Michele is an amateur scientist ... she's been experimenting with her hair color for 11 years! "It started out with a few highlights, then it just kind of got carried away. It seems like I'm constantly coloring it, dying it, doing highlights and it's just gotten lighter and lighter over the years ... my hair is so damaged, it's embarrassing!"

Rachael calls in her buddy Gretta, who assures Michele that she's not alone. "Two-thirds of the women who color their hair in the U.S. color at home," says Gretta. "And more than 50 percent of them say they are totally dissatisfied with the results."

Gretta then accompanies Michele on a trip to the drug store, and shares these tips:

Start with a subtle change. "If your goal is to go very far away from your natural color, it's not a good idea," Gretta explains. "That's going to really make a lot of room for error."

Color by numbers. With packaged hair color kits the color is rated on a scale of 1-10. The lighter the color, the higher the number. "For instance, I'm a five," explains Gretta.

Pick the correct tone. Hair color comes in three different tones. Check for warm, neutral and cool noted on the box, with warm referring to gold or red tones.

Be careful with the highlights. Remember, highlighting is bleach! Follow the directions and don't leave it on your hair for too long.

Stick with one brand for consistent color. "They all use different chemicals, they all use different pigments," Gretta says. "So one person's blonde is not like the others."

Once you've selected a kit to try out, click through the images in the gallery on the right for Gretta's application tips! And, if you have any questions -- ask Gretta -- she's answering your questions on the message boards.