Judging by the flock of email I receive every day, it seems that today's men decide to dye their hair mainly for three reasons. Many want to cover up the gray strands of hair slowly creeping up in their hairdo. Others want to change their look and add a little excitement to their style, while others want to make a statement of some sort. Teenagers on the other hand keep asking me for tips to make their hair look like that of their favorite Backstreet Boy.
Before you go ahead and start coloring your hair, there are a few points you should know regarding hair coloring products.
Leveling it out First of all, there are three major levels of products you can use to color your hair.
A Level 1 product is called a Semi-permanent color. A semi-permanent color will add color to your hair without changing its natural color drastically. Level 1 products, are generally used by men with 50% gray hair or those wanting to slightly enhance their natural colors.
They'll generally last 6 to 12 shampoos and won't lighten your hair permanently since they don't contain any ammonia or peroxides.
A Level 2 product is called Demi-permanentcolor. Level 2 products have a color enhancement factor, which is a little more visible than with first level products. The color should last around 24 to 26 shampoos depending on its strength. Level 2 products are generally used to blend and cover up gray hair.
Finally, a Level 3 product is called Permanent color. Permanent colors are as you might of guessed permanent. Men seeking a significant change in hair color should use them.
Though at this level, it would be wise to consult a professional colorist because the process often involves more than one step. Your hair might need bleaching or a more complicated double coloring process for example. Because the color is permanent, you'll also be engaged to touch up your roots every 4 to 6 weeks as your hair grows back.
Are you a pro? Now, before selecting your hair color, let's go over the pro's and con's of getting a job done professionally versus doing it yourself with a home kit.
It's always recommended to consult a professional colorist before attempting coloring, especially if the color change requires double process techniques, bleaching or toning. A colorist has all the tools and knowledge to get the job done right the first time. To find a qualified hair colorist, ask friends or acquaintances for references.
On the other hand, for those of you looking to camouflage some gray hair or add some fun highlights, coloring kits might be exactly what you need. They're easy to use and definitely cheaper than getting the job done professionally. There's a bunch of "special effect" hair colors and other off-the-shelf kits available to add natural highlights to your hair.
Clairol offers a great range of products for covering gray hair and for the more adventurous man; they also tender a great new line of permanent Hair color. Herbal Essences new line include hot shades like sand storm, purple haze, red desert and bleach blonding.
Whatever product you decide on, make sure toread and follow the instructions on the box extra carefully. I really can't stress this enough as many guys make permanent mistakes and ruin their hair.
Find the best color for you...
The right color for you Now, without going over all the "laws" of colors, here are some points that will surely help you select a perfect dye. First of all, hair color is assigned a level number from 1 to 10, 10 being the lightest and 1 being black. Lighter colors like blond reflects the greatest amount of light while colors closer to black reflect the least.
At a very simplified level, hair coloring is all about finding the right amount of color to add or subtract from your current hair tint. Sounds simple right? Well it isn't. There's a wide spectrum of colors to choose from and it can become very tricky to achieve the perfect color.
Choosing your hair color Any of us could achieve a pink, green or black dye but depending on our hair color, the process varies from a simple one step dye to a more complicated double coloring process. That said, here are the colors which are easiest to achieve with one step dyes.
Generally, for those with black hair it's easier to achieve shades of reds and dark browns.
For those with brown hair, it tends to be more straightforward when coloring to other shades of brown, blonds, caramels and reds.
Finally, men with blond hair can easily get their hair lightened or altered to browns and reds.
Your choice of color should also be based on the analysis of your skin tone.
There's no general rule to determine which hair color will suit your skin tone best. However, according to Jason, a colorist from Coupe Bizarre, guys with darker skin complexions look better with cooler tones. The better options are golden highlights, golden with red highlights, golden brown, honey brown, chestnut, copper, auburn, mahogany, warm tones of gray and whites.
On the other hand, guys with pale skin should opt for warmer colors. For more flattering results choose colors such as plum, burgundy highlights, ash, platinum blonde, brown, dark brown, black, slate, salt and pepper and pure white.
mistakes Jason also reported that the most common coloring mistake was when trying to correct your own coloring mistakes. If the color you purchased doesn't turn out the way you wanted it to, consult an experienced colorist to get it retouched. Many of his clients tried correcting their own hair color and ended up making it worst.
He also pointed out that layering black on black, over and over again is extremely tricky and you might end up with 2 or 3 different shades of black.
Maintenance tips Finally, once you colored your hair to your liking, make sure to take care of it with these essential maintenance tips.
Use a shampoo and a conditioner specifically for color-treated hair.
To avoid your hair from fading in the sun, make sure to wear a hat or appropriate sunscreen protection when exposed.
Your hair should be dampened with spring water before getting into chlorine. It will help dilute the chlorine which normally damages the color from your hair.
Use a wide-toothed comb and blot dry your hair instead of roughly drying it with a towel.
Hopefully, these simple tips made you understand the coloring process and help make your decision a little easier.
Until next week, keep on stylin'.
