Questions about your “do?” Grab the phone. Clairol's hair hot line experts have been helping anxious or confused consumers with hair advice since the early '60s.

        “Most call to ask about our products or seek advice on hair color or hair care in general, but sometimes we get off-the-wall questions,” says Sara Schlosser, associate director of consumer affairs. One woman called to ask advice on the best way to color her dog's hair. Another called to ask how she could hide the fact that she colored her hair from her new husband.

        Here are six hair coloring tips from the hotline (800-252-4765):

        • If hair is longer than ear length or thick, use two boxes of the shade you picked.

        • Apply a thick layer of petroleum jelly around the hairline, ears and the nape of the neck before applying hair color to prevent the color from staining skin.

        • Don't assume the color on the box is what you'll get. Do this equation first: The color on the box plus your current color equals the final color.

        • In the event of a hair-coloring mishap (the color came out wrong or it didn't fully process), shampoo immediately with a clarifying shampoo. The surfactants in the shampoo will remove some of the excess color. Then call the hot line.

        • If hair already has been colored with a permanent hair color, and has regrowth, do not color the whole head again. Use the same shade as before, apply just to the root, let it develop. Then, with five minutes left, apply the rest of the coloring to the rest of your head.

        • Be sure to use a conditioner after treatment.

        Swimmers' hair: Water-lovers whose tender locks suffer in summer from too much chlorine have a friend in UltraSwim Replenishing Shampoo and Ultra Repair Conditioner. The shampoo removes chlorine and odor caused by pool swimming, and the conditioner restores a silky, healthy feel to damaged hair. The shampoo also fights the greenish tinge that blondes sometimes get from chlorine by removing copper deposits from the hair. $4.29 each at drug and beauty stores.

        Camouflage from Rit: Rit has partnered with Hollywood costume designer Randy Gardell to come up with a way to dye fabrics with a camouflage design. Pick two to four colors of dye in liquid or powdered form. If using liquid, pour each color into a clean, plastic squeeze bottle. If using powder, dissolve each package in 2 cups of hot water and cool before transferring into squeeze bottle.

        Place garment flat and squeeze dyes onto the garment in random patterns. The less white you leave, the more color will result, but don't cover the whole garment with dye. You need to apply dye only to the front because the dye will seep through. For a marbled effect, crunch the garment into a ball after applying dye and tie it tightly with cloth strips, heavy rubber bands or strings.

        Fill a 1-gallon, zip seal bag with very hot tap water, add garment to bag and seal tightly. Immerse bag in hot water for 30-45 minutes. When time is up, remove garment and rinse under cool, running water until the water runs clear. Cut ties and rinse item in cold water, mixed with mild detergent; rinse again in cool water until it runs clear. Squeeze and air or machine dry.

        Instructions also are available at www.ritdye.com. Rit is sold at Walgreen's, Wal-Mart, Target, craft and grocery stores.

        Contact Joy Kraft by phone: (513) 768-8467; fax: 768-8330; e-mail: jkraft@enquirer.com.

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