Hair is one of the easiest ways to get a completely new look, and if you are a trend watcher, you’ll have seen that far from being the reserve of people with a punk style or teenagers in their experimental phase, unnatural colors are now big news for all kinds of women.

One of the great things about unnatural hair colors is that they are usually based on a conditioner, and don’t damage your hair – they simply add pigment. Another benefit is they are designed to wash out over the course of a few weeks, so you can change your style regularly, abandon a look that didn’t come out how you wanted it, or simply top up your color with a fresh dye as it starts to fade.

Choosing a Color

You can buy hair dyes in just about any color you can think of, from brands like Directions, Manic Panic and Crazy Color. Choosing a color that will suit your skin tone or which you are simply in love with is therefore quite easy. If you want to follow the latest trends, deep purple is very fashionable right now, as are pastel shades of pink and purple. Silver is also a color a lot of people are wearing, though technically silver dye doesn’t exist and this look is achieved using just the right amount of blue or lilac dye. Some colors like scarlet red or plum can be a good choice if you are new to bold color as while they are unnatural, they are somewhat closer to natural reds and may not feel as extreme as going for something like blue, acid green or candy pink!

Bleaching

Remember we said that unnatural colors don’t damage your hair? Well, they don’t in themselves, however for them to come out the way you want them, rather than a kind of murky version of the color, you need to put them on hair that is as light as possible. If you’re not a natural platinum blond, this means bleaching, and this is where damage can occur. Unless you are really experienced with lightening your own hair, you really need to get this done professionally. For aftercare, make sure you use a rich conditioner and a nourishing masque every week. You should also reduce dryness by letting your hair dry naturally, and just finishing off the job with a gentle blow dryer to get the style you want. Visit www.beautyplussalon.com for the best styling tools for protecting bleached hair.

Applying Your New Color

Once you are light enough, applying a full head color is easy enough to do yourself – though a salon is a better choice if you want a blend of colors, an ombre, or streaks. Apply Vaseline to your hairline to prevent staining your skin, and wear gloves – these dyes stain skin and nails very easily. As a good tip, you can remove stains from hands by scrubbing with a bicarbonate of soda solution. Due to their conditioning properties, it doesn’t hurt to leave the dye on longer than suggested on the pack, to get a bolder result that may last a bit longer. Some people swear by leaving the dyes on for an hour or more.

Now all that is left to do is go out and show the world your trendy, brave new look!