugs and generic drugs. Are they the same thing? I don’t think so.

Box dyes: pros and cons

Pros

Box dyes are convenient for home use saving the time of an appointment at a salon. It saves time on other tasks since you can have the hair dye on your head and continue studying, working, or just watching TV.
They get you out of a jam if you suddenly get invited to an event and don’t have time to make an appointment at your usual salon.
It’s a little cheaper than the salon (just a little).

Cons

You may make choose an incorrect color and ruin your color. It’ll be hard work to recover that color.
It’s very unlikely that you’ll be able to apply the hair dye evenly on the nape of the neck. So, some areas will lack coverage and the tone will be uneven as hair grows.
The pigments are of lower quality. Therefore, they last less.

Hair coloring in the salon: pros and cons

Pros

The absolute peace of mind of being in the right hands. You can rest assured that the outcome will be successful.
The peace of mind of knowing that they use top-quality products and materials.
The possibility of applying nutritive treatments to seal the cuticles and ensure that color lasts over time.

Cons

If your salon works on a first-come, first-served basis, you can spend a thousand hours waiting.
You have to set aside time during business hours (which is usually the time you have the least to spare) to go to your salon appointment. While in the salon, you need to stay there with nothing else to do.

Stylists and box dyes: myths and common mistakes

There’s a myth about hairdressers hating box dyes. Actually, it’s not hate.

Rather, the dislike has to do with the times people think that applying a hair dye is simple and doesn’t have inconveniences.

In my opinion, people do things to their hair because hair doesn’t hurt.

This isn’t the same as thinking that hair doesn’t suffer. It does suffer. Sometimes, even that suffering leads to irreversible damage.

To prevent the hair from suffering, stylists continue to train ourselves all our lives by taking courses and seminars to learn all the latest innovations for our beloved clients.

Another very common confusion is to think that by bringing a box dye, the value of our service will be lower: big mistake.

All salons have one or two full color palettes. So, whatever color the client brings, the stylist will have it.

On the other hand, the time and dedication from colorists will be the same whether the client brings the hair dye they use one from the salon. Therefore, the cost of the service should be the same.

Conclusion

For many women, hairdressing is an agony. For others, it’s a pleasure. For stylists, it’s our world. For many (including myself) it’s even our first love.

Those of us who make a living from this beautiful profession strive to offer the best on the market to our clients. To tell the truth, box dye is a rock in our shoe that doesn’t hurt. In fact, it’s a solution to avoid wasting time at the hairdresser’s for many people and that’s fine.

On the other hand, other people consider the salon as a pampering time for themselves, a relaxing time to connect with their own world and the chance to embellish not only their hair but their soul… we’re waiting for them with open arms.