Ask The Experts: How to change up your hair colour? July 20, 2019 14:11

Changing up your colour is a big deal...but it's a great way to completely change your look, however there are a  few things ou should know before coming in to the salon for a completely new hair colour 

Known in the industry for her extensive background in training and education, as well as being a Master Stylist at Morgan & Morgan Hair Collective since 2001, Jennifer Morgan @jennifer.morgan.hair is the go-to girl with any colouring conundrum and her passion and skill set are enviable in the hairdressing community.

So in this blog we ask her to give you everything you need to know about creating a new colour result with minimum hassle!

Choosing a New Colour

Let us help!! Get professional advice! The consultation is going to be the most vital step here, so if you want a dramatic change in colour, book for a consult before the day of your colour…that way we have time to spend looking at images and discussing possibilities

If there is a particular shade your heart desires but isn’t necessarily right for your skin, then a simple tweak of some make up, or changing the tone of the hair that frames your face can make this work for you. If you are a little nervous try an easier-to-remove demi-permanent shade if you’re considering going darker or adding a few lighter areas around the face if you want to go lighter as they can easily be coloured darker if you don’t like them.

Figure Out a Realistic Budget

You might be able to dig deep for the first salon visit but keep in mind some shades require maintenance. Colour Correction from dark to light (removing artificial colour from the hair to achieve a lighter result) can be the most time consuming and expensive. The service can take from 3-6 hours and can cost anything from $200- $500 so you need to be pre-quoted before you begin. We can explain exactly what the process(es) will be and what you can expect to happen both on the day and then to follow up. With modern artificial colour removers we can make some pretty amazing changes without damaging the hair, however they do require multiple applications of colour in most cases to achieve the desired result

Plan Your Time

If you’re going from ‘light-to-dark’ this can be done in one visit but it generally takes more than one appointment space to achieve a great result. We need to be able to plan out this in advance which is why a consultation before the day is so important. Going ‘dark-to-light’ can take longer and may even need more than one session depending on the desired result and your current colour, but you can expect to spend anything from 4 to 6 hours on a major ‘light-to-dark’ change

Brunettes going Blonde

You might think this is a drastic idea but it happens in the salon quite frequently and can be done right as long as it is well planned. If your hair is natural and completely uncoloured (we call it ‘virgin hair’) then this is a simple lighten and tone process that should only take a little longer than a regular colour session. If you have old colour in your hair however (no matter how long ago it was applied) then it is a bit more complex as we cannot lighten coloured hair with more colour. In this situation we have to remove the existing colour from the hair first. Today’s modern products can do with without causing harm, but it is often a double, triple (or even quadruple) process to get to the final result

Most brunettes will suit blonde as long as the tone of blonde is right for the skin tone. Commitment to maintenance is also important. Blonde hair can be prone to turning yellow. This can be prevented and corrected with an in salon toning service. Lightened hair also doesn’t reflect the light as much as brown hair, so you also should use high gloss products to maintain lustre and extra reconditioning is advised

Brunettes going Red

Red are easy to achieve on natural brown hair, but red can be a little more difficult to remove. Once you make a decision to go a shade of red, also be willing to sit in that shade for a while. Again, if you have existing colour in your hair you will need to have this cleansed first before we can apply your new shade. No harm to the hair – just time and budget to be considered

Blondes thinking of Dark or Red

This can be a great option for blondes who want to improve their hair health. There are many benefits to going dark or red such as increased shine and better conditioned hair, but be aware that going back can be a little time consuming. These colours can be harder to remove from the hair so going back to blonde will take a while. As blonde hair tends to be finer in texture, look at varying degrees of brown or red into the hair, as opposed to one block colour, which looks more three-dimensional and natural.

Maintenance is going to be really important with a change to darker, as this will be more prone to fade

Saying Goodbye to Pastels

Whether you’ve gone electric blue or pastel pink, these striking shades take up a lot of time and upkeep.
Surprisingly, these colourful hues aren’t the hardest to ditch because dyes this bright are usually temporary. Faded pastels, however, can look dull and you may still end up with a slight tinge of colour.
Once your hair colour has faded, you may want to add in some highlights and lowlights to add back the depth to your locks. A gloss treatment will also restore shine and vibrancy to your hair.

Looking to Grow Out the Grey?

Do you remember the horror of finding your first grey hair? So probably once you have collected more than a few grey stands you learn to accept the inevitable. So whether you want to embrace your natural hair and stop colouring completely or you just want to accent your grey, there are plenty of options available

A correction service can save you from growing your existing colour out and while letting the roots grow is the most cost effective solution it is definitely not the most stylish. Some people let the hair grow for an inch or two and then just get a pixie cut and transition that way. But if you are not ready for a drastic change of colour and cut at the same time then removing the colour from your hair is the best option

Sadly, once colour is applied to your hair, your natural hair is changed forever and even if we remove the ‘dye’ you will not be back to your original grey
Depending on how dark the colour is, the process could be one simple visit or a series of colour corrections over a period of time…but it is possible to achieve a believable grey on coloured hair as long as you are realistic and sometimes patient

Final Things to Remember

Don’t do it at home. It can be a costly and time-consuming mistake and can needlessly damage your hair. Also think about how different you will look afterwards and if you’re really ready for that. Make sure you take the time to come in first and have a consolation so you can get an accurate quote and we can plan the time properly. When you drastically change your colour, it can change your whole appearance. Your current clothes and make up will appear different, not to mention how people see you. Hair colour can reflect a particular attitude.

Ready? Then go forth and let us colour.