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By far the best way to achieve natural-looking, beautiful hair color results is by going to a professional hair dresser, preferably one who has specific experience and training in color techniques. If you are like many other women, spending $100 or more every 4 to 6 weeks on your hair is just not in the budget. Not only that, far too many women don't take enough time for themselves, and 2 hours in a salon is a luxury they don't treat themselves to very often. So, here are some do-it-yourself tips that should help you make the most of home hair color.

If at all possible, go to a salon at least once to get a base color. Pay careful attention to what the stylist does, where the color is placed and how much color is used. Also pay attention to the timing. Color has to process on your hair. The processing time depends on the type of hair you have, the type of color being used and how much the new color differs from your original color. A professional colorist understands what to look for in a strand test to ensure the resulting color is exactly what was expected. Watching your hair dresser carefully can give you a good basis for developing your home color routine.

Highlights and lowlights are very trendy and for good reason. Hair is not uniform in color naturally. The sun, chemicals, texture and position of the hair on the head will all contribute the strands that vary in color. When you add all-over color to your hair, there is very little variation between the strands so it can end up looking like you did it yourself. You can add depth and a natural look to your hair by adding multiple colors, some lighter than your original shade and some darker. If you really want to start with an all-over color, consider adding some highlights or lowlights a week or so later to create a professional look. It is very important, however, that you use good, penetrating conditioners and read product information very carefully before adding color over already-processed hair. Many hair color manufacturers have hotlines that you can call for advice on which products to use and how to use them.

There are several brands of highlighting kits on the market. The differences are not so much in the formula of the color, but in the applicator. Caps can be used with a tool that pulls hair strands through holes, allowing color to be applied only to specific strands, eliminating the chances for error. These really only seem to work well with short to medium hair, however. Long hair tends to get

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