Hair Dye Tips

Dying hair is an easy way to change your looks. It provides a fresh appeal to your personality and definitely boosts your self-confidence, if done the right way! However, for different people, the reason for dying hair could be different. Perhaps, the most common reasons to dye is to cover gray hair, to enhance the facial features or to get a new look. If it’s for the first time that you’re dying your hair, then check out the given tips to ensure that you’re going on the right track. 

Image: goldberg@flickr

• Always pick a hair color which is approximately like your natural hair color. Keep in mind that after dying, your hair must not look odd as regards to your eyebrow.
• If you’re not sure whether the color will suit you, then go for a temporary color or semi-permanent hair dye that would wash out in six to twelve shampoos. In case you don’t like the results, you can always go for another color. If the color suits you, go for a permanent one.
• While buying color, always check-out that the temporary hair color should not contain peroxide which permanent dyes have.
• If you’re going for permanent dye, then remember such dyes last the longest, if applied to the roots. It contains peroxide and ammonia.  When exposed to sunlight, the color eventually fades away and leaving the requirement to reapply the dye.
• To keep the color for long, wear a hat or cover your head when going outside in the sunlight. Permanent dyes remain up to twenty-four shampoos.
• Different dyes manufactured by different companies might be different in their resultant colors and long-lasting affects. 
• Hair dye should always be applied to clean, shampooed hair. Before applying any hair dye, don’t condition your hair. Take a patch test near the neck to check if you’re allergic to it. If you experience any skin irritation, loss of hair or results are not what you have desired, bring the process to a halt and immediately wash the area.
• Prior to applying color, cut off all dry ends to get the color equally. Never mix dyes with different color bases because the fallouts will not be what you expected.
• People having gold or red skin tones, must prefer colors which are similar like gold red or auburn hair dyes.
• Always follow the directions for application provided on the color box. It is recommended to wear plastic gloves during application.
• Before applying color, keep a towel around the base of your neck so as to avert any dye from falling onto your clothing or skin.
• Subsequent to dying your hair, in case the results are darker then expected, wash your hair over a couple of days. It will lighten the color so that you can again dye color the way you’ve wanted.
• Use colors as less as possible they are usually harsh on hair. 

Today, natural hair color dyes made of tree roots, leaves and barks, are also available in the market. If you find terms like cellophane or vegetable protein-based on the label, it shows that the dye is plant-based. Such dyes only coat the hair shaft and do not penetrate. They don’t contain any harsh chemicals either. Since earlier times, Henna has been considered as safest natural hair color. It not only colors the hair, but also nourishes and conditions the hair. Henna is anti-dandruff and offers protection from ultra-violet rays. It is suitable for everyone because it doesn’t have any side-effects. At times, henna is mixed with tea/ coffee or cranberry juice to get a reddish tint. Lemon juice and chamomile tea is added to it to get light color.