We were lucky enough to score an interview with some lovely ladies, Nikki and Riawna, from the Ken Paves Salon in Hollywood. Between the two of them, they have tons of experience, an amazing knowledge bank on the topic, and a crazy client list to boot (think Lindsay Lohan, Colin Farrell, and Eva Longoria). So I rolled what we got from these two into a week's worth of tips so you can look like you just walked out of the Ken Paves Salon.

In the wake of the recession many of us are turning to at-home color to keep up with our hair maintenance on a dime. But Riawna and Nikki say no way! "Nine times out of ten it doesn't work," Riawna says. "We just don't recommend it. Too many times women have damaged their own hair doing it." And it's not just a marketing ploy to get you into the salon. Here's why you should either not color your hair period or splurge on a trip to the salon.

"If you're brown and you want a darker brown, okay, not a big deal," says Nikki. "But the at home stuff is so strong that it doesn't come out and is very hard for a stylist to remove."

"And most at-home kits use 20 volume developers which is used to cover grays. Most people, unless they really are gray, don't need a color that harsh. Not even close!" says Riawna.

"Look, people do at-home color for two reasons. For financial reasons or because they have gray hair." says Nikki. "If you're going to an honest colorist, they need to set you up with a color that will suit your lifestyle."

"Exactly," says Riawna. "Say, 'I can only come in every 10 weeks. ' I wouldn't set someone up with a full head of highlights or something that grows out if they tell me that. You need to sit down and have a consultation. As a paying client, you need to demand it!"

"And," adds Nikki, "if you don't want the maintenance, can't afford it, and don't have grays, have your stylist dye your hair back to its natural color and let it grow out. It's so much better than doing it yourself."

For more tips from the Ken Paves Salon, check this out!