Or consider Kool-Aid: More Smiles per Gallon and Hair Color too.

In the realm of haircolor (or hair color), the luxe category features L’Oreal Paris with lovely (even famous) models and genteel sell copy: Completely different than the hair-coloring solutions found in small grocery stores, bodegas and hair supplement shops in any America city.

Welcome to the do-it-yourself aspect of hair coloring. It’s where American entrepreneurialism goes to market – there’s even a current Texas gubernatorial candidate whose fortune has been made in “hair color solutions.”

These colorful packages? The ones remind you of 19th Century religious chromoliths whose resemblance to actual human skin tones is utterly accidental?

Yes, yes, they are cost-effective. Please don’t read the tiny type on the box since you might see a panel that says: Do not use this product if you are ALLERGIC to radioactive waste.

There is a charm to these hair color products although several universities are still trying to decode what that is. Still, once you leave independent businessmen behind, it’s on to cultural adventurism. The onset of Chinese New Year prevents me from pointing out which Asian nation advises that gray hair can be prevented by including black beans, black sesame seeds and walnuts in your diet. (I am NOT making this up – feel free to choose between chemical imperialism and folk remedy.)

But wait. This frontier is hardly for Asians alone. America itself is where the craft element of hair transformation can pay big dividends. You can dye your hair with Kool-Aid® drink mix though you will not find this “trick” on the Kraft Foods website.

According to the hair-dyeing instructions, you’ll want to put on a pair of gloves to apply the Kool-Aid to your hair; and the longer you leave it on, the better the color will adhere to the hair. I would go for grape except my famous suffering from hair insufficiency. You try it and let me know how it goes.