If you’re having your color done by a professional stylist, he or she should give you good direction on how to prepare your hair. But if you’re doing it yourself at home, or having a friend do it for you, here are some tips that should ensure a better coloring process.
Top 5 Do’s and Don’ts For Coloring Your Hair
1. Ban bleaching
Avoid chemical processes like bleaching and highlighting in the weeks prior to getting your hair colored. These treatments can damage your hair, making it more porous and potentially preventing it from retaining some of the dye molecules.
2. Skip the stylers
Try not to go up your hair with a lot of heavy styling agents in the day or two before styling. If you haven’t done a good job of cleaning them off your hair they may inhibit penetration of the hair dye. If you typically use heavy conditioners, like those containing dimethicone, you might want to forego that for a few days as well.
3. Do a deep cleansing
Just in case you do have residue on your hair it doesn’t hurt to do a good deep cleaning right before coloring. (Freshly washed hair helps ensure there’s nothing that will interfere with the hair dye deposition.)
4. Stay away from straighteners
Here’s a tip that even your stylist may not know: don’t use temporary straighteners before coloring because the chemistry involved in these products damages the protein bonds in hair. Just like bleaching and highlighting, these chemical straighteners can damage are hair to the point where the coloring treatment may not be as effective.
5. Watch the water
Lastly, you want to be careful what you do after you color your hair. Research has shown that washing is the main cause of hair dye loss. Therefore you want to be careful about how frequently you shampoo your hair after coloring. There are products on the market that contain technology that really helps protect wash out; for example, we have seen data showing Tresemme Color Revitalize shampoo and conditioner are effective, particularly on reddish-brown shades. (Tip: Don’t waste money on hair products that charge more because they contain expensive UV absorbers. Sunscreens do very little to preserve color.
Ladies, have you tried color? Are you considering it?
I love color! It gives me life! Even just a little bit of brown makes me feel better about how my hair looks.
I have always colored my hair (since the mid 90s)…so I definitely wasn’t going to stop just because I’m natural:) Thanks for the tips!
Hmm I like the tips but I was looking for a little bit more, maybe some brands that work with good with different hair types. Also any testimonials from users would be helpful. Also I surprised Henna wasn’t mentioned here (maybe overkill because there are so many other articles about henna). Any tips would be helpful My hair info: I’m all natural, 3c/3a hair, medium density, not sure about my porosity. I’d liek to go for an auburn or red. Thanks in advance :-)
I also was looking for some brand suggestions but all of the tips were helpful…especially the one about bleaching. I want to go a darker blonde and everyone said that i would need to bleach first to get my desired color. Nothing about bleaching sounded healthy and I was turned off from dye altogether. now i will just choose a more subtle color and refer to some of these tips.
I was thinking of coloring my dark brown hair a chestnut blonde, but how can I do that without bleaching?
I colored my hair a year ago with Feria (a red color), and I’ve been into hennas (skin-grade) consistently for a few months now. I want to put on another Feria color (same red as last time), which i find makes the henna pop even more. Is it wise to put color on top of henna hair? How long should I wait to henna afterwards? Thanks in advance!
I colored my hair a few months ago using Clairol Textures and Tones in Flaming Desire. The color came out beautiful but I didn’t have clean hair when I did it so the full color didn’t “pop” like I wanted it to. My hair didn’t feel stripped or dry as it has felt with other products. I deep condition every week so I don’t have any problems with breakage or split ends
I agree! I used textures and tones cherrywood to refresh my original color which was Loreal Hicolor in soft auburn. It deposited really well and my hair was extra soft afterwards plus the conditioner it comes with was the bomb, thick and creamy like it like it.
Yes I do but most people talk about bleaching my hair first because its so dark (1b colour)but I’ll like to do henna, just haven’t found any where I live!!! (in the Caribbean!!)
I used Revlon’s Color Silk and I love it. My hair doesn’t feel different after I color it and the color doesn’t appear to fade to me. I tried henna last year, on virgin hair, and it was just ok for me. In previous years, before I did another big chop two years ago, I would color with Dark & Lovely products, and they were ok, but I’m glad I took a chance with the Colorsilk.
Shak, what is your hair type? Someone told me Revlon’s Color Silk works well but I was not sure it would take to my 4c hair.
I’ve used the natural and soft black in this brand and my hair type is 4b-c I believe. It worked really well. As a matter of fact I just bought a deep dark brown in hopes of covering up my orange-brassy hightlighted hair.
I just had my hair colored 4 weeks ago. I had a 2 step process done(all over color in light brown and different variations of blond hi-lights)I LUUUVVE IT! I’m graying early thanks to my mom, and i REFUSE to have gray hair!If anyone is considering going lighter, i would go to a professional colorist. Go for a consult and ask lots of questions.If you see someone with a color you like ask them who did it.BTW, if anyone can tell me how to send a pic from my phone, i will post a pic!
that blonde colour is so beautiful! i jus big chopped and the question isnt if im going to colour, its when…
I’ve been coloring my hair for over a decade now. I’ve been blonde, light brown, and black (my natural hair color is a dark brown). I find Feria hair color works best on my hair and haven’t used any other color brand since. I find Feria coloring helps improve the texture and moisturizes my hair. Right now my hair is a golden brown but I’m not sure if I like it and thinking about either going for a dark brown, my natural hair color, or blonde.
Hi,Im Lauren and Ive been natural for about 2&a half years now. Well, Friday I will be coloring my hair for the 1st time,the only problem is……..I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT COLOR I SHOULD TRY OUT. Can you guys help me out please.
If your looking for a permanent color you should try Clairol Texture and Tones. Use the Cherrywood that Chantel used above. That color is beautiful! If you want a rinse or semi you should try Jazz in Cherry Cola that tint would definetly look good on you. Whatever company, color or stylist you use I hope everything works out! ( =
I recently just colored my hair and it turned out perfect!! Though i was going for a lighter color it actually turned out to be just fine… Btw i love your color!
Hi
I am looking for one of those sites that you can put in a photo and the change your hair color and style.
I am in need of a serious change for 2012.
Thanks in advance.
Here’s of pic of me when my hair was dyed using L’oreal HiColor (for dark hair only) in Soft Auburn. I purchased it at Sally’s and mixed it in an applicator bottle.
I tried to color at home but ended up going to a professional because I couldn’t get the color to take evenly. Turns out I needed to use about 3 tubes of product to evenly saturate my hair.
Afterwards, I contined to touch-up the color at home for about a year. I really enjoyed the change.
I would definitely suggest maybe trying highlights before coloring your whole head. You never know how dramatically coloring my affect your hair.
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Your hair looks amazing! Fabulous, amazing, all that! You’ve tempted me to try the same shade!!! Thanks for your post :)
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I color at home with Clairol. I’m no professional and I’ve definitely learned through trial and error. Box colors never come out the way I expect, so I like to mix my colors myself. I prefer to decide exactly what level developer to use. The charts are easy to follow.
My tips:
-If you’re going dark, use demi or semi permanent. If you ever get tired of the color, the permanent can be stubborn to recolor. especially black
-If you’re going light, don’t go up more than two levels at a time, so you can monitor the tone and adjust accordingly. That orange stage takes some finessing!
- do your color in a well-ventilated cool space. If your scalp is heated, you can mess up your color processing. Ombre is on trend; but nobody wants hot roots.
-when you get your color just right, remember to only recolor the roots/new growth. Use demi or semi on the colored ends to refresh. Don’t pull the full strength color to the ends.
- Detangle before you color so you can apply the color easily and thoroughly.
-Buy more color/developer than you need. Just in case your hair is thicker or longer than you realize or you mess up your mix.
-I trim every time I color.
I’m 15 years old….as u see in the picture..thats my hair color..i wanna change it..what do u think? what color would look good on me?
