1. But It Looked Good on the Box
Consult hair color charts on beauty websites or ask your hair colorist before dying your hair. Just because it looks good on the box doesn't mean it'll look good on your head. You can try on wigs at the local wig or beauty supply store before committing to a dye job. Consider your skin tone, eyebrows, eye color, lifestyle and wardrobe before changing your hair color.
2. Act Naturally
Most hair colors give off a harsh peroxide smell. Natural hair-coloring products are available on the Internet and in local drug stores. Natural hair dyes still need to have a few chemicals to preserve the ingredients, but they contain significantly fewer preservatives than brand names. A few of them mix plant pigments with some chemicals, lessening the chance of frizzy, dried-out locks. Most drugstores stock the Garnier line of natural hair coloring products, along with Clairol and Revlon. To go entirely natural, try lightening blonde hair with lemon juice at home or use henna to dye hair red.
3. Apply With Care
When applying hair color, do the roots and the back of the head first for touch-ups. Dousing the entire head with hair color results in an uneven tone and dries hair out faster. Also, cover your clothing with towels or smock while dying. If applying hair color yourself, always use plastic gloves provided in the home hair color kit.
4. Communicate With Your Colorist
A home hair color kit costs about $10, while a colorist can set you back from $50 to a few hundred. If you're dying your hair for the first time, it's best to go to a colorist to avoid mistakes. Luckily, lots of websites offer customer ratings, so check them before choosing a colorist. You should communicate with your colorist, let her know how you want your hair to look and listen to her advice. Don't let a colorist talk you into anything that's not right for you. After you feel comfortable with your color, you can try dying your hair at home.
5. Gentlemen (and Women) Prefer Blondes
Most women who color their hair choose to go blonde. It's important to consider age as well skin tone when choosing blonde shades. Honey blondes work well for women in their 20s and 30s with fair complexions, while platinum blonde hair complements young women with light brown or dark blonde hair. Bleaching the hair involves stripping it of all color, then dying it a light shade of blonde. While this process gives you a shinier color, it also causes more damage to the hair shaft. Choosing any pale or neutral blonde tone, however, will give you an ultra-blonde shade without bleaching the hair.
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