What you need to know about the hair coloring process before you think about doing it yourself.

Please raise your hand if you’ve ever colored or dyed your own hair.

Please raise your hand if you’ve ever had your hair colored or dyed by a professional.

Please raise your hand if you’re interested in hair coloring tips to keep you “looking hot” this summer.

Why do we want color? 

• Change. There is a change in season or a major change in our life, so we want a change.
• We don’t feel that our natural hair color fits our personality, so we change it.
• We use hair color to express ourselves, like clothing or accessories.
• Some of us just feel that it “looks cool.” It’s just something we feel like doing.

The Power of the “Right” Color…

The right color can, “transform and enhance a woman’s beauty by complementing her complexion and adding depth and shine to her hair,” states professional stylist, Nneka Otim.

It can enliven your skin tone, cover grays, add sparkle to your eyes.

In fall, people tend to go for dark, rich tones. During the warm months, people tend to favor the blonde family of colors. Most recently, “unnatural” colors like pink, purple, and green are all the rave. However, all color are not created equally.

Color: At-Home or Professional?

Reasons to color your hair at home:

• It’s cheaper.
• The technology has come a long way, so why not?

Reasons to get your hair colored by a professional:

• They are licensed to do this. They passed a state exam to do this.
• They know the meaning of words like, porosity, density, and elasticity. The meaning of these words play a role in the end result of your hair color.
• They can get you the color you want or advise on the best colors to complement your underlying skin tone pigment.
• They factor in things like, medication, hair condition, amount of gray, previous hair color, hormones.
• You cannot see the back of your head. They can, so they can apply the color optimally.
• They can save you money and time by giving you your desired look and you not having to pay extra or spend extra time for corrective color service and they can keep you from damaging your hair by trying to correct the color, yourself.
• If you want to change your present hair color to some other color, there is a process. “Lifting” may need to be involved in order to get a desired result. They are trained to do this properly.
• They use professional grade hair color that are top of the line, natural, and gentle to your hair.

Results and Personal Experience

These topics were thoroughly researched. As you can see, there were more overwhelming reasons to use a professional than to DIY. 

And, I can also speak from personal experience. I have always liked color. At one point, I thought it was too expensive and followed a friend’s lead and started using a box color. I over processed my hair and am still paying the price for it, today. It just is not worth it. Save for the professional service, if you must.

Now, I get color twice a year by a professional.  And guess what? The model on the box in the store or online most likely had her color “done” by a professional.

If you are still on the fence, don’t just take it from me and my research…

…seeing a professional will make this process much easier. They will look at your hair and make suggestions on what would be best for you, taking into consideration your hair type, texture, and condition. If you want to obtain shiny, vibrant hair color with a high gloss finish, you must start with a healthy cuticle layer. A healthy, conditioned head of hair is the key to maintaining long lasting color. ~Nneka Otim, Professional Cosmetologist

Done right, your hair color, can be your hottest accessory this summer.

Nneka makes her own products that aid in damaged cuticle repair to prepare your scalp and hair for color. Check out her boutique: https://www.greengoldhairandbody.com/