“Well…it’s a new year, why shouldn’t you give yourself a new look. New year, new you.”

When it comes to changing our looks or at least feel like changing, hair is the first feature we look out to transform. It instantly brings change to the overall look and grabs people’s attention as well (it also gives you a fresh feel whenever you see yourself in the mirror). One visit to your favourite hair-dresser, and Oo La La, a new look altogether.  Additionally, we are usually very concerned about our hair already; we tend to get “bad hair-days” much often than any other feature of our body. Therefore, we timely explore to try different hair-cuts, looking for hair dye options to experiment with our hair colour or even, some different hair protein treatments out of many available in the market.

Let’s keep our focus on hair dyes for this interaction. Hair colouring is quite common these days. Hair dyes have a multimillion-dollar market supply to cater to, whereas, through the influx of paparazzi culture, Hollywood followings, influencer beauty blogging, and social media virility, it has educated and awaked a normal person quite about the beauty; makeup, hairdos, and overall cosmetic culture. One quick internet search and you will find loads of tips, tricks, and knowledge about such stuff. Specifically, about hairdos and hair dyes, there are numerous options available, one can find beauty experts to make you look gorgeous (though it will hurt your bank too) or you can simply try colouring your hair (of course, with some help from around). No matter how you do it, here are the tips you should consider donning a perfect hair look.

Suitable Hair Shade:

Identifying and selecting a colour shade for your hair is the most crucial element and has the most effect on the result. If you are looking for a minimal shift from your natural hair colour, then it is fine to try it out at home, however, if you are looking for something drastic from your usual then professional help is considered to be a must. Though, to understand some basics, hair colours are sorted as warm, neutral or cool. Warm shades (like red or yellow) are the ones that look like the sunlight is touching your hair, neutrals looks similar to your natural colour are more sprightly, whereas cool shades(like blues, purple or lavender) give a look quite off from the range, therefore it is advised to seek professional expertise if trying cooler shades.

Also, the hair colour results marketed on product packaging are based on the application on virgin hair (dyed for the first time). Therefore, if you are not dyeing your hair for the first time, you might not remember the natural hair colour you had and hence will not get the expected results. A better solution for this is to apply either 2 tones lighter or 2 tones darker than your natural shade. (One useful tip to determine natural colour is to match form eyebrow colour as it is the closest one from hair colour). And once you get one or two processes done, you will have an ample idea of colour shades suitable as per your desired and required style and needs.

Have Better Tools to work with:

If you are seeking professional hair expert services for a hair dye, make sure their equipment is adequate and they are using them amply to provide satisfying results. Sometimes, so-called experts ruin your experience due to their lack of experience or skillset.

Also, if you are doing it yourself, invest in some tools for effective results. Buying a good mixing bowl and a matching hair dye brush won’t hit your bank but applying colour from the bottle or using your fingertips can simply eliminate the possibility of effective results though.   

Prep Before Hair Dye:

Effective results do not depend on the hair dyeing process but the preparation and sort of pre-work before the dyeing. Your hair needs to be in a healthy and in an enduring state for not only getting a lasting colour but also strength and a nice touch to your hair. It is advised to give your hair treatments like protein or conditioning treatment. Also, oiling your hair 2-3 days before the dyeing process can also help organize your hair for a new colour.

Prevention from Allergies:

It is also recommended to test the hair dye product on your skin before doing the whole process. Usually, the product kit has the instructions on the pack for skin-allergy tests. Or simply you can do it by applying small quantity on any part of your body, check the results for 48 to 52 hours and look for any allergies. If it works out fine then it is good to go on with the dyeing procedure.

Store and Apply Ample Product:

Sounds simple but the devil lies in the details, you must be sure that you have enough content of product available at the time of application. Running out of a product can simply deteriorate the process and hence the outcome. It is wise to have 2 packs of hair colour products even if 1 is required for the required results. Also, a retail pack quantity is enough for an average user hair length and you might get affected if you have a longer length than usual.

Use Sulfate-free Shampoo:

Post hair dye, to prolong the duration of your hair colour, use sulphate-free shampoo. It is also widely said that hair dyes damage the strength and texture of your hair. It can be compensated through adequate hydration by drinking enough water to improve the internal growth system in the body. And to battle with such effects, your hair should go through from concentrated treatments and hair masks.

Commitment to Colouring Your Hair Regularly:

To retain and maintain consistent colour, it is also recommended to repeat the hair dyeing process regularly on a quarter or semi-annual basis (depends on the colour and consistency). Otherwise, faded-colour looks might worsen your look if once coloured only. Initially, you should seek professional services first hand but through their guidelines, you can repeat it at home by yourself or with minimal help. 

Conclusion:

Apart from all the tips discussed above, one must refocus on the core idea of why you want to colour your hair. This will keep you attentive on the considerations and care it requires. In case of inadequate care and nourishment, it will work against your initial state and instead of looking chic, you will end up looking miserable with odd colour patches and obvious roots popping different colour shades out. Therefore, one can’t just disregard the consultation or services from qualified and skilled beauty experts.