Hair To Dye For If You’re In Search Of A New Look, The Right Color Can Make The Difference

So you’ve decided to color your gray hair. You’re joining the ranks of more than 20 million men and women in this country who tamper with the gifts of Mother Nature.

May I offer a qualified congratulations to you? Your decision-making process is only beginning - the easy choice has been made.

The next choice is how are you going to color your hair? There are two basic options. You can do-it-yourself with a box of packaged hair color, or you can consult a professional hair colorist.

First the do-it-yourself route.

For some women, this is easy. They breeze through the hair color row at the drugstore, knowing exactly what product and color they want. Their hair looks great. They save money, they get the color they want, they’re satisfied. Others, like myself, agonize over this decision, looking helplessly at an unlimited number of colored hair swatches. Do you pick box No. 1 or box No. 21?

Then you experiment. First you try a temporary color, which washes out in one to two weeks. If it’s not quite what you want, you try another color. Or, in my case, another and another. The colors can range dramatically, from dark to light, from medium brown to light ash blond.

Content with the color, you say? Switch to the permanent color and you’re done. Phew.

If you just can’t get it right, however, and it isn’t “you,” then take a step back. All is not lost.

“A lot of people’s misconception in coloring their hair is that they look at the color on the box and say: ‘That’s the color I want to be.’ And so they put that color on their hair,” says Curtis Rew, of Casalana Hair Designers in Spokane.

Aha. Lesson one: Unless you have absolutely white hair, the colored hair on top of your head will never match the model’s teased tresses on the box.

But all you want is to color your gray hair, you claim. A darker color dye should grab those gray hairs and blend it with your natural hairs. So why doesn’t the store product look good? “No one’s hair is one solid color, that’s too flat,” says Chee Chee Phillips, owner of Chee Chee’s Artistry In Hair, in Spokane.

Lesson two: Natural hair is a combination of several shades. Dumping a box of hair color on hair actually draws attention to the lack of contrasts and the sameness of every hair. It’s less natural looking than ever.

So it’s not just the color you put on your hair that counts. The right color, however, can make all the difference.

“The most common mistakes women make in choosing a hair color by themselves is they go too light and too red, or they go too dark,” says Phillips.

For covering gray, “your safest bet is to stay with a natural color series,” says Desiree Cassano, who co-owns Casalana with her husband Rew.

Lesson three: If you’re interested in just hiding gray hair and not in a totally new look, choose a color that’s similar to your original color.

You’re beginning to see the light now, but are still totally confused and ready to give up? Wait a moment. You may want to switch to plan B, which is calling your local beauty salon and asking for the hair colorist.

Here’s what professionals can do for you. They know natural hair color basics. They know the coloring products and how to use them. And thirdly, they know how to help you achieve the image you’re looking for.

“What you’re paying for is the knowledge,” says Phillips. “People don’t realize the knowledge it takes to learn how to do this type of thing.”

Actually, you now have a pretty good idea what it takes to get the right color, and you’re more than ready to put yourself in the hands of a professional.

So you call for a color consultation, which may or may not be free. Some stylists offer complimentary consultations with the understanding that you’ll make an appointment with them.

Arrive for the appointment and you’ll get lots of questions. Have you colored it yourself? Do you want to just hide the gray or have a completely new look? What are you looking for?

They’ll tell you what they can do for you and how much time and money you’ll invest.

Lesson four: You get what you pay for. Your pocketbook may be thinner $40-$80 for a coloring job, but if your experience is anything like mine, your satisfaction will be worth a million bucks. Hair coloring, after all, is an investment with great personal dividends.