'I have a difficult relationship with my hair, which has been the case ever since my hairdresser at the time found my first grey hairs when I was a teenager. Apparently, my Granddad (who sadly I never knew), had white hair by the time he was in his early twenties. I know it’s just one of those things and that it is in the genes, but going grey at a young age has always bothered me.'
'I resisted the temptation to dye my hair for a while and initially resorted to natural remedies, such as henna. The smell, faff and lack of colour options meant that I eventually gave up on these alternatives and began to dye my hair. A couple of unfortunate experiences with home hair dye (when my scalp was irritated), drove me to a hair salon and I had my first experience of being looked after by a hair salon colourist.'
'After leaving university and moving back home, I continued getting my hair dyed at a local salon and never had cause to rethink my two-monthly appointments. That is, until coronavirus hit the UK. As a wheelchair user who was classed as ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’, I began to shield and, over two years later, I am still taking extreme care and haven’t ventured back into a hair salon.'
'Hair was the last thing on my mind and, like everyone at that time, I was just focussing on getting through each day and trying to stay well. With no other choice, I let my natural hair come through. I enjoyed seeing other people embracing their grey hair and I really tried to embrace mine too, but the truth was that I hated it. I didn’t want to be grey just yet and I longed for the hair of my pre-coronavirus self.'
'I invested in some large hairbands and, of course, often resorted to a hat or headscarf. I might not have been going out and about generally (which made it easier), but I did have some medical appointments to go to and of course I had quite a few Zoom calls. Over time, I found the best place to position a scarf or headband to cover up the greys when on a video call. I’m sure nobody else was conscious of them, but to me it mattered.'
'About a year into shielding, I decided enough was enough. Being conscious of my previous bad experiences of at-home hair dyes, I knew I needed expert advice. I contacted my colourist (Helen) to see what she recommended as I wasn’t able to go into the salon and have my hair coloured. Helen told me that the only home hair dye she ever recommended was the Josh Wood Colour range.'
'I eagerly went onto the Josh Wood Colour website and looked into the Miracle System, which sounded like just what I needed. Not only was the website informative and easy to navigate, but the helpful photographs gave me a clear idea of what might be the right colour for me, along with the all-important shade shot. I placed my order and couldn’t wait for my parcel of haircare goodness to arrive!'
'As I’m not able to style my hair myself, I knew I would need help to dye my hair and so I asked my long-suffering Mum to take on this new role of ‘home colourist’! We read the instructions that came with the Miracle System and we also watched an online video by Josh Wood himself. It all seemed amazingly simple and not scary at all. The box included everything we needed and I had also ordered the Colour Accessories Kit, so that we were fully prepared.'
'When we were ready, I sat in the kitchen and let my Mum get started, me reading out the instructions and Mum preparing and then applying the hair dye. The instructions include two options: one sets out how to apply the hair dye if you are doing an all-over colour application and the other describes the steps for doing a root touch-up. I really like the fact that both possibilities are covered.'
'The first time I used the Miracle System, I opted for the all-over colour application, but since then I have tended to switch between them, depending upon how long it has been since my last application. The different elements of the Miracle System (the permanent colour, shade shot and miracle shot) are combined together before use so that, despite all the goodness involved, it only requires a single application. This makes it ideal for those wanting home hair dye that is a breeze to use.'
'I was quite nervous that first time, but the lack of any horrible smell slowly began to dispel my fears and, before I knew it, the 30 minutes had elapsed and I felt no itchiness or discomfort. Perhaps it really wasn’t too good to be true.'
'The results were amazing! The grey hairs had been covered and I had glossy, healthy-looking (and feeling) hair with no irritation. Not only did I LOVE the colour, which was a better version of my natural hair colour (without looking fake), my hair felt nourished and really soft. I felt like I had been to a hair salon for a very expensive treatment!'
'I began to feel more myself again. It may sound trivial, but having to shield for two years takes its toll and so this was a way of treating myself. A manicure or a trip out might have been out of the question, but dying my hair was firmly back on the agenda!'
'Since then, we’ve carried on with the same procedure every two to three months. Each time I take my position in the kitchen, my Mum dons her black gloves and gets to work on my hair, bringing me back to myself a little more with each brush stroke. Despite having used the Miracle System a few times now, there has been no irritation or itching and afterwards I always feel transformed. I have to say that I don’t always use the Miracle Mask, but when I do, I certainly notice the difference!'
'I recently transitioned over from buying the Miracle System as and when I require it to a regular subscription. The main reason for this is that you save money on each order and it also includes free delivery. There is also the flexibility to skip a delivery, so you aren’t tied in to receiving the Miracle System if you don’t require it on that occasion. From experience, I can confirm that this is easy to do and there’s no hassle involved. You just simply log into your account and click on the ‘Manage Subscription’ button. For me, the subscription option is a win-win!'
'In between each Miracle System application, I rely on root touch-ups and I love the range of touch-up products that Josh Wood has created. I’m planning to try the Root Spray next to see how I find that. I am also intrigued by the Hair Gloss and hope to use this soon. In the future I would love to see a wider range of subscription packages that you can choose from each time, including the Miracle System with a gloss treatment and/or root touch-up product. I would also find it helpful if the ingredients were listed for each product on the website, as with things like shampoo I like to check the ingredient list before making a purchase.'
'I have yet to set foot back inside a hair salon and while I hope to be able to have my hair cut inside a salon (and not in my front garden) in the future, my Josh Wood Colour routine is definitely here to stay!'
Thanks to Hannah for sharing her thoughts! Do you have a hair story to tell? We'd love to hear. Get in touch at expert@joshwoodcolour.com.