Being in the hair industry as long as I have, I've had all sorts of people come to me seeking damage control for their hair colour. Most of the time people go wrong with colour because they have chosen the wrong colour for them, or because they have unrealistic colour goals. The following are a few important tips to help avoid those "colour disasters" that far too many people are familiar with.
Tip #1 Don't go more than 3 shades lighter or 3 shades darker than your natural colour. Going too light or too dark will not only look unnatural, but it will also cause a lot more damage (especially when going lighter), and keeping up with the regrowth can get very expensive.
If you are planning to go darker using a semi-permanent colour will be less damaging, and will fade out gradually, which will help you avoid getting root lines. Semi-permanent colours are also easier to reverse if you decide you want to be lighter again.
If you are planning to go lighter I am always an advocate for highlights rather than solid colours. Highlights, when done properly are more natural looking , and don't have to be done as often as solid colours.
Tip #2 Take a closer look at the colour of your eyes. We all have more than one colour in the iris of our eyes. There is a background colour mixed with flecks of another colour or two. The combination makes up the overall eye colour. The colour of the flecks in your eyes can tell you if you will look better in cool tones or warm tones. For example, someone with blue eyes with white, grey, or black flecks will look best with a cool hair colour, where as someone with blue eyes with yellow, gold or amber flecks will look better with a warm hair colour.
Tip #3 Go lighter and warmer as you get older. Over time not only your hair, but also your skin looses it's pigmentation, and dark/dull hair colours will only wash you out even more. Jet-black hair may look great on you if you're 19 years old with clear skin, and rosy cheeks, but as you get older it will start to look harsh. The same thing goes for very ashy blondes. Many people come to me saying they like ash tones in their hair, but this is mainly due to bad bleach jobs that have left the hair looking yellow or orange. What most people don't realize is that ash equals gray. Platinum blonde is really a silver colour, which probably isn't the colour you want to aim for once your hair starts to turn silver on it's own. Caramel or honey blondes, and rich chestnut browns are far more flattering on mature skin because they will give your skin warmth.
Tip #4 Once you have a colour you like stick with it, or at least with something similar to it. The biggest mistake people make when it comes to colour is trying to change their colour too often, and too quickly. Major changes to your colour should be made over several visits to your hairstylist, and not all in one shot. Once your hair has been coloured dark that dark colour can only be removed with bleach (or some equally damaging highlift colours, or colour removers), when your hair has been coloured red there will be a redish tone to any colour you add after, and if your hair has been bleached out blonde it won't hold new colours properly and it's likely to fade to an unflattering shade. So when you're planning a major colour change be realistic about what your hair can and can't handle, and be patient.
For more tips on hair colour, and cool vs warm tones, feel free to email me at emily@emilyroop.com
