*With so many product choices available today, coloring your hair at home can be a much more convenient (and cheaper) way to go, especially if you are staying within a shade or two of your natural color. For anything more drastic, it's worth the cost to go to a professional.*

*Gray hair can be coarse and resistant to color. If you are having a hard time getting your gray covered, try applying the dye to gray areas first - they may require more time than the rest of your hair.*

*When coloring your hair at home, don't skip the allergy test. Having used the same product previously isn't a guarantee that you won't have an allergic reaction at some point, so it's best to always be sure before you use it.*

*Doing a strand test is recommended before every home color application. Because the condition of your hair changes, the time you normally leave your color on may need adjusting. While it's often tempting to pass this one up, it's definitely worth the effort.*

*Using shampoos made for color-treated hair does make a difference - the more mild detergents won't cause as much premature fading as a regular shampoo.*

*File your nails in one direction - a back and forth "sawing" motion can cause splitting.*

*To avoid the yellowing caused by some polishes, use a base coat before applying the color.*

*Pushing back moisturized cuticles with an orange stick is just as effective as cutting and lessens the risk of over snipping and ending up with sore (or infected) fingertips.*

*If you chip your polish and are in a hurry, use nail polish remover to smooth the edge of the chip (just a little rubbed over the area to even it out) and reapply color to the bare spot.*