If your hair is brown with gray roots you can use mascara or eye
shadow on the roots for a quick fix. To make it last longer spray
the roots with hairspray first. Some of the products for this
purpose coat the hair and scalp so you have to be careful. The
product I have created to diffuse those gray hairs is
coloursplash! gray diffuser.

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I am sorry to say this, but red hair often fades the first time
it’s shampooed.  You can save the color fading by using a color
refresher at least once a week or a color shampoo.  If you are
only shampooing once a week your hair will only look dull and
dry.  Hair should be rinsed and conditioned everyday.  It must be
clean to have shine.  If you don’t want to shampoo everyday,
simply rinse to remove the residue.  Healthy shiny hair is clean.

Using peroxide hair coloring to cover gray hair often can make
your ends look uneven.  But, it doesn’t have to.

The best way to solve this problem is to shampoo and dry you hair
before you do the color.  If your hair is coated with styling
product it will not take the color as well and therefore the hair
will have streaks and uneven ends.  Also if the ends are a lot
lighter shampoo first and have the formula applied to the roots
then apply immediately to the ends.  DON’T SHAMPOO AFTER THE HAIR
HAS PROCESSED… RINSE ONLY AND CONDITION.  (NO HEAT)

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If you’re on a tight budget these days and hair color doesn’t seem to be on the top of the list, here are a few ideas for getting great hair color on a budget.

1. A few highlights around the face will cost one forth of the full head of highlights. 

2. You can go to a beauty school like Vidal Sassoon

3. Call a well-known salon and ask what their training nights are.

In both of these areas the color service will cost next to nothing for what you get.  You can also get your cuts in both of these places until your finances change.

For more great tips on great hair color, visit me at http://www.lavenderhillcolour.com or submit your questions at http://lavenderhillcolour.com/askanexpert.htm

This is a question that I am asked frequently.

Hair color does not dry out the hair unless the wrong chemical has been used on the wrong type of hair. When I first became a training director I learned one thing that has stayed with me; it’s not the bleach in the bottle that breaks hair off, it’s the person using the product that breaks it off. If your hair color is starting to look dried out possibly you’re not conditioning enough. If the problem continues you might want to switch to a different formula such as a semi-permanent colorant. Or, change your hair colorist.

Send me your questions at
http://lavenderhillcolour.com/askanexpert.htm

In my years as a color consultant I have come across many
questions regarding hair color and why it fades. Many of us have
our color done and it seems in no time at all, yes, alas, your
roots are showing!

I have two answers for that question. The biggest reason hair
color fades quickly is the use of highly detergent shampoos. The
second reason is when the hair is in poor condition it is dry and
overly porous so the color pigments don’t have anything to hold
on to when they enter the hair shaft. The hair color simply
slips down the drain with the first shampoo. The general rule
for retouches is three to four weeks. Waiting for longer periods
of time only causes more fading.

Come to my website and see for yourself how coloursplash! Can
keep your color lasting even longer.

Send me your questions at
http://lavenderhillcolour.com/askanexpert.htm

Finally, the last tip.

5. TREATMENT

Even if your hair is in great condition, it will still need the
help of a good treatment at least once a week, particularly if
you are mixing chemical processes. It’s simple, you can do it
yourself, and it won’t cost a fortune.

You can purchase professional treatments in the salon or at the
beauty supply shop. Be sure the treatments say “repair” in the
description of the product. You can apply the treatment in the
shower or apply it and leave it in while you do projects around
your home or work out at the gym. If you did not shampoo your
hair prior to applying the treatment and left it on for a long
time, simply shampoo your hair and use a conditioner so your hair
will be easy to comb through. Never use heat when using the
treatments over color-treated hair.

When you use two different chemical processes together, it is
imperative that you use a conditioner every time you shampoo your
hair, whether that is everyday or two or three times a week.
Always use a very large-tooth comb for your hair. Never use a
brush over wet hair because this pulls and stretches the hair,
causing it to break off.

LAST WORD

As a professional, I do not recommend using relaxers or
perms with color-treated hair or with bleached highlights. If
you need to curl or straighten your hair, use a semi-permanent
colorant instead of a permanent colorant. Switch to using high-
lift tints for the highlights rather than using bleach. This
change will help retain as much moisture in your hair as possible
when you mix these chemicals.

For more great hair tips go to http://www.lavenderhillcolour.com

The following tip will help keep the shine in your hair and improve its condition dramatically!

Okay, okay, I know I missed a day. But it was Saturday!

4. SEMI-PERMANENT / DEMI-PERMANENT COLOR

If you have ultra straight hair and need a perm to give softness
to your hair, you might consider using a semi-permanent colorant
every month rather than a permanent colorant. Semi-permanent
colorants penetrate less and do not react as harshly with other
the chemicals. Though you will have to do the color process more
often, doing so will prevent your hair from becoming as dry. If
you need to cover gray use a demi-permanent color. This will
penetrate further (covering gray better) but it will not be as
damaging as joining a relaxer with the permanent color.

If you want to use a relaxer on your very curly hair or unevenly
curled hair, you must also consider the semi-permanent colorant.
It will help retain the shine in your hair, which will be removed
by the chemicals in the relaxer.

Always have the perm or relaxer at least full two weeks before
you color your hair. Never have two permanent processes done on
the same day.

For more great hair tips go to http://www.lavenderhillcolour.com

The following tip will help keep the shine in your hair and improve its condition dramatically!

3. ASIAN RELAXERS

Are Asian relaxers better than regular relaxers? (Asian relaxers
cost $700 and the service takes 5 hours.) Though the hair is
relaxed when it is finished, the hair is still dry and often
straighter than is necessary. Hair that is too straight is
particularly dry, especially if it has been processed over
colored treated or highlighted hair. Often the hair breaks off,
which takes months to grow back (1/2 inch growth per month).
There is no treatment that will replace broken hair; treatments
only help the hair retain its moisture.

Be ultra careful if your hair is fine and curly. These relaxers
are not a compliment to fine hair. It will be left lying flat on
the head almost to the point where you can see your scalp.

Ultimately perms and relaxers remove the color from color-treated
hair. They dry it out and leave it dull and flat. The only
color that will help repair this overall lackluster is using a
semi- permanent hair colorant to refresh the color after the
service.

For more great hair tips go to http://www.lavenderhillcolour.com

The following tip will help keep the shine in your hair and improve its condition dramatically!

Okay, as promised here is the 2nd tip in a 5 day series:

Tip #2: Relaxers

When you use a hair relaxer, always allow two weeks before
coloring your hair. The chemicals in this product will remove
the hair color from the hair even more so than the perm. NEVER
USE A RELAXER AT HOME! Schedule the service with a professional.
Most professionals know how to do this service, but be sure to
ask before booking the service. First, meet with the person that
will be doing the service. There will be “no charge” for this
consultation, so take advantage of it. This will give the
professional an opportunity to evaluate the condition of your
hair. You may have to wait for a week for the service, but it’s
better to wait than to risk breaking your hair off.

For more great hair tips go to http://www.lavenderhillcolour.com

The following tip will help keep the shine in your hair and improve its condition dramatically!