How to Select the Right Hair Color for Yourself

There are several things to take into consideration when selecting from a wide variety of hair colors. Your decision will be less overwhelming if you are familiar with color tones and how they complement one another. A person's skin tone, eye color and natural hair color are all important features that need to be evaluated when comparing potential dye colors. Visiting a beauty supply store also allows you evaluate hair colors side by side to determine which one will best suit you. The steps below will explain how to select the right hair color.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hair Swatches

How To Select The Right Hair Color For Yourself

1. 
    
   Cool Skin Tone

   Match your hair color to your skin tone. People with cool skin tones have skin that is fair, fair with pinkish undertones, olive or olive with pinkish undertones. Cooler tones also have a light eye color such as green, blue or hazel. Cool toned people should select a hair color in light, medium or ash blonde and light browns. They should avoid dark browns, black and golden blonde shades.

2. 
    
   Warm Skin Tone

   People with warm skin tones have darker pigmented skin such as deep olive, brown or darker tones. Warmer tones have dark eye colors like light brown, dark brown, and hazel brown. Warm toned people should select hair color in a darker shade like deep reds, dark browns, honey and golden blondes or black.

3. 
    
   Hair Swatch

   Look at hair color swatches. The color depicted on the front of a hair dye box may end up being very different than the color it will be once it is applied to your hair. Visit a beauty supply store to look through hair swatches of the shades you are considering. Seeing the color on real hair will give you an accurate example of the finished product.

4. Decide what type of coverage you need. Hair dyes can vary on coverage depending on whether they are permanent or semi-permanent. Permanent hair dyes offer excellent coverage and will penetrate the hair shaft to cover your natural color. Permanent colors are great for covering grays, roots and highlights. Semi-permanent hair dyes will coat the hair shaft, but will rinse out with regular shampooing after a few weeks. Semi-permanent colors allow you to try your desired color without a long term commitment.

5. Consider how much maintenance will be needed. Hair color that is drastically different from your natural color will need to be touched up frequently to avoid visible roots. Selecting a shade closer to your natural hair color will require fewer touch-ups since root growth will be less noticeable. Fewer touch-ups help reduce damage that can be caused by overprocessing your hair.

Tips & Warnings

• Always perform a patch test before using hair color.