How to Switch From Brunet to Red Hair

By eHow Fashion, Style & Personal Care Editor

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Tired of the same old hair color? Looking for a change? Add some fire to your locks with a dash of red. Whether a dark auburn or a dazzling copper, you're sure to turn a few heads with your new shade.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Professional Advice
Bath Towels
Deep Conditioner
Hair-coloring Products
Moisturizing Shampoos
Protein-based Shampoos

Step1

Head to the drugstore and consider your options. Select a well-known brand that specializes in at-home coloring. Red does fade rather fast, so look for a base that is one to two shades away from your natural brown and gives you your desired red cast.

Step2

Keep in mind that medium skin tones will look best in coppers or medium auburns, while those with olive skin should stick to dark auburn and burgundy shades. Consult the toll-free number or Web site of your chosen brand for additional advice on color selection.

Step3

Deep-condition your hair a few days prior to your treatment. Just before the treatment, wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo or a mix of vinegar and baking soda. The former will strengthen your hair, while the latter will remove any buildup or deposits.

Step4

Test a small section of your hair before you proceed with your full head. This will give you a good idea about how the color you've chosen will look on your hair.

Step5

Apply a coloring that you feel confident will give you the shade you're after. Follow the directions and professional advice exactly.

Step6

Keep a detailed journal of your process, citing color names, application process and application time. This will come in handy for your touchups, or if you need professional advice for the adjustment of your color.

Step7

Tend to your roots every three to four weeks for seamless color.

Tips & Warnings

Discuss your plans with your stylist. Get his or her ideas on products and colors that might work well for you.
Pregnant? Get your doctor's OK before proceeding with any hair color treatment.
If you have applied henna to your hair in the last year, remember that you cannot perm it or use a chemical color over it.
Avoid chlorine and salt water for a few days after coloring your hair, as contact may cause adverse reactions to your new color.
Remember that the sun's rays will cause your color to fade faster.

Comments

Anonymous said

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on 7/15/2006 Highlighting with blonde or lighter red tones over a red base shade that's too intense will make it look more natural. This is a second process, so condition well afterward.

Some companies provide the base shade and the complimentary highlight color in the same package.

Anonymous said

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on 6/30/2006 I've noticed that most information on the topic of haircoloring circulating around the Internet are very vague or downright incorrect. Contrary to what Clairol and Loreal wants you to think, haircoloring is not at all easy. It is very complicated and although I don't recommend at-home coloring, I know there are always those people who are going to attempt it on their own, so hopefully a few individuals will come across this article.

If you have any doubts about your abilities to do this sort of thing, don't attempt it. Go to a salon. Stay away from drugstore color. Not because it is lower quality (when it comes right down to it these are the exact same formulas professionals use), but what is different is the strength in the developer included in the box.

Developer comes in four common strengths (i.e. 10, 20, 30, and 40 volume). The larger the volume the more lift. 10 volume lightens one shade on light hair (very light brown and lighter.) 20 volume=2 levels on light hair. 30 volume=3 on light hair. 40 volume=4 on light hair. Please note this only applies to natural virgin hair only. You cannot lift colored hair with a lighter color. You have to strip out the color that is already in your hair and apply new color over that. Don't try this yourself, go to a salon. It's very tricky and you will most likely wind up damaging your hair with the strong chemicals used for this purpose. Drugstore color commonly comes with only 20 volume which may not be strong enough to achieve the level of lightness and brightness you desire. Now if you have naturally dark hair subtract 1 level of lift. (i.e. 40 volume will lighten four levels on light hair, 3 levels on dark hair 30 volume lifts 3 levels on light hair, 2 levels on dark hair and so on).

Another thing about drugstore color, they don't tell you of the base color. The base color is the basic pigment that a particular shade of haircolor is based on and therefore influences how that particular color is going to take on your hair. When you go to looking for professional color you are going to notice two things listed on the bottle. The level (which is another term for the lightness or darkness of the color). Each shade has a corresponding number. Black (being the darkest) is a Level 1. Lightest Blonde (being the lightest is a level 10.) Level 2=dark brown 3=Med. Brown 4=Lt. Brown 5=Lightest Brown 6=Dark Blond 7=Medium Blond 8=Light Blond 9=Very Light Blond. Natural haircolor is also classified using this system.

Now another thing you are going to notice is the base color which I've mentioned above. Pay very close attention to those colors listed on the bottle. Red shades usually have these common base colors. Red, red-orange, red-gold, red-violet. Regardless of the proper names of these shades (i.e. Light Auburn Red Wine, Copper Fire, etc.) the base color is the only indicator of the result you are going to achieve and your natural color. A pure red base is most likely to give you an intense pure red color which isn't the most natural looking.

Red-orange is usually going to give you a more copper or natural auburn result. Red-gold, a very sheer result (think Strawberry Blonde for light hair, or brownish red for darker hair.) The last base combination, red-violet, is going to give you the most unnatural look of all.

You'll come across shades that have an orange or orange gold base. I highly recommend these shades if you are aiming for the most natural looking results, but not for people with naturally dark hair (Levels 3 and above). They simply aren't going to deposit a strong enough color to produce that much of a change. For darker hair I recommend a more brighter intense base. (i.e red, red-orange, or red-violet). While I'm on the subject of dark hair, I'd like to point out that on very dark brown and black hair you are not going to have that much of a lighter or brighter result no matter how bright of a shade you use. Instead, expect just a hint of red color at best.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 I'm a licensed hair stylist specializing in chemical services, so here's my advice. Stay away from the drugstore! Go to Sally's Beauty Supply or whatever similar establishment you have in your area. Choose whatever color you're applying, and buy a developer, a color bottle, a processing cap and latex gloves. You will spend a bit more money initially, but you will have the stuff to use over and over. You will get more product and more use from those products this way. Now, this is critical, especially for those with processed hair. Use a really good hair conditioner. I recommend both Ion brand Reconstructor & Moisturizing Treatments available at Sally's. You'll spend about $15 for both but they're well worth the money. Use these (or similar) products both before and after your chemical service. So you'll end up doing this: Reconstructor, Moisturizing Treatment, color, Reconstructor, Moisturizing Treatment. Sure, it takes about an extra 30 to 45 minutes, but it's well worth it. Who wants to completely ruin their hair over a lousy 45 minutes? The idea is to leave the hair in as good, if not better, condition than it was before the chemical service. You notice I said "chemical service" - this advice applies to perms, color, relaxer, whatever. Enjoy!

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Make sure you try a semi-permanent (28 day) color before making a permanent commitment. You may find that your eyebrows clash with your new hair color. No over-the-counter hair color company will approve using its product on your eyebrows, and certainly not on your lashes. You may have to adjust the colors in your makeup to balance your new hair color, too.

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