Want to change your appearance but don't want it to end in disaster? It doesn't matter if you want a natural, drastic, or bold look, you can find the right color for you. A color that perfectly matches your skin tone and features will make your hair look stunning.
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Part 1 of 3: Assessing Skin Tone
Step 1. Understand why skin tone matters
Understanding your skin tone is the key to having the right hair color. Choosing a color that doesn't match your skin can create a mismatch between your skin tone and hair, making it look unnatural. Before choosing a hair color, determine if you are a cool or warm skin tone.
Step 2. Determine if you are a warm color
People with "warm colors" have yellow undertones. They are generally easy to bask without burning. These guys look great with earth tones, like browns, yellows, oranges, and creams. Gold jewelry usually looks good on people with warm skin tones.
- Look at the veins in your arms. People with warm colors have green veins.
- People who have warm skin tones usually have dark eyes, such as brown, black, or reddish-brown. Their hair is black, brown, blonde, red, or strawberry blonde.
- If you hold the white paper next to your clean face, your skin will look yellow or gold next to the paper if your skin tone is warm.
- Another way to determine if you have warm skin is to hold a piece of yellow or red paper next to your clean face. If the color looks attractive, then you have warm skin tone.
Step 3. Determine if you are a cool color
People with "cold colors" have pink or red-bluish undertones. They are usually flammable or have problems basking. These guys usually look best with blue, red, and purple tones. Silver jewelry usually looks good against cool skin tones.
- People with cold skin have blue veins in their arms.
- People with cool colors usually have light colored eyes, such as blue, green, or gray. They have blonde, black, or brown hair.
- If you hold a piece of white paper next to your clean face, your skin will look blue compared to the paper.
- Another way to define cool skin tones is to hold a piece of blue, silver, or green paper next to your face. If the color looks appealing, you have a cool color. Do a comparison with yellow/red paper to check the difference.
Step 4. Consider that you have a neutral skin tone
Some people have either warm or cold skin tones; they have neutral skin tone. These skin tones have no pink or yellow undertones to their skin. Their veins are an indistinct green or blue. People with neutral skin tones can wear any color.
Part 2 of 3: Finding Color
Step 1. Choose shades based on your skin tone
After determining your skin tone, decide what shades will look best on your skin. If you have neutral skin tone, any tone will probably look good.
- For warm tones, dark browns, warm browns, chestnut tones, golden browns, reddish browns, warm golds and bright reds, and shades of brown blonde will look best on you. Use a color with a red or gold orange base; this color will look good on you. Avoid blue, violet, and gray hair bases that will fade your skin tone.
- For cool colors, try shimmering crow-wing blacks, cool gray browns, or cool blondes ranging from mink to platinum and icy white. Avoid gold, yellow, red, and bronze in hair color. These warm colors have a tendency to make you look pale. You can also use lots of interesting hair colors that are bold, unnatural like lipstick red, cherry red, blue and burgundy.
Step 2. Consider the shades on your skin
Do you have light, medium, or dark skin? This is important when determining the right hair color for you.
- With paler skin, lighter shades will suit. For light, warm-toned skin, try butterscotch, strawberry blonde, or honey tones. For light skin and cool tones, try platinum, light yellow, or champagne blonde.
- Medium skin provides more flexibility. Medium to warm skin tones can go well with tawny blonde, golden caramel, or copper. Cool tones with medium skin should try pale grays, such as sand, wheat blonde, and walnut brown.
- Olive skin looks great with full tan or earthy tones. Cool colors should try a reddish brown or light brown, while warm colors can go well with dark chocolate and mocha.
- For dark skin and cool tones, use espresso and ink black. For dark skin and warm tones, try maple brown, sorrel, or toffee.
Step 3. Consider your eye color
Eye color can determine whether or not hair color looks good on you. Do you want your eyes to stand out? Green and blue eyes look great with red, brown, or blonde, while dark eyes look great with contrasting colors.
Step 4. Decide whether you want to use a natural color or change it drastically
The extent to which you want to change your hair color affects your choice. Do you want to keep your hair looking natural? Or do you want to actually try the opposite? Do you want a bold, unnatural color? Determine what is best for you and your life.
- If you want to try a natural color, only use 2-3 shades lighter or darker than your natural hair color.
- Choose a color that will look good on you. Maybe you've always loved red hair, but is it the right choice for you? If you like blue but have warm skin tones, consider another drastic, bold color.
Step 5. Decide if you want to use permanent, semi-permanent, or temporary dye
If you're not sure about the color, try a temporary dye. Permanent and semi-permanent dyes last longer if you want a color that will last for a while.
- Permanent hair color will not fade and will allow you to use a lighter one. Using a lighter color may require bleach. It's more difficult to order permanent dye, and you'll need to fix the roots again as your hair grows.
- Semi-permanent hair color fades with washing. This would be great as a highlight, changing color in hair, adding depth, and covering gray hair. But this color will not explain the hair significantly.
- Temporary hair color will fade in 25-30 washes. This option is perfect for adding a shiny, bright color to hair in a darker or lighter shade. It also allows you to change the color of your hair. They can't lighten your hair.
Step 6. Don't make drastic emotional changes
Before you drastically change your appearance, determine why you are doing this. Do you follow trends? Have you had a traumatic experience, such as a death in the family or a breakup? Making drastic style choices based on emotion is not a good way to define style.
Step 7. Use the internet to help find the right color for you
Many websites will allow you to put different hairstyles into an image to see which one looks best on you. Others allow you to enter your hair and style preferences to determine the right color for you.
Part 3 of 3: Coloring Hair
Step 1. Perform a strand test
Pin a small section of your hair from below where it won't be visible. Color these strands to see how the dye carries it to your hair. This will give you a sense of how your hair will look before doing it all over your head – perhaps helping you avoid a disaster.
Step 2. Use a wig
If you want to try your hair color before doing it, use a wig. The wig will give you a good idea of how the hair color will look on your face without any permanent effect. Be sure to try a high-quality wig that gives you the right idea of hair color.
Step 3. Go to the salon
This is the best solution if you are dyeing your hair for the first time or making drastic changes. A hair specialist will give you the best feel and ensure that you don't end up with any kind of hair disaster.
Be sure to bring a photo of the specific color desired if you have one specific in mind. That ensures that there is less confusion. Terms like brunette, red, and blonde aren't very descriptive, but be careful when using terms like gray, honey, caramel, and espresso unless you know what they mean
Step 4. Try coloring some parts first
Coloring multiple sections is a great way to add a warm or cool color to your hair. If you have warm tones, color some with shades of golden blonde, copper streaks, or gold browns. If you have a cool color, it should be wheat, honey, taupe, or gray.
Coloring the undersides is another way to add color to your hair if you want a subtle makeover that has an impact on your look
Step 5. Remember your eyebrows
Don't forget your eyebrows when coloring your hair. If you have dark hair and it turns blonde, consider coloring your eyebrows. Drastic changes coupled with eyebrows can look odd or unattractive, so take that hair into account in your decision.
Tips
- Semi-permanent hair dyes are great for going darker without much damage.
- Realize before you dye that it will take a while to regrow and it will take care to keep it from regrowth which is less attractive.
- Just because a hair color matches your skin tone doesn't necessarily mean it will definitely suit you perfectly. Everyone is different.
- If you're someone who can't keep up with your new hair color, change up the shades a bit so it doesn't have to be re-colored because your roots blend into it.
- You should always go to the salon when using 2+ different shades of your current hair.
Warning
- Condition and trim your hair, and use heat which can cause more damage. Changing your hair color is fun, but it can be very damaging to your hair. Take care to keep the hair healthy.
- Never change a dark color to blonde without going to the salon. You could end up with an orange color.
