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SINGAPORE: Flip through any glossy magazine and chances are the lustrous, colourful locks framing the face smiling back at you would have come from a bottle.
Those enviable tresses also probably came with a three or four figure cheque for the stylist and salon.
That doesn't mean however, that you can't have million dollar looks.
According to the experts you can, for much less time and money, colour your hair at home, and with confidence as the range of colours and brands that line store shelves will remind you.
But from colour to company – the big question is, which is the pick?
Those who like it au naturel might be inclined to Garnier - the colour behind the hair on Project Runway that boasts of fruit oil concentrates in their products. Together with parent firm L’Oreal, consumers are offered a range of colours mainly in the red-brown shades.
L’Oreal has more of an edge since it offers a professional range used in salons and offers a spectrum of shades.
With Asian beauties such as actress Gong Li and China’s Miss World behind the the French brand-name in beauty, there are also more colours that are closer to the Asian heart and hair to pick.
In off-the-shelf tests, the Excellence range offered better and more lasting colour compared to the Casting range.
Where colour is concerned, the 3-5 browns are quite safe while the smaller numbers are best avoided unless you want near ebony hair.
The nearest shade of fun is the brown with purple hints, which should suit most working women fine, since hair with shades of red or pink don't go too well with executive suits.
The younger crowd would probably enjoy the Beauteen range from Hoyu with its kawaii packaging of a cast of characters who even have names and bio data.
The specially-designed packaging go with the fun colours and bleaches, with the most fun yet elegant shade in this range coming from Beauteen men where you can go a cool ash-grey if you tire of hiding the grey.
Some of its other products however are more straight-laced, and as they border on old-fashioned in their packaging, you may be inclined to dismiss them altogether.
After deciding not to pass judgement based by looks and name, Hoyu's Bigen proved a big surprise in its Prominous range. The brown sample left a warm, natural shade which outlasted other dyes used.
A closer look at the Japanese brand that started out offering Bigen Powder Dye some 50 years ago, revealed that Hoyu offers shades that complement Asian skins and hair colours.
The dyes are most likely more suited to the Asian hair-type which differs from European hair structures which experts have long pointed out.
This also explains why the first piece of advice on DIY hair colouring from Hoyu’s Consumer Division Manager is to start by paying attention to the condition of your crowning glory if you don’t want to end up with a dye-saster.
“When choosing your desired hair colour, it is important to take note of your original hair colour as the hair dye will show up differently on virgin hair, coloured hair and bleached hair,” said Mabel Yeo.
When hair is stripped of its natural shade, also known as bleached hair the colour will be more vibrant, as opposed to hair that’s not been dyed before or dyed some time back.
Hair that is very thick and dark, which the experts call virgin hair also tends to be more resistant to dye deposits, producing results that may not be quite as expected.
When you take the trip to the store, it may be mind-boggling going through the varying shades to decide on what best suits you.
Mabel offers two simple points - compare your original hair colour against the shades on the back of box to gauge the possible outcome, and pick a shade that is two tones lighter than your desired hair colour.
“This is because if the outcome is lighter than desired, it can be darkened. However, if the outcome is darker than expected, darkened hair cannot be lightened.” As simple as that.
Having made your choice, the next big question is, is one box or bottle of dye enough?
Yes, if your hair is short.
“For those with hair past the shoulder-length, we would usually advise them to buy two bottles so as to ensure that there is enough hair dye for every part of hair. Thick hair requires more hair dye too.”
Mabel Yeo also agrees that both the novice and the old hand can make the same mistakes at DIY hair colouring.
Apart from making the wrong colour choice, which you now know how to avoid, the other common mistakes which should be avoided are; leaving on the hair dye mixture for longer than suggested and re-using a mixed formula or open bottle of hair dye since the dye would have oxidized and the potency deteriorated, offering the potential to hair damage.
While it may seem more convenient to skip a patch test, it’s also wise to stick to the advice stated on the packaging as it the sensitivity test checks on the body’s reaction to an ingredient called diamine contained in all permanent hair dyes.
“Even if you have been colouring your hair without any problems, an allergy to diamine may be developed in the body through the course of time, which will cause skin irritation. Hence, it is better to conduct a patch test or sensitivity test 48 hours prior to colouring your hair,” Mabel cautions.
Another problem area is in the application process.
“Application of the hair dye mixture should start from the back of the head, followed by the sides, top of head, then front” says the Hoyu expert.
“If you have long hair, divide it into 3 to 4 sections before applying the hair dye. Start application from the back of the head, then proceed to the sides, top and front (in this order).
"Apply from the root of hair to the tips. Comb through the hair strands from root to tip to ensure that the mixture is evenly distributed. As you are distributing the hair dye with the comb, rub it into your hair like as if you’re shampooing to prevent patchy results” said Mabel.
If you have highlighted hair that has grown out, the advice is to first dye the section nearest the hair roots as these are new hair which are more resistant to hair colour and need an extra 10-15 minutes to develop.
This method also works if you want to hide grey hair roots or grey strands.
But make sure you follow through by combing the rest of the dye mixture through the hair for balanced colour she reminded.
It is also important to choose the correct hair dye as not all shades cover grey.
Another tip from Mabel is to rinse the hair thoroughly to get rid of the colourant and to close the hair cuticle.
However, it is not necessary to avoid shampooing for a day after colouring as some believe, she clarified.
But if you towel off your hair and discover a disaster – what do you do?
“It is generally recommended that you leave a period of about 8 weeks in between dye jobs to allow your hair to be restored back to its normal pH condition” said Mabel.
But if need a quick fix to the disaster on your hands it’s best not to take things into your own hands.
“It is advisable to go to a professional salon for colour correction, rather than doing it yourself, as it could end up worse” she explains.
Fortunately, “worse” does not mean going bald.
“Hair colour will not cause any hair loss” said Hoyu’s Consumer Division Manager as she firmly put to rest another colourful urban legend.
- CNA/sf
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