Choosing a hair color that works for you can cause stress and anxiety. Truthfully, changing your hair color has the potential to be a fun and exciting process. In order to make the decision easier we need to have an understanding of the options and how they apply directly to you. In this post I will go into the main considerations of how to choose your perfect hair color.
There are three main factors involved in choosing the perfect hair color for you. Lifestyle, skin tone and palette. Lifestyle refers to how much time and financial investment you are willing to spend on your hair. Skin tone covers both complexion and tone, and it is important to select a color that works for your tone. The final consideration is the palette we are working with, your hair history, condition, texture and porosity all play an important role in selecting your perfect color.
These are all deeply personal and individual considerations and for this reason many of us struggle. We see someone else’s color, love it on them and wonder why it doesn’t work on us. When armed with the information and knowledge you will gain from this post, you will be able to make hair choices with confidence and ease. Let us get into the details.
Lifestyle
The first consideration to factor in is our lifestyle. How much time and financial investment you are willing to make for your hair? If you lead a very busy life and don’t want to visit the salon every 6-8 weeks, you will be better off choosing a color that is less than 3 shades from your natural color. To learn more about hair tones and shades I wrote an easy to understand post over here. The technique used can also greatly affect the amount of maintenance you will need. As I explain in detail here, balayage generally requires less maintenance than highlights for example.
One should only consider big hair changes if you are willing to purchase professional products and invest the time to learn what it takes to keep your hair healthy. Changing your color can be pricy and it is not advisable to choose a hair stylist or salon based on price alone. The truth is you will usually get what you pay for. It’s best to choose your stylist based on their aesthetic, work ethic and experience level. Instagram is a great way to select a stylist as it is basically an online portfolio.
Other lifestyle factors to consider are whether you swim frequently, spend a lot of time in the sun and use heat styling tools frequently. All of these things and more compromise the condition of the hair. This could mean the color will not last as long, or perhaps if you are planning on going lighter it might mean your hair will be too damaged to withstand the chemical processing.
Skin tone and complexion
Have you ever wondered why a color might look great on one person and really terrible on another? Hair color should be complimentary to the skin tone and complexion of the wearer. Many people struggle with this. I go into greater detail with pictures for reference on how to determine and understand your skin tone and complexion in this post.
Embed from Getty ImagesWould you say Blake Lively (above) has a warm or cool skin tone?
It is important to note the difference between skin tone and complexion. Skin tone is determined by how much melanin (pigment) our skin contains. Higher melanin content means darker skin, and lower melanin content means lighter skin. This can be affected by sun damage, causing our skin tone to change throughout the year. Skin complexion is the undertone of our skin and never changes regardless of how much sun we get. Skin complexion is usually either warm, cool or neutral.
Embed from Getty ImagesWould you say Liv Tyler is warm or cool skin tone? And would you say the tones of her make up pictured above work with her skin tone? Let me know in the comments what you think.
As a general rule of thumb warm skin tones work best with warm hair, and cool skin tones with cool hair. Neutral skin tones can usually go either way. The difference is very subtle, but very important. Once you gain a better understanding of tones and undertones it will become clear why it matters so much.
Palette
The final point is the palette. Your hair history matters because even though your old color from four years ago might no longer be visible to the naked eye, it is still there and can still affect the hair color today. If you used box color or henna three years ago and your hair is long, that color is still on the ends of your hair. If a stylist were to apply bleach to old henna, your hair could react and even smoke or break off. For this reason a consultation is so important. It is your opportunity to discuss with your stylist all of your hair needs and goals while your stylist learns about your hair history.
The palette is also important because one has to consider your natural base tone. If your natural hair is a base 3 or 4, it will be very complex to achieve a light blonde. If your hair is previously lightened and fragile from over processing it would not be advisable to put an ashy brown over your hair. This would cause your hair to go green or khaki, and let’s be honest – that’s not a look! These are just two examples, but like a painting, the color formula used is determined by the palette.
Texture and porosity are also very important. The level of porosity and texture will determine what can be achieved with your hair and how long it will last. Damaged hair will not hold on to color as well as healthy hair.
In conclusion
In the end of the day the only thing that matters is that you feel beautiful inside yourself. Doing what makes you feel good is the only rule as far as I’m concerned. All of the above are guidelines and advice and are intended for anyone who is looking for a change but needs some direction.
A professional stylist will be able to advise you on what will suite your lifestyle needs, skin complexion and hair type best. Most salons offer a free consultation service so don’t be shy to message that hairstylist you’ve been following on instagram to book a consult, they will be happy to hear from you.
Don’t forget to pin this to your boards so you can come back to it later!
