Everything You Need to Know About Hair Color

Filed under Hair Care

11 Hairdressing Tips Only Your Stylist Knows

Getting your hair color right isn't a science. It's really quite simple: Stick to the colors that complement your skin tone, figure out if you're best off with all-over color or highlights and then decide if you're going to pay someone else to do it or do it yourself.

Here are 11 tips and tricks only your hairdresser knows, from how to avoid the wrong color to exactly how to do it yourself.

1. Pick the right color. Your hair color should suit your complexion. Any hair color will look good on pale skin. If you have pink skin, avoid shades of red or golden blonde. Opt instead for ash tones to neutralize your coloring. Sallow complexion? Stick with deep reds and avoid yellow, gold or orange tones. If your skin is olive, stick with dark colors and add richness with lowlights in red or brown shades.
   
2. To color or to highlight, that's the question. If you have short hair, avoid highlights and opt for full color. Subtle highlights around your face will brighten your complexion if you have longer hair. Keep in mind that due to root growth, all-over coloring will need to be touched up every four to eight weeks, while highlights can last up to two or three months.
   
3. Different types of highlights. There are basically four types of highlights: basic foil highlights, bialiage or 'hair painting', chunking or 'piecing' and lowlighting.
   
4. Doing it yourself? Home-color kits have come a long way in the past few years and are perfect for busy people and those who want cut the cost of professional colorings. (We know of a couple top fashion editors who color their hair themselves!).
   
5. Coloring newbie? Start with a semipermanent color. Semipermanent colors wash out after a few washes, whereas permanent colors never wash out. If you are new to coloring your hair, you might start with a semipermanent hue UNLESS you want to cover gray hair or go two or more shades lighter or darker.
   
6. Choose the correct shade If you have warm skin, opt for golden shades such as caramel and bronze in a darker shade than your skin. Avoid jet-black hair which will wash you out and if you do opt for a golden shade, don't go too light or your hair could turn orange. If you have cool shade, avoid colors that will highlight the ruddiness of your skin tone: Gold, auburn and copper. Ash blondes and cool browns work best.
   
7. How to tell if you'd make a great blonde A basic rule of thumb: People who had blonde hair as children have the right skin tone to be blonde adults.
   
   Some home hair coloring tips: rub Vaseline around your hairline as a protective measure before applying color. To remove after coloring, rub a small amount of cream cleanser and wipe off with cotton balls. Always wear gloves and wrap an old dark-colored towel around your shoulders. Rinse your eyes with water if you get color in your eyes. If you forgot the Vaseline and stained your skin, rub the area with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol-based toner.
   
8. How to hide that gray Gray hair can be hard to color because of its coarse texture. If your hair is less than one-thirds gray, opt for a semi-permanent color that's a shade lighter than your natural color (or matches your color). The gray will blend right in. Semi-permanent color is less damaging than permanent color. If your hair is more gray, colorist Rita Hazan in the November 2004 issue of InStyle magazine, suggests a permanent 'ashy' color, which will help your gray hair appear blonde.
   
9. Don't like the color? Don't be afraid to go back to the salon and talk to your stylist. There are all sorts of ways to fix color that's just not right. If you did it yourself with a semi-permanent color, use a body-building shampoo to wash away the color faster.
   
10. After care. Once you invest money in a hair color, you should protect your investment with the proper after-color care. Refresh your color by using a color-enhancing shampoo and conditioner once a week. These products deposit miniscule amounts of color into hair.
    
11. Root rescue. You can expect your color to last about 6 to eight weeks before your roots show. If you're hair is colored, you'll want to get your roots touched up or do them yourself with a kit you can buy at the store like Clairol Nice and Easy Root Touch Ups. Be sure and test the color first before applying.
    If you have highlights or lowlights, you can avoid having your whole head colored by asking your stylist to do your hairline, crown and part. A word of warning: Foil highlights require precise application and fixing dark roots is nearly impossible. Ask about easier to maintain highlighting techniques.
    
    Information: Marie Claire 'Hair & Makeup', 'Total Beauty' by Sarah Stacey & Josephine Fairley.