Dos and don’ts of hair colouring

Hair colours can go from awesome to bizarre depending on what you do with them.

Here’s what to keep in mind before going in for a hair colour.

Consulting your hair colourist comes first and foremost. Be open to telling him about your hair colour history as it helps them understand your hair and how to enhance it, better. In case you have a sensitive scalp, inform beforehand. Also ensure that your hair is not damaged and has split ends. Damaged hair soaks in more colour, making it look uneven

Selecting the right tone of colour for your skin tone is the next step. This is all the more important for Indians who have, on an average, wheatish skin tone. “You can broadly divide colours into warm colours and cool colours. If you have a warm skin tone, you should go for warm colours and vice versa”, says hairstylist Perri Patel. Autumn colours like yellow, burnt orange, copper and brick colours fall in the warm category, while blue, green, pinks and tortoiseshell fall in the cool category. In case you opt for the wrong colour, make sure to get it corrected only by a hair colourist.

Treat your hair with a conditioner a week before colouring to strengthen your tresses.

If it is your first time, don’t go for something too drastic. The safest bet is brown which is closer to black.

Know what you are looking for. Relying entirely on your colourist when it comes to making a decision could be risky. Advises hairstylist Ayesha Uddin, “Don’t let your hair colour change your personality. Always test the colour on one shaft of hair. Indians especially tend to go for reds but you should know the intensity is lost in four to six weeks and you may want to go for recolouring.It may result in hair getting dry as the fiber gets dehydrated.”

Avoid bleaching your hair at home, especially when you are looking to change your hair colour by more than two shades.

Applying henna on your hair interferes with the colour you have applied and impacts it. For example, blonde may end up looking like orange. So if you have applied henna already, make sure to go for a colour not before six months.

Lastly, make sure that your hair colour is in accordance with your profession.