Ready to make a little (or big) change to your hair color? Coloring your hair can help cover up grays or give you a whole new beauty look. And with so many different at-home hair color options, it’s easy to find your perfect shade. But whether you’re a newbie to coloring your hair or a seasoned pro, you’ll want to make sure you’re ready for all that the process entails. Keep reading to learn exactly how to prep for an at-home hair color session.
STEP #1: FIND THE BEST HAIR COLOR FOR YOUR UNDERTONE
First things first: Start your hair color prep by determining what color you want to dye your hair. Have you ever wanted to switch up your hair color only to be overwhelmed by all the different options? To help you narrow things down, use your undertones as a guide. While there are tons of hair colors that are considered trendy these days, some pair with certain undertones better than others. Whether you’d prefer a classic brown, blonde, or red hue or are more of a non-traditional lover of pastel and rainbow hair colors, always take your undertone into consideration. Here’s how to determine your undertones so you can do just that.
You have cool skin if…your veins appear blue or purple. Those with cool skin can balance their look by following the laws of the color wheel and rocking a warmer hair color.
You have warm skin if…your veins appear slightly green. Warmer skin tends to look best with slightly cooler hair colors.
You have neutral skin if…you can’t really pinpoint the color of your veins. You’re super lucky if you have neutral skin because you can rock just about any color under the sun!
STEP #2: KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GETTING INTO BEFORE COLORING YOUR HAIR
When preparing for a hair color transformation, there are a few things to keep in mind. For starters, if you have a dark base color and are hoping to go significantly lighter, you’ll need to lighten your hair with bleach in order for your new hue to show up. And the darker your base shade, the more work it may take to achieve your desired end result. For dramatic hair color changes (such as going from dark brown to platinum blonde), it’s best to see a professional who can guide you through the process from beginning to end.
STEP #3: HAVE ALL OF YOUR AT-HOME HAIR COLOR SUPPLIES READY
One of the biggest hair color prep steps is making sure you’re totally ready to dye your hair. That means having your hair color kit, and anything else you need, all set before you start. Try the
L’Oréal Paris Excellence Crème, L’Oréal Paris Féria, or L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference. You also might want to consider keeping an extra box or two stocked in your bathroom so that you’re ready to touch-up your color once your roots start growing in.
After you’ve dyed your hair, it’s time to switch up your hair care routine, as color-treated hair requires special care. Rather than do a massive overhaul of your routine, there are three simple updates you can make to better care for your colored locks.
Super-hot water can strip your strands of essential oils (which can leave your hair feeling drier and looking duller), so rinse off in lukewarm temps instead.
3. Protect your tresses before heat styling
Want to blow-dry your newly-colored mane? Make sure to use a heat protectant first and let your hair dry almost completely before you start blow-drying to minimize the time your hair is exposed to heat. You should also use a heat protectant if you’ve decided to use a flat iron on your hair. Spritz on the L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle SLEEK IT Iron Straight Heatspray before straightening. Additionally, pay attention to heat settings on your flat iron—use the lowest temperature that you can while still only having to make one pass over each section of hair.
