How to Color Your Hair

!±8± How to Color Your Hair

So, you want to try something new with your hair, but you don't have the time or the money to go to the salon. No problem! Here are some great suggestions for things you can do to enhance your natural hair color at home!

The first thing you need to know is that you need to start out with healthy hair. The best way to do this is to start preparing by shampooing and deep conditioning your hair a few days before you plan on coloring it. After doing this, don't shampoo your hair for a couple of days. It's best to apply color to "dirty" hair. Your natural oils will resurface and will help protect your hair during the coloring process, help the color to take, and will give you more uniform results. Once your ready, grab an old shirt and some old towels and get ready to have some fun!

There are a few organic methods of how to color your hair at home. If you're a brunette, you can use coffee to enrich your hair color! Just brew a very strong cup of espresso or a dark roast coffee. Let it cool and add it to your dry hair. Leave it on for 30 minutes and then shampoo your hair. The coffee will add richness and shine to your dark hair. You can use this trick on natural or color-treated hair.

Another way to enhance your hair is with tea! A cup of strong, dark tea will add highlights to dark hair. Use the tea as a final rinse after shampooing. If you have lighter brown or blonde hair, apply a cup of strong chamomile tea to dry hair. Leave it on for 20-30 minutes and then shampoo as normal.

Believe it or not, nuts will add shine to your hair! Walnuts to be exact. You'll need to boil one cup of chopped walnuts with one cup of water for a few minutes. Let it cool and strain it. Apply the mixture to dry hair and leave it on for 30 minutes, then shampoo as normal.

You can also use fruit juices to enhance your colors. If you use cranberry juice as a final rinse when shampooing your hair, it will bring out your red highlights! It will also freshen up your all-over red hair color, whether it's natural or artificial. You can also use lemon juice to bring out highlights and lighten blonde hair.

If your going to color your hair with an at-home coloring kit, here are a few things to remember on how to dye your hair at home:

1.Remember to always start with "dirty" hair.

2.Have a friend help you! If your hair is long (or even if it's short), it's always helpful to have another pair of hands around to help you get those hard to reach areas.

3.Always apply color to the mid-section of your hair first and then work your way to the roots and the ends. Color will process faster near your scalp because of your bodies natural body heat, and it will process faster at the ends because your ends are more porous than the rest of your hair shaft. This is especially important when coloring long hair.

4.If you're coloring gray hair, remember that gray hair is usually more coarse and less porous. It's a good idea to prepare gray hair for the coloring process. You can do this by using a softening shampoo or developer for gray hair. Also, it may be a good idea to choose a color that's one shade lighter than what you want for your end result. Be sure to follow the directions in the color kit for how to color gray hair carefully! It usually requires a longer processing time.

Ok! So you've colored your hair and it looks great! How do you keep that color looking fresh? The most important thing is to replenish the moisture lost during the coloring process. To do this, always use a shampoo that's specially formulated for color treated hair. These shampoos are gentler on treated hair and help add that much needed moisture. If you use a regular shampoo, it will be too harsh and will strip the color and moisture from your hair.

If you don't have a water filter, it would be a good idea to get one. Tap water that isn't treated contains elements that will affect your hair color. Also, if you're going to be swimming, you'll need to take precautions. Chlorine can wreak havoc on color treated hair! Before jumping into the pool, wet your hair with spring water. If your hair is already saturated, there won't be any room to absorb the chemically treated pool water. A leave in conditioner works well here too as added protection.

After shampooing, always blot your hair dry with a towel. Don't rub it or wrap it up tightly. Use a wide tooth comb and not a brush to untangle your hair. Start at the ends and work your way up to the roots. All of this will help your hair stay strong and reduce breakage.

Condition, condition, condition! On a daily basis, use a conditioner after shampooing. The leave-in conditioners normally contain a sunscreen which will help keep your color from fading. Every few weeks, use a color enhancing, deep conditioner to restore moisture and shine. This will also help blend in roots as your hair grows.

I hope this has been helpful! Have fun!