3 Tips for Picking the Best At-Home Hair Color
From platinum blonde to rich shades of ebony, the selection of hair colors is seemingly endless. Picking a color that works for you can seem overwhelming, but hopefully with a few simple tips the process doesn't have to be so scary!
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1. Go Darker - While you may have visions of Jennifer Aniston-inspired highlights, this look is very difficult to achieve on your own. Going lighter means that you are bleaching your hair, which permanently removes the melanin (color pigment). Bleaching dark hair can often result in hair that looks red or orange instead of blonde, because dark hair contains a lot of melanin which can be difficult to remove. (It may take several processes to get the color just right.) Going darker is a single process that is easier to do on your own and the color is much truer to what you see on the box.
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2. Don't stray far from your natural hair color - This is especially true for you novices out there. The idea of a drastic change may sound exciting, but you may end up with a look you hate and end up being stuck with it for awhile. Permanent hair color uses reactive dyes that penetrate the outer layer of your hair (cuticle) and react with the inner layer (cortex) to deposit the hair color. Permanent hair dye lasts for several months, and can potentially be a damaging process. Picking a shade that is close to your natural color allows you to enhance your color with little risk of not liking the result. Also, as the color slowly fades over time, the change won't be as drastic. If you have your heart set on a bold change, try a temporary or semi-permanent color. These types of colors just coat the outside of your hair so they only last through a few shampoos and are less damaging.
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3. Follow the instructions - This may sound obvious but it bears repeating. When companies develop hair dyes they do a lot of testing to make sure the colors are both efficacious and safe. The instructions are created to give you the best result while minimizing risk. Don't think that leaving dye on longer than the intended time will give you an even deeper shade of the intended hue. You most likely will just end up with hair that is over-processed and damaged. Also, do a patch test to make sure you don't have any reactions to the dye before you apply it to your entire head.
Bottom Line: Coloring your hair at home can be a fun, inexpensive way to change your look, but make sure you proceed with caution and follow the simple tips above to avoid any holiday hair color mishaps.
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