In my 20s I never coloured my hair as I was happy with its natural shade (sort of a coppery chestnut). But when those grey hairs reached forest-like proportions, I gave in and started tinting. And you know what? I kind of liked it.
A new colour is a fast and effective beauty pick-me-up. Choose the right shade and it can leave you looking younger and better-rested. So bring it on!
Home vs salon Wherever you get your colour, it’s going to give your hair a bit of a rough time, drying it out, leaving it porous and less flexible. That’s why they include such effective conditioners in at-home packs. once you’ve used it all, feed your hair with a good conditioner after every shampoo.
If you’re planning a radical change or you’ve never coloured your hair before, you might want to play it safe and head for the salon. Your hairdresser is trained to assess aspects such as your complexion and current hair colour before choosing the right shade. If you only want to go a couple of tones lighter or darker than your natural shade, then the new generation of at-home colours will give you great results at a fraction of the price.
one of the telltale signs of a bad at-home colour is a tint that’s darker at the ends than the roots. Avoid this by applying like a pro, starting with the greyest area – the roots – and taking colour to the ends only if they need it.
A good trick is to comb through the colour from the roots five minutes before you rinse it out to avoid build-up on the ends.
Younger-looking colour As you get older, the golden rule is not to take your hair extremely dark or extremely light because both can be draining and ageing.
If you’ve got a lot of red in your skin, then tone it down with blondes and ash browns instead of hyping it up with coppery shades. Highlights and lowlights will soften your look but keep them natural looking and close to the base shade.
At-home do’s and don’ts
Do always carry out a skin allergy test. There’s only a tiny chance you’ll react to hair dye but who really wants blotches, itching or swelling? Just dab a little bit of the colour behind your ear and leave it for 48 hours.
DoN’T use metal clips or combs and remember to take off your earrings as they may react with the pigments in the dye.
Do put a film of Vaseline around your hairline and on ears to protect the skin.
DoN’T forget to cover the floor and your clothes with old towels to protect them from drips.
Do have everything set up before you start mixing and applying colour.
Hot tip! If you’ve got long hair, you’ll need to use at least two boxes of most at-home products. The exact amount will depend on its length and thickness.
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