Services>Hair Care Advice>Colour and Your Hair

The decision to change the colour of your hair is a major consideration. It will have a big impact on the way you look. It is important to remember that just because you consider a colour pleasing does not mean it will look good on you. There are several important things to keep in mind when choosing a new hair colour.

The way a colour looks on each individual is more than simply a matter of personal taste in hue. Skin tone has a lot to do with whether a colour will be suitable for you. The lighter your skin tone the less likely darker hues will be attractive. Very pale features will blanch even more against black or dark brown hair. Dark hair against very pale skin can produce a wan or ashen appearance, while darker toned skin with blonde or lighter shades of colour can produce a startling contrast.

Having a professional colour technician guide you in the choice of colour is always a wise decision. They can not only advise you on which colours will look best with your particular features and skin tone, but they will know exactly how each colour will affect your natural hair colour. This can be very tricky to deal with on your own. Most commercial hair colours have pictures of what colour the dye will produce on various base colours of hair. However, regardless of what the product colour samples show, your own hair may react differently to a dye colour.

Some dye products will advise you to 'strip' the natural colour of your hair before applying the dye. This is especially true if you are going from very dark to very light colours. Your professional colour technician will know when to pre-treat your hair for a particular colour change.

To get a better indication of what your hair will look like once it has been coloured, you can clip a small portion of hair and prepare the dye as directed on the package. Dye the clipped portion of hair as instructed and see how the colour affects your hair. To see how it will look against your skin you can hold it up to your face as you look in the mirror. Be aware, however, that there will still be a big difference when you colour all of your hair! Many people take several days to feel comfortable again with their appearance after a drastic change.

As a rule it is best not to stray too far from the overall tone of your natural colour, unless you intend to make a very bold statement.

Most hair colour solutions are permanent and will last as long as your hair growth permits. That time varies for each person but you will need to touch up the colour as your hair grows out. The further away from your natural colour you go the more obvious your roots will be as your hair grows. Re-touching the colour only needs to be done at the roots and applied to the remaining already-dyed hair at the very end of the process, to blend.

It is always a good idea to condition your hair with a colour-safe conditioner to keep it healthy and to minimise any drying effects. Your colour technician will explain the best way to care for your colour-treated hair to keep it healthy and vibrant.

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