No doubt you have thought about changing up your hair colour at one time or another. Whether you are a dye virgin or an expert home hair colourist, choosing a colour can be a real challenge. If you are looking for a complete switch, it can be especially daunting.
There are a number of factors you will want to consider before making the plunge. What colours will look good on you? Does the colour work with your wardrobe? What sort of upkeep will it require?
Home hair dye packs can be cheap and there is a huge range of products to choose from. Getting rid of a colour you are not happy with, on the other hand, can be challenging and expensive. It also risks damage to the hair. If you know what to look out for though, dyeing your hair at home can be a fun, easy and satisfying experience.
Let’s look at some things you will want to consider before settling on a new shade.
What is the starting point?
Before doing anything at all, you want to figure out what your existing hair is like and what it is possible to do with it. Your hair is not a blank canvas, and assessing the starting point is crucial before you make any commitments.
Do you have virgin hair?
If your hair has never been dyed before, the colour result will be much closer to what is indicated on the front of the package. Remember that the existing base does affect the colour result, so any existing tones in your hair will reflect in the outcome too.
Do you have dark/light hair?
Colour does not lighten colour. If you want to go much lighter than your existing base, you will need to bleach your hair first. A lighter shade may lighten virgin hair slightly, up to 1 level. In general it is recommended to stick within 2 levels of what you currently have. The same applies for darkening hair too. If you have very light hair and stick a very dark shade on top, the colour might come out muddy. You might want to transition through an intermediary shade first.
Do you have previously coloured hair?
If you have coloured your hair before, you will have different results from someone starting from zero. Any existing hair dye you have in your hair will affect the result.
As with virgin hair, you might need to lighten the base first before applying a new colour on top. You might want to use a colour remover to do this.
Any existing tonality in the hair will also affect the dye result. If, for example, you have reddish tones in your hair and apply an ashy colour on top, the result may end up muddy and greenish. To achieve the desired tone you might want to lighten the base before dyeing.
How thick or thin is your hair?
Some hair colours can make the hair look thicker and some thinner. Generally, more golden tones can help make the colour look fuller and thicker, as they reflect light. Most brown colours are also considered to make the hair look fuller. Very light blondes and blacks, on the other hand, can make the hair look thin and flat.
What condition is your hair in?
If your hair is very damaged it will be porous and not hold on to colour very well. Hair that is in poor condition will often absorb the colour very greedily, but fade quickly and unevenly. You might want to treat the hair before making a colour change.
Very strong, healthy hair on the other hand may not absorb colour as well. This is why sometimes previously coloured hair ends up being much more intense than newly coloured hair at the root. (To counter this, try applying new colour on the roots first before moving to the lengths.)
Some hair colours may also be more flattering on certain types of hair. Brown is a relatively low maintenance colour and may look better on some hair even when in poor condition. Bright blondes and reds, on the other hand, are considered high maintenance and may end up looking dull on damaged hair.
What is your skin tone?
To find a shade that is flattering for you, you need to take in account your skin tone. Some shades look better on darker skin and some are more suited for lighter complexions. You may also need to identify whether your skin tone is cool or warm.
If a chosen shade conflicts with your natural colouring, the overall result will be dull. On the other hand, when a shade complements your skin tone, the look will be bright and glowy, it will make your eyes shine and solicit a lot of smiles 😉
More on how to choose a flattering hair colour in an upcoming post.
What result are you after?
Once you have established what your existing hair condition is, it is time to figure out where you want to go. Hair is not everything, but you do live with it all the time, so you want to make sure the colour you choose fits your lifestyle.
Do you want to make a permanent change or a semi permanent one?
There are many types of dyes out there, some of them for the long haul and some are tailored for people who like to switch up their style. Are you prepared to look after the hair colour to keep it bright? Do you want to commit to the new colour? Or are you looking for a temporary shade just to liven things up for a while?
Read this for more info on permanent vs semi permanent dyes!
How extreme do you want to go?
Are you looking for a radical change? Going from blonde to black, or from brown to red? Or something subtle?
You may just wish enhance your existing colour a little bit. For example, you might want to switch up your hair by adding a more reddish tone on top, while keeping the overall colour the same. Many people choose to enhance their natural colour this way. Many also dye their hair to colour grey hairs.
Shades that are close to your natural colour can be grown out without a noticeable difference. Shades that are very different, on the other hand, will have visible root growth showing when grown out.
Do you want an all over colour or a more blended one?
You might not want to dye the entirety of your hair one shade. Blended hair colours, with a darker root and lighter ends, are very popular these days. There are many highlighting techniques than can be used to achieve this effect.
A more blended (though subtle) result tends to look more natural than an all-over colour. This is why professional hair dressers are likely to mix a slightly darker shade for the root, and a lighter one for the rest of the hair.
The blended vs overall effect is largely down to personal reference. Some people look stunning in an all over colour, whereas for others it can look too harsh and like a helmet. It is good to keep in mind the alternatives. If you want to go lighter, for instance, you might just need some highlights rather than an all over lightener. Such a result may be more flattering (and less damaging to the hair) than lightening the entire head of hair.
How do you normally dress?
Like your complexion, the clothes you wear also affect what hair colours might work for you best – and vice versa!
You might find that you need to change your clothing and makeup to fit with the new colour. For example, dyeing the hair darker might make pastel colours look odd on you, and you might start using darker shades to match the hair better. The same goes for lightening your hair – some colours might look too intense on you and you might end up lightening your makeup to lessen the contrast.
There are other factors that can affect what colours suit you, such as your facial features. Referring to your Kibbe type might be helpful in figuring out what hair colours flatter you best.
Sometimes you just do not know until your try, so go ahead and experiment, have fun, take care! Happy colouring 🙂
Raw Rebellion 