I Got My Box-Dye Damage Fixed By A Pro — Here’s What Happened

Many professionals would cringe at the thought of highlighting your hair at home using box dye, but not all DIY color jobs are completely lost. In the latest episode of Hair Me Out, Rebecca Lee, a sometimeish at-home highlighter, got a transformation inspired by Sarah Hyland's trademark hair.

"I've been through a lot of transformation this past year," Lee says. "I got a new job, got out of a bad relationship, moved to a new apartment with new people." This new chapter in her life called for trading in her bleach blonde ends for a rich, copper-toned red color. To achieve her desired look without damaging her strands, Lee went to celebrity colorist and co-owner of Nine Zero One Salon, Nikki Lee for her transformation. Nikki, who frequently works with Hilary Duff, Selena Gomez, and Hyland, knows firsthand the complexity of achieving dimensional hair color that looks effortless.

To get started, Nikki carefully hand-painted highlights along with her client's hair before applying her copper-brown base color. Then she applied a 20-volume developer to Lee's midshafts to give her strands more depth. Once Lee's base was completely prepped, the experts at Nine Zero One applied her gloss, which gave her strands its ultra-rich tone. To finish, Nikki used the In Common Crystal Cashmere Treatment to lock in her color and to add shine. The transformation took up to two hours total and was well worth it according to Lee.

"I didn't realize how much work went into getting my hair professionally colored," she says. "I could watch as many YouTube videos and think 'oh I can do this myself but after sitting in this chair, there is so much work that has to be done to get this completely right." Click play to see her transformation come to life.