Everyone feels like switching things up about their appearance every once in a while. For some people, that could mean changing their clothing style, but it can often mean changing your hair. A simple change of color can be a simple and easy way to do this.
That doesn’t mean it’s something you should just jump into, however. Instead, you’ll need to know quite a few things about the process before you do. The damage bleaches and dyes can have on your hair, for example, are well-known, so you’ll need to be aware of that before getting it done.
Changing your hair color doesn’t just mean being on the lookout for any damage, however. Instead, it could be a matter of knowing the different ways you can dye your hair. Doing your entire head isn’t the only option you have, despite how obvious it might be.
You could use a much more subtle approach, which could end up looking much nicer than you would’ve thought. By working with your hair stylist, you shouldn’t have a problem picking the right option for you. By doing so, you’ll see quite a few benefits, including:
- Making you feel more confident in your appearance
- Making you look nicer
- Feeling more invested in how you look
- Standing out from the crowd with some new hair
With that, it’s worth looking at how you can change your hair color, and what kind of options you have.
Changing Your Hair Color: 4 Top Options
Highlights
Outside of completely dyeing your hair, highlights may be the most obvious way of changing your hair color. The process involves taking a few strands of your hair and dyeing them a lighter color than your natural hair. It makes your hair pop more than you’d expect.
The highlighted strands can be either thick or thin, depending on what kind of look you’re going for. Working with your hairstylist lets you figure out the best path to take for your hair. You’ll need to keep a few tips and tricks in mind with this.
Perhaps the most notable is not going too light with the dye. Limiting it to two or three shades lighter makes it look much more natural. If you’re considering experimenting, however, other colors could be recommended.
It’s not uncommon to see pink highlights in blonde hair, for example. Keep in mind these colors could have some harmful chemicals in them, which could damage your hair more than natural colors. You’ll need to make sure you use the right post-dye products after you’ve gotten your highlights done.
Lowlights
As you might expect, lowlights are the opposite of highlights in every practical way. Think of them as reverse-highlights. Instead of dyeing parts of your hair a few shades lighter than its natural color, you’ll go with a few shades darker.
While that might be relatively surprising, it can be a much more appealing option than you’d expect. It brings out your natural hair color better than you’d think, and can even make it pop much better. It’ll make your natural color look lighter while drawing a person’s look into it.
There are a few specific tricks to this, however. The main one is to have thick strands of hair lowlighted, as it could end up looking chunky and unappealing otherwise. It’ll end up looking quite unnatural, which you’ll want to avoid.
Keeping the lowlights dispersed also makes it look more appealing and natural, while also making it look effortless. It could end up being as appealing, if not more so, than getting some highlights. While this isn’t as popular as getting highlights, that could end up making your hair stand out better than you’d expect.
Mixing
When many people talk about highlights and lowlights, they make it seem as though they’re mutually exclusive. You could end up thinking it’s one or the other. That doesn’t need to be the case, however, as you could use a combination of the two.
While this is a more labor-intensive thing to get done, it could end up making your hair look much nicer than you’d expect. It lets the new hair color blend in with the natural color much better that you would’ve expected.
It’ll end up working wonders for your hair, and it could have a much greater impact than you’d expect. You should keep a few specific things in mind when you’re doing this. Perhaps the most notable is sticking to two or three shades lighter or darker.
It’ll make sure the highlights and lowlights look natural which makes the effect look much nicer, as well as more natural. Brown hair shades can be recommended for this.
Balayage
A balayage is when the lower half of your hair is a few shades lighter than the upper half, with a hair stylist blending these two halves together. It can be one of the more appealing ways to change your hair color because of how effortless it can be while having a large impact on how your hair looks.
It’s also one of the easier techniques when dyeing your hair, as it often doesn’t involve many of the steps that getting highlights or lowlights involve. It also doesn’t do nearly as much damage to your hair, as only the bottom half of it is dyed. Combined with some hair care treatments and products, you can rest assured there isn’t any damage.
A balayage is also blended perfectly with your natural hair color, helping to complement it and make everything look nicer. You don’t even need to go with a natural-looking color, as even pinks and blues can be used for the same effect.
There’s nothing stopping you from coming up with something unique and appealing.
What To Know Before Changing Your Hair Color
Changing your hair color can seem like a relatively easy process, especially if you’re getting it done by a professional. That doesn’t mean there aren’t a few things you’ll need to be aware of, however.
You’ll need to make sure your hair is protected and healthy before, during, and after the process. That means keeping several things in mind before you decide to dye your hair. Some of the more notable of these include:
- Do Your Research – There’s much more involved in dyeing or changing your hair color than you’d think. You’ll have to consider the various options you have, as well as the damage the process can have on your hair, for example. Doing your research lets you know exactly what’s involved while knowing how to minimize or avoid any damage.
- Tell The Stylist Exactly What You Want – When it comes to dyeing your hair, you’ll need to tell the hair stylist exactly what you want. Saying you want some blonde streaks, for example, leaves multiple things open to interpretation. You could have a specific image in mind for this, but the stylist might think it’s something different. Make sure you’re on the same page before you start changing your hair color.
- Stay Away From Permanent DIY Dyes – If you’re on a budget when changing your hair color, you could end up considering some DIY dyes. These should be avoided at all costs, as they could end up doing much more damage to your hair than you’d expect. The bleach and ammonia in these are what’s responsible, which typically aren’t found in professional dyes. You’re much better off leaving a professional take care of this for you.
The more you know about changing your hair color, the better prepared you’ll be able to make the decision. It could take more time and effort than you could think. That’s especially true when it comes to making sure your hair is healthy and taken care of.
You’ll be changing your hair color to make sure it looks nice, after all. Part of that involves making sure it’s as healthy as possible. While that means putting a little bit of work into it, it’ll make sure everything’s as stylish and healthy as possible.
Changing Your Hair Color: Wrapping Up
Changing your hair color is a great way to change up your appearance. It can offer multiple benefits, such as:
- Making you look more stylish
- Boosting your confidence
- Feeling more fashionable
- Improving your appearance
With benefits like that, there’s no reason not to consider doing it. You’ll need to keep a few things in mind before dyeing your hair, however. It could cause some harm to your scalp and the hair itself, for example.
Coupled with that are the various ways you can dye your hair. Doing the full head is far from the only way you can get this done. By knowing your options, such as highlights and lowlights, you can choose the best option for you.
Working with your hair stylist is an effective and easy way to make sure you choose the right one for you. Changing your hair color will be easier than you’d think, and you’ll end up feeling much happier with how you look.