Photo: Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
They say knowledge is power. In the case of hair color, the more you know, the less likely you are to screw up your hair when coloring it yourself. Learn the different types of colors, what they do best, and a few secret benefits to coloring your hair.
Types of Hair Dyes
While hair dyes come in a rainbow of colors, there are only three main types of hair dyes: temporary, semi-permanent and permanent. Temporary hair colors are just that -- totally temporary. They can come in a liquid or mousse form and coat the hair with color until it's washed out the next time you shampoo -- perfect for the commitment-phobe colorer. Semi-permanent hair colors also coat the hair with pigment, but they'll hang around for six to eight weeks. Finally, there's permanent hair color that opens up the hair's outer layer, gets right in there and permanently changes your hair's color from the inside out.
Which to Use When
Temporary hair colors are great when you want a brighter or darker shade, but in a one-night-stand kind of way. If you want a little more commitment from your hair color, and need to blend a few gray hairs, go for a semi-permanent hair color. You can still only go darker, but there are more colors to choose from and you don't have to keep applying it after every shampoo. Now, if you want a long-term commitment from your hair color, or if you have more than 30 percent gray hair, then permanent color will do you proud.
The Four Basic Colors
Just like food groups, base hair colors are divided into four main categories. First, you've got your brunettes. From raven black to a medium brown, those deep and rich colors are from the brown-color family. Further up the color scale, from levels six to 10, you have your blondes. From the deep, sandy blondes to the pale, golden hues, they're all contained in those four levels of color. Then you've got your redheads. These fiery hues can actually range from level two to level 10, giving you a wide range of red-hot shades to choose from. Lastly, there's the color that we all eventually get once our natural pigment sneaks out on us -- gray.
Beyond the Color
Did you know that hair color gives your hair other benefits besides just a new hue? Coloring your hair with a permanent color can actually fattens up the strands and gives your hair more body -- perfect for those with fine or limp hair. You can also get a colorless color, called clear cellophane, that won't change your hair's shade, but gives you instant shine and smoothness.
