I have done just about everything you can imagine that a person can do to their hair. (Ok, I haven't had a perm or got dreads... but most other hair styles I have had.) And pretty much every color!
Thankfully I was able to document my hair cuts 99% of the time! Check out the page at Bite the dust! One hair cut I am sad that I never really got a good photo of was my blond and red "Low" album cover by David Bowie. After having more hair cuts and color combinations than I can count, I think it's safe to say I am pretty knowledgeable about it.
Tips and advice:
- When it comes to cutting, number one rule and recommendation is (and although this may seem like common sense, it is not) never cut your own hair! UNLESS it's just a buzz with a pair of clippers or a simple mohawk, that IS possible to do. But anything that requires you having to hold a mirror up to the back of your head with the reflection of another mirror...that's going to be next to impossible. Believe me, I've done it. In the end, it bugs you too much, and you will still end up at the salon having them fix your mess. Just skip the drama, and know that NOBODY can cut their own hair!
- As far as directions go with bleaching hair, follow them. Bleach is a little more scary and you know...damaging than just dye but it is necessary to get the best color. It's not worth leaving it in too long and having it damage your scalp and have your hair fall our before your very eyes. So I'd advise you to take it seriously.
- Only bleach your hair when you fall under the following circumstances: 1) You hair is dark, and you want to dye it anything light or a different color all together. You can easily dye it a darker hue of your color, but if you want anything else you need to extract aka have a bleach treatment. If you are just dying your hair pharmacy color black, red or brown you don't need to bleach. 2) Bleaching is also essential for going blond altogether. Bleach is a much more tedious process because you can't just bleach your hair once or even twice to get it the right blond. The good part about going blond and getting it to the right color and coverage is it's easy to maintain after that.
- Remember to give your hair a break. Hair should be given a break most importantly between bleachings. If you do too much too soon with your hair...it will fall out. Hair should be given a break between bleaching and dying too ideally. I know it doesn't happen that way at a salon, but it is the best situation as most of us do our own hair at home.
- Invest in a good conditioner. With bleaching and or dying the hair loses moisture. The good news is it can be easily regained. I've done every horrible thing to my hair and got it all back and fast. There are just a few key things. Conditioner is the most important. And in this case you need to pay attention to what it's for. 1) If you have an exotic color in your hair, you need to use a conditioner with no sulfates. Another alternative is a natural whole foods, kind of conditioner that doesn't have any of those components that break down exotic colors. Trust me, if you invest in a conditioner that says it it for colored hair...your hair color will last longer. Although it may be seriously, just a little pricier..because it's nicer a little dab goes a longer way than the cheaper stuff. It really balances itself out! 2) If you have bleached your hair and are going blond, you want a conditioner that is "brassy" or has blue tones in it that is specifically for bleach blonds/light blonds. I was very confused why I had to add purpley blue to my hair to make it more blond, but it works. It's good for your hair and helps you achieve the color.
- Colored hair is temperamental. On thing that kind of sucks is it's like everything has sulfates in it or breaks down the color. Flat irons will fade the color faster, even if you use the pricey protective spray before hand (it also depends on the brand of color). Some gels and mousses can make the color fade, so do most hand lotions. Sometimes when my hair was all frizzy and all I had was some hand lotion I'd put a little on my hair to smooth it out...and that made the color fade. So keep an eye out for those things.
- Before cutting or dying, put things in perspective. Is it ok for your job or school? If you are in a position where you can/want to do anything with your hair then I say just have fun with it! Mimic what you see and like. Test the waters. Especially if you are young, you should have fun with your hair while it's still resilient. When I first got a mohawk I got it buzzed at a 5! The next time I was buzzing it at a 1! And remember, hair grows back!
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