Hair Coloring Can Change Your Look

A person’s hair coloring says a lot about them. Gray hair may say that a person is getting older. Platinum blonde can say “surfer” or “sexpot.” Brown tresses come in a huge range of shades. Some people leave their curly or straight locks its natural color for their whole life. Others change the hue every few weeks. Still others only wash away the gray that shows up so that they’ll appear younger. What are the options? There are a slew of them. Here are some things to think about:

- Permanent varieties: Many varieties of dye are made to permanently alter the shade of the tresses. There is usually a color palette of samples that a customer at a beauty salon or store can choose from. This pigment is mixed with a developer which will make it permanently adhere to the shaft. As the strands grow out, roots will become evident close to the scalp. Some people like this multi-hued look while others touch up the roots every few weeks.

- Temporary products: Many products are made to last only temporarily. The exact time frame will depend both on the product and how often a person washes his or her hair. A common timeframe is twenty shampoos before the temp rinse has been washed away. The positive side of these is that temporary formulas are easier on the hair. Less damage occurs because the chemicals are less harsh. The downside is that it has to be completely reapplied every few weeks. With every shampoo, the vibrancy tends to fade, as well.

- Do-it-yourself or salon: Some individuals dye their own locks after buying kits from the drug store or beauty supply distributor. These customers need plastic gloves, mixing bowls, tint, developer and a good deal of know how. Incorrect applications can turn their mane of tresses into an unsightly mess. Too strong of bleach or solutions left on too long may cause the strands to become brittle and break off. This is chemistry, after all! In the salon, a well trained stylist will have passed multiple chemistry courses in cosmetology school and practiced on lots of customers and mannequins. Still, even trained and licensed cosmetologists err sometimes with this complex procedure.

- Beauty schools: For a low cost dye job, stylists-in-training may be able to color an individual’s hair while they’re learning. These are usually pretty safe bets because a mentor teacher is standing by to oversee the entire process. Cosmetology schools usually have excellent products, as well.

- All over color or weaves: Some individuals want the same tint to be spread over their entire head. They just want to be a brunette or redhead, for example. Others want a multitude of colors woven in. This can create an interesting and surprisingly natural look.

- Highlights or lowlights: Some people want to only have certain strands of hair-color altered. Highlights are a way of lightening streaks to give a sun-bleached look. Lowlights adds darker streaks to add depth, richness and darker tone to a hairdo.

There are many options when choosing hair coloring. This is a fun way to change and enhance one’s appearance.