How to get the perfect cut and color
Question to ask yourself
What hair type I have got?
Know what your hair is capable of is a must. If you are visiting a salon for the first time, have a long consultation with your new stylist and don’t book an appointment until you’re convinced they understand your hair.
Is my hair the right length?
Be realistic when it comes to choosing style, and remember, unless you invest in extensions, they stylist can’t make you hair grow! If you want a style with long sides, but a month ago you had them shaved, it’s unlikely you’re going to leave with a bob!
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| SHORT |
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| MEDIUM |
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| MEDIUM LONG |
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| LONG |
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| SUPER LONG |
What is my lifestyle like?
Your lifestyle will dictate how much time and money you have to devote to your hair. If you often visit the gym, or spend a lot of time outdoors, you want to a style that’s quick to blowdry (or easy to tie back), and a colour that doesn’t need a lot of maintenance (one that won’t give highly visible regrowth)
Should I try something wacky?
It’s tempting to go for the latest trend and colours, but before you do, ask yourself if they will suit your fashion sense. A radical colour and style can sometime mean change of colour in your wardrobe, a new set of make-up, and a brand new attitude. So it’s not a decision you should make lightly.
The colour rules
Think skin tone
If you want a natural-looking finish, then you will need to consider your skin tone. As a general rule, cool skin tones suits cool colours (like blue and purple), where’s warm skin tones suits warm colours (like red and orange). These colours should form the base of any colour you would like to add to your hair.
Light and natural?
If you’re just after a shades that enhances what you already have, or return your hair to it’s natural tone, then highlights for blondes and a semi-permanent colour for brunettes may be the perfect answer. Both option adds shine.
Solid and shiny?
Some colour treatments thicken the hair strands. With this in mind, if you’re after a shade that makes your hair healthy-looking then an all-over or permanent shade may be the answer. In general, semi-permanent are less damaging than permanents.
Flashes and brightness?
Make solid, dark shades more interesting with lowlights. These thin strips of muted bright and dark shades look like filtered light and are often viewed as ‘highlights’ for brunettes, but the can equally be placed through red hair too. The thicker the colour, the more contemporary the finished look.
A serious statement?
Colour is where you can really show your individuality. If you are dark and want to be bright pink, you will need a full head bleach first to give yourself a light enough base colour to dye onto. You can also bleach smaller sections of hair that you colour up in different shades depending on your mood.
The style option
Will I suit a fringe
Fringes suit most face shapes, especially long ones and can even hide wrinkles. Avoid a straight, thick fringe if you have a square face as it can make it look more angular.
Should I go short?
Short hair looks great on those with small features and/or oval, heart and round faces.
What will layers do?
Layers add movement and texture to fine, lack-lustre hair. They also help frame round and long faces and can be used to think out thicker hair.
Does my hair need thinning out?
Very thick hair can sometimes benefits from thinning scissors but beware if your hair is coarse too, as cutting it too short can make it spike up, leaving your root area messy.
What about my curls?
It definitely pays to hint out a stylist who knows how to cut curls, as they can be tricky at the best of times. Always overestimate length when you have it cut, especially if your hair is wet, to make sure your hair doesn’t spring back into a much shorter style.
