My skin and scalp is a bit sensitive and I don't like the smell of many hair colours. I have used Herbatint for years and it works well - http://www.herbatint.co.uk
I get a friend to do it for me - you can buy it in health food stores or on line.

You are best to go to a hairdresser who can look at your hair, do the first treatment and then advise you which to use moving forward.

I used semi permanents a few years ago. Casting I think. Anyway it actually turned my mid brown hair a kind of straw colour (permanently) which I had to wait two years to grow out. It's because I used semi perms fairly regularly so they turned permanent?? Or it might be the ammonia which damaged my hair, I'm not sure. Good luck!

I have tried most high street brands, all are ok, just make sure your hair has been washed without conditioner on (or they don't cover grey), start with the grey bits first, so they get the dye on the longest, and go at least 1 shade lighter (worst case scenario here is grey bits are not 100% as dark, but they will blend in, and much better than being too dark - you can always go a shade darker next time!)

I have dark brown hair and I have a semi-permanent colour done at the hairdressers. I have done it myself at home from time to time in an effort to save money and my only comments would be, choose your shade carefully. I have used Casting and occasionally have gone too dark and ended up looking like a Goth which is not necessarily the look I am desiring in my mid-forties! If in doubt, choose the lighter shade as one hairdresser commented that it isn't easy (or possible?) to lighten hair with another lighter semi-permanent colour. I personally also think that the home use semi-permanent colours can look quite "flat" whereas the result in a salon is a bit more tonal. Maybe that is my personal experience.

I have dark brown hair, my hairdresser used the Inoa ammonia free professional range, she is on maternity leave and I do it myself now - and it is so much easier, I find. Also this brand seems to improve the condition of my hair, not the opposite. I matched with my natural colour and as soon as I see roots I have a 45mn session in my bathroom. For medium lenght to long hair, you need about 1 1/2 tube of colour (1+1 mix) and the same quantity of oxydant (buy the big green 1L bottle), put on roots , leave for 20-30mn, then extend to the ends, leave 10-15 mn, wash and condition your hair, trick done. Sometimes you don't have to extend, particularly in the winter. Finding your colour takes quite a bit of googling and one or two trials, then once you have the number you can find both colour and oxydant on ebay. If you are unsure about technique, ask a hairdresser to colour your hair once and watch what they are doing. Good luck.

Hi there,

I used to work for a well known home hair dye brand so know the market quite well... Although I have never used it, Casting Creme gloss by L'Oreal is the most popular Semi permanent dye on the market (there aren't actually that many semi permanent brands out there). There is also another range by Nice and Easy but Casting seems to have the most shades available to choose from. Semi permanents from what I remember only last up to 24 washes so you may have to dye more regularly but is probably a good starting point if you have never dyed your hair before.

Good luck! x