How to choose the right hair colour

Even though the trend of hair colouring has been around for quite a few years now, people still opt for it. Every season, there are different shades which are in fashion and many people opt to change their hair colour based on such trends without knowing if it will suit them or not. Most of these trends are celeb-inspired but blindly following them can be a fashion disaster especially if it is a bold colour. The Indian hair texture and skin tone requires careful selection of hair colour, says Santosh Gahatraj, style director of hair at Lakme Absolute Salon.
 
From dark chocolate, umber, burgundy, smokey metallic to indigo, blue and even yellow, hair colours seem to be getting funkier every day. Celebrities – in Bollywood and Hollywood – have given the trend a fillip. But before you take a final call, think of your face structure, profession and personality.
‘For Indians’ hair texture, permanent colour is not advisable. Once the colour starts fading, it makes your hair texture dry and frizzy and the hair colour changes to brown or blonde. I would suggest try temporary colours or highlights for a soft trendy look,’ Gahatraj told IANS.

How to select the right shade
Makeover expert Aashmeen Munjaal warns against aping celebrities blindly. ‘It’s obvious that you can’t opt for bold colours if you’re a professional. Texture of hair is another important factor as coloured hair highlights the texture even more.
‘If you have frizzy hair, colouring will highlight that frizzy texture to a larger extent,’ Munjaal told IANS.
There’s another factor – the hair length. ‘Streaks of bold colours will suit your long tresses but a full head will destroy your entire look,’ Munjaal added. At the same time, it is best not to ignore your skin tone as choosing a wrong hair colour can either make or break your look.
‘One should be comfortable with the colours one is selecting and most importantly select colours as per one’s skin tone and face structure. If your skin tone is dark, do not opt for dark, bold hues and go for highlights towards the bottom for your hair,’ advised Gahatraj.
For Indian skin tone, red and purple are the best shades to try apart from shades of brown. Colours like blue, green and olive are not meant for Indian skin tone and hence these should be avoided.
‘Those who have fair complexion can try spicy red, bluish fuchsia, sun-gold streaks or brownish blonde highlights. Those with wheatish complexion can go for shades of chocolate, copper brown, khaki brown and honey blonde.
‘Those with dusky complexion can try for coffee, caramel, charcoal grey or mahagony,’ said Munjaal.

Tips to keep in mind
‘Opting for bold colours is completely fine unless you can carry them well and ready to experiment with your looks. The bold colours can change your entire look in a few hours. If you are not confident about getting your hair coloured, try using hair extensions for a week or two so that you can get clarity for your desired look,’ said Munjaal.
Also, the process of colouring might make your hair hard and reduce the quality of your original colour. To avoid this, use colour protecting shampoo with conditioner.
And, yes, don’t forget a hair spa regime every 20 days.

How often should you colour your hair?
In case of a ‘global’ colour (entire hair being coloured) you can ‘refresh’ the hair colour every 4-6 months; till then doing a monthly touch-up is required if you want an even look overall. Remember,  hair colouring is a chemical treatment that changes your hair texture and its natural state so it doesn’t come without risks.

When should you avoid colouring your hair?
You have a medical scalp condition such as ringworms or excessive dandruff – chemicals in the hair colour may aggravate this problems. Instead, consult a dermatologist to find out if you can colour your hair at all.
You’ve had an allergic reaction to a hair product in the past. A common allergen in hair colours is called PDD (Paraphenylenediamine) that you might want to check for.
You have a serious hair fall problem. Hair colours are inherently strong and therefore may turn your hair even more brittle.

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