Are you ready for copper-red hair? Do you feel like handing in your life as a blonde and try out what hazel hair will do to your image? From platinum blonde to pitch black hair, home color treatments deliver endless choices. Aren't you glad that you don’t even have to visit the hair salon for your change in hair color? We let you in on all the hair coloring secrets. Apply our simple tips and tricks and you will master changing your hair color at home
Hair coloring creates true color, which does not disappear after a few shampoos like a tinting treatment. Hair coloring and tinting are based on different chemical processes. In hair coloring, hydrogen peroxide removes the natural color pigments from your hair while new artificial color pigments penetrate to the inside of each hair. This anchors the new color to your hair. Hair color treatments can even completely cover gray hair. By the way, intensive tinting treatments also contain true hair colors. You are dealing with true hair color whenever you have to mix two components (the dye and the developer) immediately before use.
You are going to be spoilt for choice! There are hair colors galore; but what is the right color for you? Is it caramel blonde or rather light brown? How about some reddish nuances? Would ash hues look better? Once you have decided to color your hair, your choices are seemingly unlimited. However, experts recommend colors, which are no more than two shades lighter or darker than your natural hair. That will give you the most naturally looking results. Changing your hair from dark to a very light blonde may create a dissonant overall appearance because the eye and eye brow colors do not match. Such mismatches advertise your hair color as fake.
You also need to consider the color of your complexion before putting red, copper or gold nuances into your hair. Red is not a matching color for yellowish or olive skin tones and it also does not work for very reddish skin. Ideal for reddish hair colors is an even complexion and very light, slightly pinkish skin. You should also consider that dark hair colors can make an already light complexion look very pale. Ash colored hair in pearl tones has a way of making yellowish complexions appear colorless and gray. By contrast, pearl nuances can look rather lively with fine gold or reddish streaks or on women with reddish undertones in their complexion (most women who are native to European countries).
Seriously, little can go wrong with hair coloring at home. Still, it makes sense to read the package insert thoroughly. Make sure to stay within the specified application time. The latter is particularly important for blonde shades and true blonde color treatments. If the coloring agents are washed out too early your hair may show an orange or yellowish tinge. Leaving the blonde coloring agents in your hair for too long is going to damage your hair.
- Arrange all hair coloring tools and ingredients within easy reach and don't forget the timer. Wear your most raggedy T-shirt and put on the gloves included with the coloring treatment.
- Perform an allergy test before using any hair color. You find the instructions for this test on the package insert along with the coloring instructions.
- Apply the color to your hair according to the instructions. Be sure to check whether the color should be applied to dry or damp hair
- Residual hair color from previous hair colorings may cause the resulting hair color to deviate from the advertised color on the package.
- Caution! The coloring results may be quite surprising if you have colored your hair using henna or a henna-containing coloring extract from plants in the preceding four months. The same also applies to a change from artificial to biological hair dyes.
- In case your hair color has turned out to be too ash-colored or grayish, simply use a tinting treatment or a color shampoo to add a reddish or golden nuance.
- You want to perm and color your hair? Don’t do it at the same time or in quick succession! Allow your hair to recover for one or two weeks after a perm or coloring treatment.
- Chances are that you love your new hair color. Make sure to write down the color nuance for your next treatment. You won’t have to guess when purchasing your next coloring treatment.
- Use shampoos and conditioners for color-treated hair so that your hair color retains its luster and stays healthy. Color-treated hair needs special care. Once a week, you should therefore apply a conditioning mask to bring out the beauty of your hair.