What I have learned about hair color

When I turned 22, I decided I wanted to get highlights. I never had before, and from the first two images below, you can see my natural hair is a dark brown mistakably jet black. And don’t get me wrong I have always loved it, but it was one of those points where I needed some “profound” change. I laugh about that now, and so does my group of friends from college, but hey, here we are three years later, and I still like dying my hair. 

• Have an idea in mind

AKA, do your research. Most recently, I have gone into the realm of red. In the summer, I wanted something different. I saw something about color melting. For those of you who don’t know, color melting is a form of hair coloring that involves a combination of 3 colors that “melt” into each other. It should look seamless so that you can’t tell where one begins or ends. But that could also depend on the colors used. I was a little hesitant, though, so I wanted like a red mahogany tone at most. It wasn’t the easiest to find inspiration, but I finally did. Instagram and Pinterest are your best friend. When it comes time for your appointment, your stylist will ask you many questions. Its more to confirm if you know what you want. 

So know what you want, but I suggest you listen to their recommendations. Remember, they are the professional, and you aren’t. If you have to show 100 pictures and have it explained 101 times to you what will be done, then go for it because what you both don’t need is a product that isn’t what you both wanted.

• Reach out to the stylist to make sure they can do what you are thinking

Instagram is so good at helping stylists have an easily assessable portfolio to showcase their work. Any social media for that matter. Once you find a stylist (if you don’t already have one), communicate with them in their preferred manner and send them a clear idea of what you are going for with photos for a quote. They will appreciate you reaching out and touching base instead of possibly just booking online or with the salon directly without discussing a concept.

• Know what the price is before the appointment

Sticker shock is never your friend. Don’t wait until you are grabbing your wallet to realize you never knew how much it would be.

• Be realistic and be gradual, with major jumps in color

I have dark brown hair that I started coloring in February 2017; by August 2017, I was blondish, as shown above. My hair takes to bleach exceptionally well to the surprise of many. But even still, it was taking a significant beating. So I liked it but never again. Someone like me would never and could never go overnight blonde. That level of bleach would be so damaging it would fry my hair. Your stylist should let you know what is attainable but think of it in terms of the darker the base, the longer the bleach will need to lift to get to a level good enough to hold a light color. When I was blondish, I was at about a level 9, and then she would tone.

• Decide what is going to be the period you will wait.

Typically, I professionally color my hair 2-3 times a year. I use glosses in between to keep my hair more vibrant, but that is my usual go-to. The red hair color I did in July 2020, and I just touched it up in October. Meaning I won’t wait until my after birthday, if anything.

• Each color is different, so also research the maintenance of the color

Red is the most difficult color to keep up with because it is porous, meaning when it gets wet, the water dilutes the color if not dried quickly. I don’t blow dry my hair a lot because that constant heat damage is terrible for you. But naturally, each time you wash your hair, the color will fade just seems that red can more. But one of my close friends has been dying her hair red for 5-7 years. She does not see the same effect as I do. So maybe my hair doesn’t take to it as well as hers does? Not sure, but we will see.

• Go when you are ready to spend the right kind of money

Let me explain. You do not have to spend $$$$ to get balayage or ombre. The right salon or stylist will charge the fair amount. But it is an art that requires a lot of work. For example, I have thick hair that is easy to work with for the most part but takes a long to blow out and style. So it is going to take a little bit longer in the chair for me than others.

Talk to your friends and family, look online, even set a budget, and talk to the stylist. A full head of highlights is going to cost more than a partial. But maybe what you think you want is more than what you need. As I mentioned, they are the professionals. You should be able to trust their opinion but get a second if you are unsure. Better not to waste anyone’s time or an appointment slot.

• Ask for Oxplex if you are going lighter

 This is great for hair lightening. Anyone trying to go blond especially. You can read about it here.

• Use color-protecting shampoo and conditioner

This tip is essential. I can’t stress this enough. Please try to preserve the color as much as you can. I have a shampoo + conditioner strategy that might not be for everyone but has worked wonders on my hair for years. You can read more about here on this blog post.

• Don’t over do it. You do not need to redo the whole thing that often

If your color fades, don’t stress, all you probably need is a toner which won’t be pricey, or you can opt for an at-home gloss if you are braver. ( I did not start doing this until I was probably about a year in, and I know hairstylists aren’t super big fans of at-home treatments like that. But the one I swear by was created by Lauren Conrad’s hairstylist Kristin Ess. If you have followed me for, a while you know I talk about it a lot. It is actually how I went dark in February-March this year.

Within the last year, I haven’t played it “safe” with my hair. Even though the red has been tricky, I really like it. I have always liked to be a little different, so this switch doesn’t surprise me one bit. I hope this helps anyone thinking about coloring their hair! Enjoy this short video of my hair color journey.