If you’ve ever suffered a bad hair colour job, you know how excruciating it can be—having to face the world when all you want to do is hide out at home. Follow these words of advice and hair colour ideas, though, and you’ll be rocking your best hair colour ever. You can thank us later.

DO use the proper hair products. You’ll want to be sticking to shampoo and conditioner created for colour-treated hair, says Timothy Switzer, owner of Timothy & Co. Salon and Spa in Oshawa, Ont. “They contain gentle surfactants and a pH that is more acidic than alkaline and this will help your colour last longer,” he says. Also, using styling products when you’re using your hot tools will also
help your colour endure, as will adding a weekly hair masque to your hair care routine.

DON’T get your heart set on a
celebrity’s hair colour. Bringing in a pictures from a magazine is a good idea, says Switzer, but you need to understand that the colour won’t look the same on you. Having a good chat with your colourist about hair colour ideas to determine how to bring out your best qualities through your hair colour is what will get you results you’ll love.

DO change your hair colour with the seasons. If your colourist is doing the same old hair colour every time you go in, you may want to look for a new one with fresh hair colour ideas. You may be in a hair colour rut and not even realize it and if he is simply doing the same colour over and over, “they’re not doing their job,” says Switzer, who won the title of Master Colourist in the 2011 Contessa Awards. “Hair colour is like an accessory and they should be making recommendations for you,” he adds. In these colder months, for example, your colourist should be adding subtle depth to your hair. Your skin colour changes with the seasons and so should you hair, says Switzer.

More dos and don’ts when it comes to hair colour ideas on the next page …
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DON’T stay quiet if you hate your hair colour. You’re at the salon and you are feeling ill at ease because you can already tell the colour is not what you were looking for. You should speak up then, says Switzer, rather than wait a week or two. It’s easier if you say something right then as it can be dealt with right away when exactly how they’ve coloured it is fresh in mind and, well, you’re already there.

DO your research in finding the right colourist for you. By all means, if you see someone with great colour, ask them where they go. Keep in mind though that while going by word of mouth is great, Switzer advises going in for a consultation, too, before booking an appointment for colour. “Find out if they’re well-rounded in terms of what colour they do, perhaps they specialize with redheads or blondes only, for example—find out what their specialty is.”

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