Stepping into the hair salon and onto your colorist’s chair for the first time can be daunting. A professional dye job means you’ll have an expert doing the color mixing, but it is still up to you to describe and know what you want. It’s important to tell your colorist every detail of what you are looking for when it comes to your hair color of choice. Not voicing your vision could turn into a disastrous, pricey outcome.
We chatted with Joico celebrity colorist Denis De Souza, who first came on our radar when he painted Rachel Bilson‘s gorgeous boho-beach ombre — or “sombre,” a softer ombre that is his signature coloring technique. Denis is one of Hollywood’s most sought-after colorists and works with the likes of Kate Mara, Lily Collins and Nicole Richie, among others. Here, he shares 10 things that you should know about getting professional hair color done.
- Prior to coloring your hair, always find pictures of specific looks you like to share with your colorist. This ensures nothing gets lost in translation. A great resource is Pinterest.
- Avoid shampooing your hair the day of your appointment.
- Once you’ve made the investment to color your hair, be sure to protect it from fading with a specific color protective shampoo and conditioner like the ones in Joico’s Color Endure collection.
- Trends don’t always work for everyone. Go for what will work best with your skin complexion and lifestyle.
- Ask your colorist to use a protective cream or conditioner like K-PAK Intense Hydrator around your hairline to prevent stains.
- Keep your base as close to your natural hair color as possible and bump it up with highlights or make it richer with lowlights.
- If your blond, color-treated hair turns brassy and is too warm, use a cool shampoo to counteract and take the brassy cast away. I use Joico Color Endure Violet, which leaves hair a lovely shade of champagne blonde.
- When applying color to your base, avoid going more than two shades lighter to prevent brassiness or more than two shades darker to prevent lighter regrowth that tends to look gray as it grows.
- If you have color-treated hair, avoid shampooing your hair on a daily basis. It is best to shampoo two to three times a week max. Use a dry shampoo in between washes to freshen up your roots.
- Protect your color-treated hair from environmental damage as well as heat styling and heat tools by adding a color protectant prior to blowdrying. My favorite is K-PAK Color Therapy Styling Oil.
