Marina | February 5, 2014 | Hair |

Coloring your hair a different color is a quick way to spice up your looks and give it a big difference. There are a lot of things you need to consider before having your hair colored, though. Skin allergies, the shade you’re planning to color your hair in and your skin tone are just some of the things you need to look at before you color your hair. Once you’ve figured these things out, you can go ahead and color your hair. Now, if you’re on a tight budget, you can skip the appointment with a hairstylist and color your hair at home yourself. Most hair coloring products also have instructions included in the package so you can color your own hair. Here are some tips and tricks to make dying your own hair at home easier.

• Identify your natural hair color – identifying your natural hair color is important in determining your limits when it comes to choosing a new shade or color for your hair. The general rule when choosing a new hair color is to go, at the most, three shades darker or lighter. This is if you want to keep the natural look. Of course, you’re free to break the rules if you’re brave and bold enough to go for quirky and whimsical colors.

• Set realistic expectations about the results – going from black to blonde on your own can be quite a challenge since there are other processes that need to be done before you can achieve desirable results. So, unless you are actually a pro, do not expect the best results if you’re doing a very drastic change in color. Better yet, go for a more gradual change in color to get better or even the best results.

• Stock up on supplies – nothing is worse than running out of hair coloring formula and ending up with partially colored hair while you make a run to the nearest beauty supply store or drugstore to get more and continue your hair coloring session at home. Avoid this mishap by stocking up on supply and buying more than what you need. This way, you’re assured that you won’t run out in the middle of coloring your hair at home.

• Do not wash your hair prior to coloring – washing your hair with shampoo strips it of its natural oils which protect your scalp against irritation. It’s better to dye second day hair according to professional hairstylists. This is because it’s easier to section dirty hair which makes color distribution more even.

• Brace your hair for the damage – hair damage in inevitable if you are to color your hair but you can help your hair recover from and prevent further damage by switching to hair products like shampoo and conditioner that are specially formulated for color treated hair. Also, once your hair is colored, it’s going to need more treatments like hair masks and deep conditioning. Do these once a week to make sure that your hair remains shiny and healthy looking.