Your hair is your best accessory. But what do you do when you go through a major hair change and your best accessory no longer works with your wardrobe?
Changing your hair colour affects more than you realise. Your skin looks different, your wardrobe may not work and your regular hair care routine needs a shake up too.
Over the last few salon visits I’ve been changing my hair colour gradually and looking back at some old photos I realised that I’ve had a major hair colour change without really meaning to.
I was feeling a bit sentimental for my old hair. It’s not that I don’t love my new colour, I’m really happy. It’s just that I understood my old colour so much better because I wore it for so long.
I was finding that it took me so much longer to get ready because I wasn’t used to my new hair.
I decided to embrace the change and learned how to cope with my new hair colour.
Are you thinking of a major hair colour change? If so, I’ve got a great tip to decide if you’re ready.
Will the new hair colour suit you?
Play around with makeover programs to see if your new colour will suit you.
There are lots of free hair makeover apps, or try photoshop to see what you’d look like with different hair.
A brand sent me this photoshopped picture and it was the impetus for me to try red hair. It’s an easy, low risk way to try before you buy.
5 tips to cope with a major hair colour change
So you’ve been to the salon and are loving your brand new hair colour but things still feel a bit weird. These five tips will help you to cope with the change.
- Visit the makeup counter – Your hair colour can change the appearance and tone of your skin. You may need to wear more (or less) makeup than before. Have a play with makeup in store and ask a makeup artist for advice. You will need new products and find you can wear looks you didn’t think you could with your old hair. Have fun with your new look!
- Go shopping and try things on– Make sure you go into the change room and try on a range of different colours to see what works with your new hair. Pick up colours that didn’t work with your old hair. You may just find your new favourite colour combination.
- Clean out your wardrobe – Now you know what colours suit your new hair, it’s time to sort your wardrobe. Unfortunately some of your favourite items won’t have the same pop with your new hair. Put your clothes away just in case (or sell/donate them).
- Streamline your new morning routine – With your new knowledge of the makeup and colour combinations that suit your hair, it’s time to reorganise. I like to snap a photo of new outfit combinations for reference. Reorganise your closet and makeup bag so all your new favourites are ready at hand.
- Switch your hair care routine – your new hair colour needs special care. If you’ve gone from brunette to blonde you’ll need a toning shampoo. Changing from blonde to brunette will need colour care products to make sure your new hair won’t fade. Ask your hairdresser for specific advice for your hair.
With these simple tips, you’ll no longer feel sentimental for your old look. Really embrace your new hair and with these steps you’ll be rocking your new hair (and fast)!
Have you gone through a major hair colour change? What steps did you take to get used to your new look?
Hi there. I’ve been going to the same hairdressing salon for 15 years. My original hairdresser retired but girls in the salon set up shop somewhere else. Long story short. I normally colour my 30% grey hair myself. BTW, my natural hair colour is a mid red brown. Originally I used henna for 30 years, but with 30% grey the result was too orange with henna. I grew that out and switched to permanent hair colour. That dries my hair out too much so I spent 2 years growing that out. For the last 2 years I’ve been using Colorwell semi permanent colour (various mid red/brown shades) with success. But I thought as a treat and to lift myself I’d get a professional semi permanent colour done. Well, my hair turned out nearly black (it was a “Matrix” BBR shade in depth of #4). I didn’t say anything at the time because I needed space to make up my mind about it. PLUS I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings (!!!). 2 weeks later, and washing it every day with a “clarifying” shampoo and once with bicarbonate of soda added it is still very, very dark. Today I rang the hairdresser to voice my concerns. I live interstate therefore cannot go back until I am interstate again (I used to wait until I was interstate to visit this salon. I go interstate about every 6 weeks). But I did say that I was so upset about this that I probably won’t be going back to their salon again.
FYI my hair is naturally quite curly and I wear it in soft layers between chin and shoulder level. I’m letting you know this as curly hair has a different texture to, say, thick black straight Asian hair.
I have to live with this colour now for weeks in the hope it will fade. Regrowth will also be more noticeable. I am 60 years old this July. I live in Canberra, ACT, Australia and the salon is in Rose Park, South Australia
Thanks for any assistance, encouragement, comments you can make.
Hi Yasmin, so sorry to hear what happened. There’s nothing worse than treating yourself and then not getting the result you wanted. Like you, I’ve been too nervous to speak up for fear of upsetting them but you have to ask them how to fix it. If you don’t trust going back to them, call another salon and go for a consultation with them. I’m not sure where you are in Canberra, but Smitten Hair is a great salon. Hopefully they can help. Good luck xx
I didn’t realize that hair color could change so much. It would make sense that hair color would make your skin tone seem different, but I hadn’t noticed before. I do remember when I had my red hair, I liked it longer and a little curly, but when I switched to dark brown, I liked it a little shorter and straight up to the curled edge.
I personally love virtual makeover tools. Before making a drastic change to my hair, I always play around with one of those tools. Though they are not perfect, it is still nice to get an idea of how it will potentially look.
BTW red looks good on you 😀
Thanks Sarah! Those apps are fun, aren’t they? x
You look gorgeous with your old and new hair!
I’m actually having a bit of a colour crisis myself at the moment. I’m due at the hairdresser at the start of next month for A Big Visit (full colour works and cut) and I’m starting to panic… I’m OK with my current hair colour but I’ve been fighting an itch to change it for some time now. To what? I have no idea. Maybe blonder?
What do you think, my Hair Idol? x
Thanks beautiful! This is a hard one as I really love your hair colour as is. I totally understand about feeling bored and wanting a change, but do you need it? You could go to a more all over blonde or bronde, but it is more maintenance and more expensive. Perhaps a little more blonde around your face can give you that lighting look without having to do an all over colour? Perhaps like this – http://www.pinterest.com/pin/180847741261098399/ Or imagine if you went for a slightly rose-gold hair?! That would be amazing! You could just do a rose-gold colour wash over your blonde. That’s low maintenance and would look fabulous!
You are THE BEST! Thank you so much. You’re right – I think a little more blonde around my face will do the trick. I’ll be showing that pic of Doutzen to my hairdresser as a perfect example. x