Things to consider before coloring your hair

Many people shy away from coloring their hair. Especially we black girls. It’s always scary to get out of your comfort zone and take a risk or try something new, even something that may be deemed as simple as coloring hair. First of all, you don’t know if that blonde color will come out looking great, heck, you don’t even know if it’s the right hue in the color spectrum and as if that’s not enough, you’re not really sure of the whole outcome – whether your hair will get damaged and all those other hair worries. It’s because of those reasons that many people decide to wear colored wigs or braids instead of coloring their own natural hair, just to be on the safe side, which is fair enough. But, with the right information, you’ll know that it’s okay to color your hair. That being said, here’s what you need to know before dyeing your hair.

1. Coloring is not for every hair type.

Coloring is not for everyone and every hair type and there’s always a slight chance of hair damage and the curl pattern being ruined. The finer your hair is, the higher the chances of damage and the more coarse it is, the better. If you have no problem making changes to your hair, say by cutting it and growing it back and what not, you can go ahead and try but do note that this could damage your hair and even disorient the curl pattern. To be safe, go to a professional first and have their opinion as they will be able to advise if your hair is going to take in color well (assessing the level of damage previously caused by products, environment etc.) and whether you should go ahead and color it or not.

Kenyan photographer Lyra Aoko rocking purple hair (Instagram lyraaoko) ece-auto-gen

2. Your hair will increase in porosity.

Porosity is how your hair holds and absorbs moisture. But while this may sound like a good thing, it’s important to note that as fast as the moisture is absorbed, it’s also lost pretty fast or in other words, it’s hard for your hair to keep that moisture locked in and so it will get dry and you’ll have to work a little harder to moisturize it. In a nutshell, expect to most probably have to change your hair protein and moisturizing treatment routine.

Curly hair ece-auto-gen

3. Your hair will lose some elasticity.

Coloring hair will lead it to lose some of its natural moisture and this will automatically lead to loss of some of your hair’s elasticity, which basically refers to how well your hair can bend and move and go back to its original structure without any damage. So the less elastic your hair is, the more chances of breakage and damage.

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4. If it’s your first time coloring hair, go to a professional.

It may be tempting to simply follow a tutorial on Instagram or YouTube but if you care about your hair, you definitely want to seek genuine professional advice as aforementioned to avoid any oops moments. Research, gather as much information as you can, ask your hairdresser as many questions as you can, till you’re content.

Pink short natural hair (Pinterest) Pulse Live Kenya

5. If you’re afraid of color, but still wanna try, resort to henna first.

Henna has no harsh chemicals and it’s a great alternative for natural hair especially because it acts as treatment too which is an added benefit. While henna may not show the color too much especially if you have really dark hair, it’s definitely a great alternative for beginners.