|
|
|
Haircolor - Keeping it Real
Hair color is always a big question for women, and many women like to change their
haircolor almost as often as they change their handbags. But, unless you take care to
choose color carefully, you can have unfortunate results. The best way to select a new
color is to stay within the base "family" of colors.
Take a close look at your hair in a well-lit setting, preferably in natural light. If you
look closely you will be able to see the base color of your hair. These colors are usually
reds, red-orange, gold, blue, blue-violet and violet. By sticking to haircolors with the
same base color as your natural color, you can be assured that the color will work for
you. There is another factor to consider: light level - or how light a shade you want your
hair to be.
Especially if you are selecting a haircolor for use as a highlight color in your hair,
both base color and light level are key factors. The light levels of hair colors range from
level 1 (black) to level 10 (palest blond). How light you can make your hair depends on
the starting level of the color. As a general rule, you shouldn't lift the color level more
than three shades if you want the change to appear natural. The same is true if you want
to take your hair darker.
A person with naturally pale blonde hair will look pallid and washed out with black
hair, just as a person with naturally jet black hair can look like a photo negative if she
suddenly had pale blond hair.
And then there's the damage factor: Bleaching the hair works by dispersing the
color molecules in the hair's cortex. This process can also cause hair damage and could
destroy the hair unless monitored carefully. Under no circumstance should you attempt
to lighten the hair by more than five shades in a single process, and never EVER try to
lighten the hair beyond pale blonde. You should also be realistic when deciding on a
new haircolor, someone with jet black hair should never try to lighten their hair to a
platinum blonde level.
|
|
