Home » Beauty » Hair care » "Mane" Colour Streaks of blonde, deep auburn, russet brown, slivers of silver...yes we are talking hair colour! Colouring your hair may be "hot" but aren't there some things you should know before you colour your hair? Your dreams of looking like a supermodel, may come crashing down, as you see a Medusa look alike in the mirror, after your hair colouring job! Don't lose heart! Remember, there are things you should know before you plan on colouring your hair! We'll walk you through...

• Your skin tone is important. If you are wheatish in complexion, go for reds, brunette, auburn, dark brown or black.
• Avoid light gold, blonde or platinum for these will make you appear darker.
• The colour you select should gently merge with your hair colour.
• Avoid colouring permed hair. This can harm your hair permanently
• Coarse hair will take longer to colour.
• No two shades look the same on two different people.
• Choose a specialist if you are colouring your hair for the first time. Don't experiment at home.
• The simple thumb rule is " subtle is better"

Shades

In the world of hair colour, there are ten levels, the tenth being the lightest in colour. Start with the base colour or the colour you were born with. You can go 5 shades lighter than your base colour, no more. The simplest method is to pick a shade that merges with your hair, and doesn't contrast!

Henna

Have you been using henna? Then give a break of about 6 weeks before you colour your hair, or else your hair will not take the colour at all.The ideal break between using henna and using hair colour should be 6 months, but 6-8 weeks should suffice.

Re-bonding

The hair shaft is made up of the cortex, cuticle and medulla. While re-bonding, the bonds in the cortex are broken down to give it the poker straight look. If you colour re-bonded hair, the colour immediately goes into the cortex. Since the bonds in this area have already been broken, the hair colour will fade quickly.

Colouring your hair may be fashionable, but don't jump onto the bandwagon without a thought. Consult a specialist before getting innovative and experimental! Your hair has to last you a lifetime, so the more care you take of it, the longer it will last!