Four Tips for Colored Hair

One of the best things about your hair is the ability to switch it up right? And one of the best ways to get a totally different look is by dying it! And while dying your hair can definitely be fun, doing it at home comes with some risks. Keep reading for a few tips on getting and maintaining color-treated hair!

1. Always do a Strand test
   Please, please don’t jump right in with your hair dying experiment! A strand test helps you see how your hair reacts with the dye and what the color will actually look like. "The color always ends up lighter than the model's hair on the packaging," according to colorist Dana Ionato of the Sally Hershberger Downtown salon. "The developer in at-home permanent dyes is very strong — stronger than the ones we use in the salon — so it lifts the color and makes it lighter than what you see on the box."

• Hair texture makes a difference
  Curly hair takes dye different to finer, straighter hair. According to Ionato, "Coarse, curly, frizzy, or unruly hair sucks up color faster and will become cooler-toned when you dye it, so it will look ashier, or slightly bluish," says Ionato. This means for kinky-haired girls, go for the warmer version of the hair color you are aiming for.
  
• Red hair fades faster
  Avoid washing your hair too often when it comes to red hair. This is actually good advice for color treated hair in general to keep the color from fading to quickly, but it’s especially true for red heads. Red dyes have the largest molecules and as such, they don’t penetrate the hair as easily and dissipate quickly. That’s why the less shampooing the better to keep your hair looking fresh!
  
  
• Going very blonde? Go to a salon!

Going more than 1-2 shades lighter is risky business at home, especially with your natural hair. If you’re lightening extensions then feel free to take the risk, but with your actual hair, it’s better to play it safe if you’re going for a drastic hair change e.g. black to blonde.