If you want to change your hair color, but you’re not sure which way to go or what color to choose, you’re not alone. It can be a hard decision and one you don’t want to make blindly, as you’re going to be wearing this color for quite a while. Will the new color look good on me? Am I going to like it? Is it going to damage my hair? Can I change it if it doesn’t turn out the way that I like it? These are all questions that you might ask if you’re contemplating changing your hair color.

Stop worrying; there are things that you can do to ensure that your new hair color meets all your expectations, and that your hair remains shiny, healthy, and attractive.

Look at Your Skin First.

When you’re looking for hair color ideas, first look at what complements your skin tone. Depending on the type of skin you have, staying away from certain colors will help you make a better choice, and make you more satisfied with your new color. If you have:

• Yellow Undertones: Avoid deep gold colors, as it will make you look sallow.
• Pink Undertones: Avoid red or strawberry tones, as it will give your skin a deeper, ruddy tone.
• Pale Skin: Avoid flat or dark colors without warm highlights, as they will make your pale skin appear pasty.
• Dark or Tanned Skin: Avoid one-tone blondes if you want it to look natural. Honey tones or blonde hair with lots of highlights look better.

So what hair color should you look for?

• Brown or Golden Undertones: Try golden or honey colors with red highlights.
• Ruddy or Ebony Undertones: Try brown or black with burgundy highlights.
• Pale skin: Try red with golden highlights, or a light brown or blonde with red highlights looks wonderful.

If you want to play it safe, just go a couple of shades lighter or darker than your natural color. You can add in highlights or streaks in the same family as the color you’ve chosen.

Should I Use Professional Hair Color, or Do it at Home?

If you’re absolutely set against dying your hair yourself, professional hair color is always an option. You won’t have to worry about damaging your hair, or making sure that it comes out just the way that you want it. There are drawbacks, however, as it can be expensive. And you’ll have to visit them not just to initially dye the hair, but to maintain it, as well. Your costs can run up into hundreds of dollars a month.

If you want to save yourself the cost and do it yourself, there are many hair coloring kits that you can buy. Not only are they inexpensive, they are just as easy on your hair as the kind you get in salons. Loreal hair color makes a great product, and the conditioner that comes with it will leave your hair shiny and healthy. If you’re worried about doing it by yourself, have a friend help you the first couple of times, until you feel more comfortable.

Changing your hair color can be fun, and if you follow a few simple guidelines, you can find a color that pleases you and looks pleasing on you.

Hair Color Ideas to Enhance Your Look

Hair is an important part of our visual presentation, especially for women. Not only is the right cut and style important, but the right color can greatly enhance our projected image, as well. Some shades go better with certain skin tones and eye colors, but you don’t have to limit yourself. You can go sleek and demure or wild and bold with color. If you’re tired of your current style, there are so many ways to enhance your hair color with hues, highlights, and lowlights.

Bettering what you have:

Sticking to your natural hair color and adding different complimentary shades can make it appear that you have changed your hairstyle and even your overall look. Adding streaks, highlights, or lowlights can make a dramatic difference or just a subtle alteration that will have others wondering what you’ve done to make yourself look so good. Even a streak of  a color that isn’t normally found in nature (such as green or pink) can be a great look. You can color the underneath of your hair, so that you get just a hint when your hair swings, or you can expose it completely by putting it up.

For all of these looks, you can use professional hair color, or color at home. There are some wonderful coloring kits you can buy, such as Loreal hair color, that work very well and are very easy to do. If you feel uneasy about coloring your own hair, ask a friend to help you until you feel more sure of yourself.

Changing your hair color completely:

Changing your hair color totally from its natural color to something else can be a dramatic, beautiful change. It opens up many different looks and styles. You should decide, however, on exactly what you want before you color your hair, and make sure it looks right on you. You’re going to be stuck with this color for quite a while, as it can damage your hair to color too often.

Many people want to go blonde. Blondes have more fun, right? If you’re going very light blonde and want it to look natural, it’s probably best that you have paler skin, but if you want to make a dramatic statement, platinum hair is a wonderful way to do it. And what could be more beautiful and dramatic than shiny blond hair against dark skin?

Red hair is striking and warm and is sure to catch everyone’s attention, but be warned: red hair color fades fast and has to be taken care of so that it doesn’t become washed out. Make sure that you use a shampoo that intensifies color, and you’ll have to keep doing touch-ups. Red hair color comes in a variety of shades, and is very easy to match to your skin tone. It’s very forgiving, as well, and highlights easily.

Want to go dark? Black hair color provides a very exotic, mysterious look and the key to creating great locks is to make sure it is shiny and reflective. You can add warm brunette highlights for a completely different look, or use surprising contrasting shades for a spectacular presentation. The hair color ideas for black are practically endless.

Darker doesn’t have to mean a boring, flat shade that accentuates pale skin. If you want to go brunette but think black is too harsh for you, use a hair color in a warm golden brown shade. If you already have streaks or highlights, this will make the streaks look darker and the other strands look richer. The effect will be very warm and multidimensional, and it won’t play up your paleness.

There are many, many ways to use hair color to enhance your look. Experiment. Change it up. Mix it up, until you find the look you like…or the look you like right now. Hair color ideas are only limited by your imagination.