Save Some Money & Follow These Tips for Getting Great Color at Home
1. Don't Stray Too Far From Home - Unless you're a professional and already know how to achieve a great shade of color don't try to stray too far from your natural color or else you can risk a hair disaster. If you want a drastic change like going from dark brown to platinum blonde or even from pale blonde to pitch black see a professional.2. Pick the right shade of color - If you're not sure about what color or even formula to pick from the hundreds of different packages on the shelf, go online to various hair color companies websites like Revlon, Clairol, Dark & Lovely, and Loreal. Their websites will ask you questions about your current shade, hair texture & condition, as well as what look you're trying to achieve so that they can make recommendations about what formula and shade would work best for you. Still confused? Call their haircolor hotline for more help.
3. Get in top condition - Deep condition your hair for every week for a few weeks before you color so that you can get your hair into shape. You color will absorb more evenly when it's not porous.
4. Attain major clarity - While you do have to condtion like a fiend to prepare your hair for coloring, a day or two before it's essential to use a clarifying shampoo to get rid of any product build-up that would prevent the color from really absorbing into your strands.
5. Don't skip out - Even if you're 100% positive that the shade of color you've chosen is going to make you look phenomenal, don't skip the strand test. So many women skip the test out of impatience and wind up with horrible results like brassy, green, or purplish tones. So take the time to apply the color to a few strands in an inconspicuous area to save yourself the time and frustration.
6. Separation is key - In order to achieve the best results possible you can't just pile the color on your hair and hope for the best, you have to separate your head into four equal parts and then section those parts into smaller sections so that you can actually see where you're applying the color and how much you're applying (you want to really coat your strands with the hair color).
7. Be on time - Obviously for great color you have to follow the manufacturer's instructions for how long you should keep the hair color on, and be sure to set a timer so that you don't go over or under your set time.
8. Do damage control - Although you should set a timer, keep in mind that if your hair has already been treated chemically (straightening, perm, or relaxer) or is just damaged it's going to be more porous and your color will process more quickly.
And your roots and ends will also process color differently then the rest of your strands. To prevent crazy looking roots, colorist Veron Charles recommends in Sophisticate's Black Hair that you "Begin color application about one-half inch away from the scalp to begin the process, when those sections have been completely saturated, return to your roots. To combat extra-light or too dark ends in an interview with Glamour Magazine celebrity stylist Kim Vo says, "The ends of your hair are porous, so they can grab more color and wind uplookijng darker than the roots (if you're using dark hair color). Coat them with conditioner and they'll absorb less."
9. Give them the cold shoulder - After your color has processed effectively rinse your hair with cool water then use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner that's formulated for color treated hair. Rinse your hair again with cool water in order to lock in glossy shine.
