Don't miss: Survival Guide

How to Prepare Hair for Permanent Color

Jul 27, 2011 / By Kathryn Hatter

post comment

Pin It

Get your hair ready to color for fierce results.

Photo: Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images

When you decide to color, you've got lots to think about. While choosing your new shade might be first on your mind, there are other details, too. To get the best results with vivid color and killer shine, your hair has to be healthy. Start getting your hair ready to color about two weeks in advance. By preparing hair for permanent color before you take the plunge, you'll come up beyond dazzling.

Apply the deep conditioner once or twice a week starting about two weeks before you color. Because successful color needs a moisturized mane, deep conditioning is a must.

Eliminate your split ends. If you've got fuzzy, frizzed-out ends, nix them before you color because the dye may not cover these areas well. Get a trim right before you color.

Wash your hair the day before or the evening before you color -- not immediately before. When you wash the day before, you allow scalp oils to develop slightly, which can keep harsh chemicals from irritating your scalp.

Skip the conditioner right before you color or the dye may not adhere properly to your hair shaft. You'll condition the tresses immediately after rinsing out the color.

Start with dry, clean hair -- no product coating the strands before you color, please.

1.Deep conditioner

2.Shampoo

Home coloring tip -- try spritzing just the tips of your hair with plain water right before you apply the color to help keep the ends from absorbing too much color.

Don't skip the allergy test and strand test if you're coloring at home. Yeah, it's tempting, but these details are important. The allergy test involves mixing up a tiny bit of the hair color and applying it to the inside of your elbow 48 hours before coloring. As long as there's no skin reaction, you're good to go. Use the rest of the color you mixed up to do a strand test. Snip a tiny lock and cover it with hair color. Wait about 15 minutes and check the color. If you like it, proceed with your plans.