You may color your hair because you need a chance of pace; you may be trying to cover up a few stray strands of gray. Whatever your reason, here are some ideas to help make your chosen hair color look great!
- Cut first, color second. Let’s be logical for a moment… do you want to color your hair first, then chop a bunch of it off? That’s kind of a waste of hair color. Start with the haircut and go for the color second.
- Maintain your color carefully. That means keeping an eye on your roots and staying on top of touch-ups. Depending on how fast your hair grows, you may need to color those roots as soon as four weeks after your hair coloring.
- Use the buddy system. If you’re going to be dying your own hair, it’s a lot easier to have a friend help you! My girlfriends and I have a little hair dying party every couple of months — while we’re waiting for the color to do its magic, we catch up on news and gossip. And if you can’t decide what color will look best on you, a trusted friend will be able to give you an honest opinion.
- Don’t make too drastic a change. You may really want to see if blondes do have more fun… but start slow. Lighten or darken your hair one shade at a time every four to six weeks, rather than going from light to dark or from dark to light in one sitting. If you take your time with the change, you won’t be surprised by the end result.
- Not sure what color you want to use? Pull out the photo album. If you’re like me, you’ve tried a few different colors — a photo journey is a good way to see them all on you, side by side. And don’t skip the baby pics… you can revisit your youth by returning to a hair color from your younger days.
- Take time to do that strand test. If you are trying a new brand of hair dye, if you have very sensitive skin, or if you have allergies… don’t skip the strand test! A strand test is also a good way to see what the final result will look like before you start.
- Chlorine is a color-killer. Rinse your hair after a swim with regular old (unchlorinated) water. For an extra nice wash, try sparkling seltzer instead of regular water.
- Sun is another killer! Protect your hair with a scarf or hat, and use a conditioner to help re-hydrate dried out hair.