At a certain point in life, you may desire to change your look and opt for hair coloring. Even people who have made up their minds to add some color to their hair sometimes do not know how to go about it. Brandon Essential hair stylists are here to share some information and tips to help those considering coloring their hair.

To start, it is imperative to know that there are two main kinds of hair coloring—semi-permanent and permanent. The look you want to achieve will dictate which type of hair color to use.

Semi-Permanent vs Permanent Hair Coloring

Semi-permanent hair color involves larger molecules than the permanent, and it gradually fades out over time, reverting to your original color (although in some cases, especially if your hair was already dyed, some of the semi-permanent color may remain). Fun colors such as purples, blues, greens, etc. are typically semi-permanent.

Permanent hair color, on the other hand, lasts forever and does not fade over time, although the color can appear duller. The reason is that the permanent hair color opens the cuticle, lifting the preexisting color out and depositing the new color. You will also have regrowth that will require routine dying of your hair about every 4 to 6 weeks. Natural hair colors, those people are born with, like brown, blonde, auburn, and black, are usually permanent (although they can be found as semi-permanent colors, which enables frequent style changes!).

Hair Coloring Tips

Now that we are clear on the two types of hair colors, let’s look at the tips that will make the hair coloring journey easier:

• If your hair currently has color, then you must let your colorist know so they will change the formula to achieve the desired result. If you already have color on your hair, it will affect the outcome of the new color and it doesn’t matter if your hair was colored recently or a long time ago.
• If you love your natural hair color but just wish it was lighter, then you will need to take the permanent coloring route. Even though you wish to change only a few shades, it is still an entirely different color. Semi-permanent cannot penetrate and lighten your color.
• If you want to add some depth or brighten up your hair a little, then you could use permanent or semi-permanent hair color. Semi-permanent is great for testing out a look before committing to a permanent color change.
• If your hair has never been colored but you intend to cover greys, then the all-over permanent hair color is highly recommended. Of course, it will completely remove all hints of grey. If permanent coloring makes you nervous or you want to try a color other than your natural one, then try it out with an all-over semi-permanent color.

It is worthy to remind you that even though formulating the right color may seem like something easy to do or cheaper to do with a store-bought coloring kit, boxed dyes are a one-size-fits-all that is usually too strong and often damaging to your hair. Thus, it is advisable to consult a professional hair stylist to examine your hair type, texture, and current color in a bid to find the most successful solution to your hair coloring needs.

Contact Brandon Essentials to schedule a color consultation with one of our hair stylists to discuss your hair coloring options.