Slightly OT: Hair Colour? - YouLookFab Forum

So, I've never coloured my hair before, and am thinking I might like to. I have naturally blonde hair, but it's looking a bit blah lately (early 40's, extremely hard water where I live, no grey that I can see so far - but it *is* looking a bit dull), and I'm wondering if some highlights and/or colour might help.

My question is how to find a good colourist? I'm reasonably (not thrilled) ok with my hair cut lately, and was wondering if I should just ask my hair stylist about colour or if I'm better off looking for someone who specializes in hair colour?

I'm a complete newbie to hair colour. Do you just get the person who cuts your hair to colour it, or are there 'colour people' and 'hair cut people' ?

I'm kind of hopeless when it comes to DIY-type stuff, so I'm not about to try and colour my hair at home (for now).

For those of you who colour your hair - should I be looking around for someone who specializes in hair colour, or is it ok to just get my hair stylist/hair cut person to do it? I am not 100% thrilled with my stylist (hair cuts only so far), but not unhappy either - its just "ok" ...

If you were me, would you go to a totally different salon or look for a different stylist?

Furthermore - is there anything I need to know about having my hair coloured - ie. is there a different person who colours and someone else who cuts/styles? Do most people get their hair coloured by the same person who cuts/styles it?

I feel like a bit of a dork with this question, because it seems like everyone has coloured their hair (except me).

Signed,

Clueless About Hair Colour

13 years ago

shiny

Veteran

I've gone to salons where the colorist and stylist are two different people; these places are usually very expensive. I've gone to places (actually, a lot of places) where the stylist gave me an awesome cut, but was only so-so skilled with color, or worse -- sometimes with disastrous results. And then there is the reverse, good at color but not at the cut. Then there is the rare person who is skilled at both cut & color and when you find that you stick with it. So yeah, it's all over the map....

I found my current stylist through referral. She is known as the color expert at the salon. She is frequently interrupted, while doing my hair, to give consults to all the other stylists about what color to do for their clients. So it's like she is cross-training and guiding all the other stylists. It's great if you can book with the salon's color expert, but if you can't, a good salon will have this sort of consultation going on, with the more skilled helping out the lesser skilled.

For your first foray with color, I'd recommend partial rather than full highlights (less of a commitment and cheaper). Stick to no more than one or two shades lighter or darker -- it grows out much more gracefully that way. Ask for more than one shade of highlights and/or lowlights - looks more interesting that way. And my stylist always applies a clear glaze at the end.

Don't shampoo for at least three days after. And don't judge your color until about a week after, as it takes time for the color to settle in. DO tell your stylist you have hard water. I would recommend you get a purple shampoo (like Aveda Blue Malva) and use that to see if it helps remove some of the brassiness, before you get the highlights. Then use it every now and then to help maintain the color.

The biggest thing with highlights, if you are blonde, is determining whether you look best in highlights that are neutral, cool or warm tone. This took me lots of experimentation to figure out. If I go too cool, it looks ashy and washes me out. If I go to warm, it also doesn't work. I need neutral highlights.

You could always try just adding a few strategic highlights around your face only, to see if you like that. I do like my lowlights right now but I confess I really miss having the front piece being lighter than everything else, as I think it brightens up my face! But that particular lock needed some TLC from always being highlighted.

A single semi-permenant shade is another low-risk, gentle option. It shampoos out within 4-6 weeks. Or if you hate the highlights, you can always have a semi-permanent done to tone it down. (I've had that done a few times when highlights were done too light and ashy).

Hope that helps!

ETA: I've learned it really, really helps to go to your appointment with NO make up on, and wearing a white top. That way the colorist is not distracted by the color of your clothes or lipstick. Before I first started coloring it, I was wearing more and more foundation, and darker and darker lipstick. With the right color, I don't need much makeup at all. That said, if you have an entire wardrobe of, say, cool tones ... make sure you tell the stylist that!

velvetychocolate

Thank you so much shiny! What a wealth of helpful information - wow!

I feel much better now, and a lot more confident about trying some colour. I will take your advice and try a few partial highlights at first. Also - I appreciate hearing about how some salons *do* have colour people and hair cutting people - my last salon was like that...and yet my current salon doesn't seem to do this - so I was getting a tiny bit confused about hair colour in general.

I think I might go back to my last salon - the cuts were amazing, and the only reason I stopped going was because the cuts were getting quite pricey and I wasn't getting anything "done" other than wash, cut, style. Thing is, I'm not that impressed with the place I've been going to for the last few months. At the previous salon, I always walked out of there feeling like my hair looked really good, even if it was just a wash, cut and style.

In the meantime, thank you so much for all of your helpful advice - no makeup (ack!), white top for the appt. Start with a few partial highlights at first, plus the decision re: warm, neutral and cool toned highlights. Consider wardrobe colours. The way makeup can skew things a wee bit.

I feel a lot more informed. Thanks again

rachylou

My stylist both cut and colored my hair. I feel this is pretty unusual. Anyways, she was a master stylist and in full control of my head. I am a hair moron and I take it as a bad sign if a stylist is looking to me for much direction, to be quite honest.

Anyways, a master stylist is much more than a creative person. S/he'll know about hair and health. S/he'll have apprenticed a long time and be continuously doing master classes to keep updated on new developments and techniques.

I'd go for trims and test people out on what they know and can do.

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