Choosing a new hair color can be tough. Color treatments can be damaging, and you don’t want to end up with a shade that you’re not 100% happy with. However, changing up your color is a great way to try out new styles and looks and experiment with self-expression. It’s important to work with a hairstylist in order to choose the best shade and make sure it is applied properly and with minimal damage, but before you visit the salon, you may want to take some time to consider your options. Read on for our tips for choosing the perfect new hair color.
Evaluate Hair Health
One of the most important things to think about before changing your hair color is the health of your hair. While hair dye does not stop or slow hair growth, it can cause hair loss by damaging the color-treated hair. The chemicals in the dye as well as the process of coloring itself can cause some hair loss. Ammonia and hydrogen are in many hair color products, and both can cause hair to loosen and weaken hair shafts, causing breakage. The peroxide that strips protein from hair can also weaken hair shafts and cause the hair to break off at the scalp. If your hair is especially weak or damaged or you are experiencing hair loss, it might not be the right time to color. Waiting for stronger hair to grow in might be the best way to ensure you don’t cause even more damage to your hair. Consult with a colorist and get their opinion on whether it’s a good idea to color your hair based on its condition.
Consider Your Skin Tone
Like you would with the clothes or makeup you wear, it is a good idea to choose a hair color based in part on your skin tone. There are absolutely no hard-and-fast rules about which colors can be worn by people with certain skin tones, but coloration varies greatly. Most people feel most confident and comfortable in certain colors, and this can also apply to hair.
The best way to determine your skin tone is to wash your face completely and examine your reflection in a well-lit room with access to natural light. You can also take a look at your wardrobe. Choose a shirt that people tell you looks good on you. In the words of Color&Co Collective founder and colorist Deb Rosenburg, “What color is that shirt? If it’s yellow, orange or peach, you likely have a warm skin tone. If it’s blue, green or purple, you likely have a cool skin tone. If you look equally amazing in both, your skin tone is neutral.”
Undertones
Warmer skin tones often look great with warmer hair colors. However, for warm-toned people who want to try a lighter color, golden or reddish shades tend to work well. If you want to try a non-traditional shade, corals, rose-gold, yellow, and apricot are recommended. If you’ve got cool undertones, try out a cooler shade, such as platinum, beige, or ash blonde. However, dark brunette shades and deep red shades can also look great. Blues, greens, and purples are also recommended for those with cooler skin tones. Those with neutral tones can pretty much go for any shade on the spectrum. Ultimately, though, if you really want to try a new hair color, your skin tone should not be a reason not to experiment with the assistance of a hair colorist.
Think About Your Facial Features/Face Shape
If you want to, you can select a hair color based on things like the color of your eyes and the shape of your face. Hair color can be used to accent your eye color or make your eyes pop. People with blue eyes might want to consider platinum or auburn. Green eyes look great against shades of red and dark brunette or black. Brown eyes pop against bright reds and shades of blonde like gold and honey.
You can also use your hair color to accentuate your face shape. Stylist Henri Calayag suggests choosing a lighter base color and chunky highlights or an ombre if your face is heart-shaped. For an oval-shaped face, stylist Louis Phillip Kee recommends a mix of high- and lowlights and brighter shades around the face. Colorist Beth Minardi suggests color can be used to contour a person’s face shape. She recommends lighter hues at the top and darker at the bottom for people with square face shapes and darker roots with babylights for a diamond-shaped face.
Choose A Color You Can Maintain
Keeping your hair color looking fresh can be an investment of both time and money. For example, if you want to go platinum, you need to be ready to use products on a regular basis that keep brassy shades at bay, such as purple masks and shampoo and conditioner. You might also need to tone your hair from time to time to maintain your color, which can take a few hours. If your hair grows quickly, you will need to make the time for more treatments in order to keep your roots matching the rest of your hair. This can be mitigated by choosing a color that is close to your natural color. Natural roots will not look as stark against color that is already close to it in shade in the first place. If you want to try out a new, experimental shade, but aren’t sure you’d want to keep it for a long time, it’s best not to choose something too extreme, like taking platinum to black and vice-versa. Consider how much time, money, and effort you are willing to invest in maintaining your new hair color, in addition to how long you envision keeping it.
Work With the Right Stylist
One of the most important parts of choosing a new hair color is working with a professional. Hair color can cause serious damage to hair if it is not properly applied. Beyond that, if you are not happy with your hair color, it can be extremely stressful and upsetting. Make sure to do your research and find a local hairstylist or hair color professional. Read reviews online and choose someone who has a lot of positive ones. If you can find examples of their hair color work, take a look and see if you like a color they’ve done for a previous client. That way, you know for certain they can pull of the look you are hoping to achieve. Once you’ve found a stylist, be open and communicative with them about the color you want and the level of maintenance you are willing to do. That way, they can help you select the perfect color that looks healthy and fresh for as long as possible.
Contact Us
If you are interested in hair restoration services, contact Eldorado today. We provide a wide range of quality hair replacement options throughout Maryland, D.C., and Virginia. Call 410-343-4680 or fill out our contact form to schedule a hair analysis at our Baltimore hair restoration center.
