5 Things to Consider Before Dying your Hair

January 9, 2015

It’s a new year—and you know what that means, it’s time for a new hairdo! A dramatic cut might be out of the question so your next option is probably color. Adding color to your strands is a great way to spruce up your look and have a little fun with your natural hair. Before you go ahead and make that big change, it’s very important that you fully understand exactly what you’re getting yourself into. Here are five things you should consider before you take your hair to the next level with color:

1.) Your hair may experience significant moisture loss.
Color-treated hair tends to be a bit dryer than usual. That is essentially because hair color has an impact on your hair’s cortical layer, which in result increases your hair’s porosity. When your hair’s porosity increases, it becomes almost impossible for your hair to continuously hold on to moisture. That is why deep conditioning regularly is extremely important. After coloring your hair, you need a balance of protein and moisture incorporated into you regimen in order to keep your curls healthy and happy.

2.) Curl pattern may loosen.
Yes, you read it right — coloring your hair could possibly loosen your curls. You see, whenever you alter the protein bonds in your hair, you are ultimately putting your curl pattern at risk. Sometimes, the loosened pattern is only temporary and can be repaired by a simple protein treatment. On other occasions, the change is pretty much permanent. Everyone’s hair is different and the health of your hair prior to coloring it determines whether or not the color negatively affects your curls. There’s even a possibility that you may not even experience any loosening at all! Either way, it’s definitely something to think about before you decide to color your hair. Getting color may not be worth loosing your beautiful curls.

3.) Your hair’s elasticity will decrease.

All chemical processes undergone by your hair reduces its elasticity. Elasticity is basically our hair’s ability to stretch and return back to its normal shape without being damaged. As a result of its depletion, the chances of breakage are dramatically increased. You must understand that any hair that has been colored is vulnerable to damage. As mentioned before, it is crucial that you take care of your hair; Keep it moisturized and get it trimmed regularly in order to prevent excessive breakage.

4.) Different colors will have a different effect on your hair.
Going lighter has been proven to be more damaging than going darker. If you are really interested in coloring your hair, but aren’t too sure of what color you want, consider going darker! (That is if your hair isn’t dark already) Or stay in the dark brown and reds family instead of choosing a really light color like platinum blonde. Going really light and bleaching your hair is a very harsh procedure that should probably be avoided at all costs if you want to maintain the health of your hair.

5.) Consult a professional!

Last but not least, I suggest that you consult a professional before you let any color touch your hair. They can assist you with the process and aftercare. The DIY route is pretty popular these days — but when it comes to coloring your hair, it’s best to just let a trusted professional do it for you. Yes, it may be a little pricier than just purchasing a boxed dye and doing it on your own — but it’s so worth it in the end. Trust me, your hair will thank you later!

TIP: If you’re desperately yearning to color your hair but you’re afraid, try henna! No, the results aren’t as intense as they would be if you had used a regular hair dye — but henna is a safer way to significantly change the color of your hair while protecting your precious strands.

[Source myhaircrush]