Q.  Are you paying for hair color and not loving the final results?  Does your hair color always look just a bit too gold or red? Check out the following hair color tips to learn why this happens and how to correct the imbalance.

Brassy or Red

Let’s look at this troublesome area first. It seems that most women who use hair color think about this problem almost every time they have their hair colored.

Women have a lot of trouble with these words: brassy and red. They often say, “Oh! I don’t want red.” Think about it. Red is the color of red nail polish. What they really mean is brassy. The overall color for brassy is orange.

This will show up when the hair color is under-processed, or when the hair has faded for a few weeks. It can also show up when the wrong shade of color has been chosen, such as if you want to be light blonde and your present hair color is dark brown. To achieve this degree of shade change the hair must first be lightened before the final shade is applied. Why? Because the dark brown is much too dark to lighten the levels of shades in between brown and blonde, often leaving an overtone of red-orange.

When you use “at-home” products, you must be careful. Often, individuals wish to look like the model on the box and choose the wrong box. If your hair color is too dark (or if you have previously processed color), the final color will never be successful when you want an ultra-light blonde shade and don’t lighten your hair first. You will only see off-shades of color, generally in the brassy-red tones.

These overtones will show up in dark blondes or brown shades if you don’t choose the correct shade for your present hair color. The professional always considers the overall shade and condition of the client’s present hair color and whether it has been previously colored. This is all taken into consideration before the professional formulates the product. It is often more difficult for the “at-home” user because of the indecisiveness in choosing a shade to use over your natural hair color or previously color treated hair.

Brass in a Box

If you are using “at-home” products, you must be very cautious before making your shade choice. Write it down for the next time you color your hair so you will be sure to use the same shade. You can’t just bounce back and forth with your selection or you will end up with something you don’t like.

When I go into the supermarket or drugstore, I often go into the hair color area to see if the companies have introduced new products. While I am conducting my research, I overhear consumers talking about the choices they need to make.

Some have colored their hair before and only have to do the roots, and they are still confused about what shade to use. I have heard this conversation more than once. One woman says, “Oh! I think I’ll use this one this time.” Her friend asks, “Are you sure?” She answers, “Well, I don’t really know, but it looks like what I used the last time.”

To help keep unwanted brassy overtones out of your hair, you must write down the shade and product you used last time. Also remember, you can never mix Clairol and L’Oreal products, even if they are the same shade. You must only choose products from the same company because they are compatible with each other.

Gain Control

The following steps will help you gain control of your hair color and get the final results you are looking for.

• Have your hair color done in the salon or at home within 4 weeks

(when you have roots).

• Do not wait 6 to 8 weeks to have your hair color service. As the hair color fades, it will start to show overtones of gold-orange or too much red-orange. The end and mid-hair shaft will show this fading more than the base area because of the porosity change in the hair strand.

Note: If you are concerned about your budget, use a semi-permanent colorant in between color services to help reduce these overtones. This will not cover as well as a permanent colorant, but it will help minimize the brassy tones for a few weeks. Semi-permanent colorants are gentle on the hair and do not contain peroxide and ammonia. They gradually shampoo out with each shampoo.

• Make sure you don’t go too light for your present hair color, unless you pre-lighten your dark hair first. This will cost more for the salon service, but you must do this process if your hair is much darker than the lighter shade you want it to be. I suggest you not try this at home because it could cost a lot more in the long run if you have to go to the salon to have it fixed.

Advice for Hair Color Changes

I want to be Blonde!

Don’t go too light if your hair is very dark brown or black. Think about doing a few natural highlights, then use a toner over the entire head to create an overall brown on brown. It’s a much better look than blonde with dark roots or hair that is too orange at the roots.

Redheads!

Gold and Copper tones are what make redheads look great. Redheads look the most flattering with overtones of copper-reds. The overall shade will have much more shine and radiance than the blue-auburn reds…or the eggplant blue-red shades. Blue-red shades aren’t really very flattering to any skin tone.

Brunettes

Brunettes look rich with some warmth; therefore, the final results should have a bit of gold or red-gold.

Last Word

I know …I know…you are not going to like this. However, browns look more lustrous and healthy with golden tones than ash shades. The skin tones look less tired with softer golden browns than blue or green overtones. At a certain age you need to have life in your hair color.