If home hair colour conjures images of DIY disasters it’s time you discovered My Hairdresser, the DIY salon-inspired range that effortlessly covers 100 per cent grey, ideal for touching up your roots while adding lustrous shine. Editor Trudi Brewer chats with founder Susan Starling about her game-changing brand.
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Susan Starling is passionate about hair. The British-born Aussie has spent the past 30 years working in the haircare industry, launching Joico into the Australian and New Zealand markets and the creative force behind launching the Fudge haircare brand. After a brief hiatus, she was lured back to the beauty business by the one product she felt she needed and knew she could improve: home hair colour. “My mantra has always been: ‘I’ll never be grey!’” she says, and so My Hairdresser (MYHD) was born. The company is based in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, selling products through pharmacies and online at Beauty Garage
Here, she reveals the secrets to achieving great colour at home.
Where did you get the idea for MYHD hair colour?
I was fed up. As a working mum, I was always juggling to get everything done and to top it off, my hair grows very fast – getting an appointment at a salon was near impossible with my schedule. I didn’t mind colouring my hair at home, but I wasn’t going to compromise on quality, so that’s how MYHD was born. It’s more like a salon colour than the box home hair colour you can buy at the supermarket.
How easy is it to use?
Super easy! Choose your colour shade, then your developer strength – mix, apply, and you’re done. I think the hardest part is deciding which of the 20-plus shades is right for you.
Images @my_hairdresser
What is unique about MYHD?
The range is all about you, your natural hair colour and your skin tone. You are in full control, which can’t be said of the box colour you get at the supermarket. The most significant difference is the quality of our colours, which are made in Italy and contain conditioners, such as olive oil, to keep hair feeling silky and looking shiny. All our products are also resealable, so they’re perfect for multiple regrowth touch-ups. What I am most proud of, however, is our online support. When you visit MYHD.com you’ll find an abundance of information at your fingertips 24/7, including a team of colour consultants who can answer any questions if you need help.
How do you select the right MYHD colour for a natural result?
A great place to start is our pure blonde or brunette shades, which have no added pigments, so they are just natural hues that are incredibly glossy. Also, keep to the same lightness (tone) as your regrowth, this is generally a good sign that it will suit your skin tone.
What about blonde, how light can you go with MYHD?
That is entirely up to you. Our products range from dark blonde to extra-light platinum blonde shades, known as MYHD Highlifts. Mix them with any of our four developer strengths to control how light your end result will be.
My Hairdresser Permanent Hair Colour Remover, $36. My Hairdresser Permanent Hair Colour, $23, comes in 31 shades.
How do you tackle regrowth?
I like to touch up my roots at least every three weeks because my hair grows so fast (my friends laugh because I even take my colour with me if I’m going away for more than two weeks!). I always use a tint brush to apply my colour, because it’s the cleanest and easiest way to get product around my regrowth, using the end of the brush to section through my hair.
What is the biggest mistake women make when colouring their hair at home?
Impulsive decisions are a real Achilles heel when colouring your hair at home. Underestimating your hair history is another. Your hair holds your secrets (from previous colouring and then colouring over the top of that) and most mistakes occur because this isn’t taken into account. This is why we created MYHD Permanent Hair Colour Remover, which takes you back to your original colour in just 20 minutes.
Images MYHD once mixed and applied to the hair. Make sure you have sectioning clips and a tint bowl and brush on hand. To retouch the roots of the hair section from a middle part, in a hot cross bun pattern and apply colour.
Do you have any pre- and post-colour tips?
I like to let my hair get greasy before colouring because the natural oils help to protect your scalp. If you have curly hair, straighten it before colouring – it makes application so much easier. After you’ve coloured, don’t shampoo for two days to allow the colour to settle into your hair.
Any other advice to ensure the best result?
Do it with a friend. It’s a great way to catch up while learning a new skill. Also, before you start, make sure you have enough product and accessories – like sectioning clips, tint bowls, and brushes – on hand to make the job easier.
What other hair products do you rate?
Outside colour, my hair routine is pretty low maintenance. I love Joico – the K-Pak moisturising products are my absolute favourite, and at times a lifesaver – and I also don’t go anywhere without a wide-tooth comb.
Editor Trudi Brewer shares how she touches up her regrowth at home with MYHD, 7.1
ash blonde.
