To Dye or Not To Dye?

I’m afraid of change. Flat out. Like most indecisive people I have an extreme fear of it. Finding a paint color for my bedroom? A nightmare. Picking a nail polish color? Torture. Yet there comes a time when the what is old can no longer be made new again and we want to change. What we’re mostly afraid of when change comes along, is not necessarily change itself but if something were to go horribly wrong and my hair turned out blue instead of honey or the nail polish I picked was actually lime green not olive. Sometimes, even those of us who fear change, end up loving the outcome. So, if you’re someone looking to dye your hair for the first time, a huge change no matter how much or little you dye it, will always seem extreme, but through my experience and what I’ve found to help me, I can help you overcome a fear of dying your hair.

I’ve been dyeing my hair since I was in the 7^th grade (it was the highlights that really did me in). After becoming a copper blonde (something I hated but my mom loved) I decided the dye it completely brown right before I started college. The hairdresser said to me “Okay so we have to dye this darker brown to offset all the dye in your hair that will come out in a few weeks. I was thinking a nice cherry warm color and what I got was dark and twisty brown. It felt like black hair. After a while it of course faded but none the less it made me miserable and sad and it felt weird to start the first day of college (a completely new school I might add) not feeling anything like myself. So much so some of my friends who knew be pre-dye job started calling me the new Avery and referring to my past self as the old Avery. Later on I missed the old me but didn't want a repeat of the past, so I decided to try something new. So here are some tips if you're thinking about taking your hair in a new direction but can’t decide how far to go or whether or not you even want to take the plunge. 

1.) Try balayage: 

It is the saving grace for indecisive people. Want something new but don’t want to look like a completely different person? BALAYAGE. Want to dye your hair but don’t want the hassle of dyeing it every three weeks? BALAYAGE. It’s practically fool proof except that it fades after a while (but most dye jobs do so don’t fret). After my hair debacle of 2015 I wanted to go back to my fake roots sort of speak. I heard about balayage, liked the concept, decided to try it knowing that it wasn't too extreme and ended up really liking the outcome. It’s certainly not for everybody but this is a great way to dip your toes in the water. 

2.) Stand up to your hairdresser:

Let’s not beat around the bush: we're all a little afraid of our hairdresser. No matter how nice they seem or how much they pretend to care about your life, they’re still a little scary! They may have all the power and experience but they are there to make you feel good about yourself, not the other way around. When you go, make sure they are absolutely clear about what you want to look like after you're done. And if they have suggestions ask them for a picture or a sample color. Don’t just blindly have faith in them, make sure that you know or have a good idea of what the outcome will be. 

3.) Bring a GOOD picture:

This seems fool proof but often times we over or under estimate how dark or light our hair really is. Make sure you find a picture with someone who has roots like yours and a skin tone like yours. This actually does matter. These characteristics are the best way to understand what you will look like after you get your hair dyed. Yes, we all want pale grey hair like Kim Kardashian but what if she has darker or lighter skin than you? I promise it will not look the same on you as it does her. So make sure you not only pick a picture, but that you pick a good picture of someone who has similar skin tone, eye color, and root color that you do!

Hopefully these tips make the hair dyeing process a little less-scarier for you!

Till next time, 

Avery