Skin Care Beauty Zone

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 08:12 AM PDT

Style or necessity whatever your reason for coloring your hair, with some of the tips below you can help your color stay on better and brighter and also ensure that you are being as gentle with your locks as possible.

Choosing a stylist

Previous experience with a stylist is the best indicator that they will do a good job for you. In any case, consult with them to find out what is likely to be the end result. Also bring a photo of what you think you want and get an honest opinion of whether you can expect this.

Hair Color Tips If the colorist says that your hair condition is not good enough to withstand the procedure you want, listen and look at other options.

If you want to color at home

Choose a shade that is not too dramatically different from your natural color.

If possible consult with experts and get their opinion about what is going to look good on your skin tone and what you can realistically expect with your hair color and quality.

Also choosing an ammonia free product or a semi-permanent product may be a better idea since these are gentler on the hair.

Ask a friend if he or she can help with the application; this will help with a more even, all over the head application.

Here is suggested after-color hair care-

Spare your hair

If you have colored your hair try and spare it other treatments such as rebonding, perming or other stressful procedures like tight braiding, hair extensions and so on. This may put undue pressure on the hair and stress it to the point of breaking.

Protect colored hair from heat

Too much styling or drying, very hot water may all fade the color and dry out the hair. When styling, wait till the hair is partly dry (don't start at the dripping wet point) and don't completely dry.

Use gentle products and treat hair well

Use a gentle shampoo that doesn't strip hair and make sure to use a conditioner every single time. Experts also advise that a keratin treatment be used regularly to protect the hair.

Protect hair from chlorine

The chlorine in the swimming pool can bleach your hair. So either wear a really well fitting swim cap or wet hair with regular tap water before wetting it with chlorine.

Protect from the sun

If you go out in the sun a lot, protect your hair with smart headgear such as a headscarf or a hat. You can also use a shampoo or conditioner with built in sunscreen to help protect hair from the drying, bleaching sun rays.