How to get the creative hair colour transformation of your dreams

There's no question that the pandemic has changed the way we incorporate the latest beauty trends and routines into our post-Covid lives. This not only includes our faces - skincare and makeup - but also our hair. From tapping on skincare active ingredients for our scalp care to changing our hair colour to refresh our look, our crowning glories are once again taking centre stage.

So while we're all for crowd-pleasing brown tones or subtly highlighted locks, it's perfectly natural to want to think outside the (natural hair colour) box and switch things up with a funky hue or a trendy rainbow dye job.

If you've been thinking about a major hair colour transformation, here's what you need to know, according to three top hairstylists in Singapore.

How to get the creative hair colour transformation of your dreams

1. Choose darker shades if you want a longer-lasting colour 

According to Denton Koh, Shiseido Professional Color Creator and creative director at District 19 Salon by E-Jean, there are two important factors that influence how long your hair colour lasts: how dark it is and its tone intensity.

While we all know that the darker your colour choice, the longer it will last, Denton says that opting for colours with richer pigments will also help your look last longer. For instance, a deep pink has a longer fade-out period, resulting in a pastel pink over time, while a pale pastel pink will wash out in a matter of days.

Wai Kan, associate director at Chez Vous Hair Salon, agrees and adds that pastel blonde-like shades fade easily, especially with daily washing. If you want something striking, Wai Kan recommends choosing purple and green hues as they last the longest. C.Y. Wang, senior hair designer at Prep Luxe, also suggests red hues due to their stronger colour pigments.

2. Be wary of your ash-coloured hair turning green 

Ever wonder why you end up looking like the Swamp Thing - or worse, a poor imitation of the Joker - even when with an ash tone?

According to Denton, in order to achieve that silver-grey or ash-coloured hair, your hair will need to be lightened to blonde before the ash tones are added. And it really depends on how yellow your blonde is. "Silver and ash hair colours are typically achieved using blue pigments, which is why hair becomes greenish as the ash colour fades," he says.

In short, it's a simple equation: yellow-tone hair + weak blue dye = green hair.

3. Add a pre-colour treatment to minimise damage 

Protect your soon-to-be dyed hair with a pre-colour treatment. "Many customers cannot understand why their hair still feels so damaged, dry and dull, even when they might have done multiple hair treatments in the months leading up. But that's because, during chemical services, your hair cuticles are 'opened', causing the amino acids, moisture and CMC to 'leak' out. This, in turn, leads to hair breakage, brittleness and dryness," says Wai Kan.

More importantly, he adds that, unlike your skin, your hair does not have the ability to regenerate itself, which is why it is important to reduce the damage before it happens.

4. Be honest with your hair history 

According to Wai Kan, sharing what your hair has been through is crucial in helping your hairstylist understand how to get you the hair colour of your dreams.

Not informing the stylist that you've recently undergone a keratin hair treatment might give them the impression that your hair is healthier than it really is and able to withstand multiple rounds of bleaching. The last thing you want is hair breaking off during the bleaching process.

If you've previously coloured your hair black or have constantly coloured it darker over the years, you need to 'fess up. "Dark stubborn pigments tend to stay inside the hair, which is difficult for bleach and even the best colour removers to get off, resulting in your hair colour looking patchy and uneven.

This might also mean that additional rounds of bleaching would be required to lighten the hair, which in turn, can aggravate the damage caused," Wai Kan explains.

5. Plan your hair look with your stylist 

And we're not just talking about hair colour. Other future chemical services like perms and straightening should also be discussed prior to your colour appointment. According to C.Y., treatments that use intense heat, like rebonding and perming, do not go well with hair that's been heavily bleached.

"If you have a regular hairstylist, bring up a list of styles you are open to trying, and they will be able to advise you on what you can or cannot do. They can even help plan the sequence and time frame to help you get all the styles you want over the course of a few months."

ALSO READ: 9 biggest hair colour trends of 2022, according to top hairstylists

This article was first published in Her World Online.