We’ve seen the headlines, “Kim Kardashian Does Not Look Like This Anymore!” and have lived through the envy of seeing your best friends change up the color of their locks for the summer. Maybe you never went through a rebellious phase and think this might be your chance to finally act like a wild child. Either way, you may have gotten to the point where you want to switch up your look in a big way. Luckily, I have already been through the experience and can tell you what to expect. Here are the stages of changing up your hair color.
1. What color to get your hair dyed
It’s fine to appreciate photos of blonde locks on models, but considering that we all don’t have the same facial structure, bone structure or the budget to keep up the color, it wouldn’t be the best idea to bleach your hair. You have to take into account many factors before you dye your hair – daily style, upkeep and whether this color will fit your lifestyle. If you work in a law firm, it probably would not be wise to dye your hair a bright red since your office may be conservative.
2. Where to get it done
While it is cost-effective to use a box kit in the comfort of your own bathroom, it is not the best option for your hair. The color might not turn out the way you expected or the way it looks on the box, and the health of your hair may be compromised. When I decided to transform from a brunette to a redhead, the health of my hair was important to me so I went to a professional rather than using a home kit. It may have cost more than $100, but it was worth not damaging my hair.
3. The research
Deciding you want to go blonde, brunette, red or any color is not the end-all for dying your hair. For example, there are so many different shades of blonde you could choose – from platinum to strawberry. You have to pick which shade of the color you want and find pictures of people with a similar face structures and skin tones to you. A great resource for this is Pinterest – you can find bloggers and celebrities who have worn your desired color. If you decide to get your hair done in a salon, this would be the time to check Yelp for reviews of the salons near you.
4. The anxiety before
It’s normal to have a little fear or anxiety about a sudden change. You never really know whether it will turn out as well as you hope and your mind always draws scenes from the worst-case scenarios. But, if you really want to do something, you have to move past the fear.
5. The anxiety during
I remember going through the bleaching process twice because my natural color refused to lighten. That caused another panic attack because I never expected to bleach my hair in the first place. This is when you have to trust the process. If I had done it by myself, there’s no way I would have bleached my hair out of fear. But, since I left it to the professionals, the bleach was taken out at the right time and my red shade came out exactly as I had wanted. Just trust the process.
6. Embracing your new color
Until the stylist is done washing out the dye and blow drying your hair, it’s not wise to look in the mirror. I remember seeing the orange dye and freaking out on my stylist. Luckily, she was nice enough to calm me down enough to wait for the end product. After the wash, my color looked nothing like the dye and my red had come out as well as I had hoped it would. It looked even better after it had been blown out and flat ironed.
Now that you have shaken up your look, it’s time for you to walk down the street and own your new hair color. Although it might feel weird, especially on the first day, it takes some time to get used to. Give it a while and you will feel like the superstar you set out to look like.