Questions to Ask Before Coloring

Get Informed

An appointment at the salon shouldn’t be a confusing experience for anyone. Whether it’s your first time or you are a hair color veteran, there shouldn’t be any mystery in hair color. What is one of the first things that you should do? Talk to your stylist! If you have been seeing the same one for a while, they know your hair! Your stylist knows how it behaves, as well as likely knowing how much maintenance that you want to invest in it. Here are some questions that you may want to discuss with your stylist during your consultation.

Hair coloring questions you should know

1. Will this hair color look good on me?

At some point we all have done it, whether it is clothes or hair color/cuts that we become obsessed with, when we finally get the coveted item or style we find ourselves disappointed because it just doesn’t look quite right on us. There are some tried and true ways to avoid having this happen to you in the salon! Everything from your skin tone to eye color affect how different tones will look on you. As an example, someone who has a warm skin tone tends to look beautiful with richer shades and golden blondes while those who have pink in their complexion can wear more ashy and cool toned shades with ease. This is not a holdfast rule, and it certainly doesn’t mean that you must avoid certain colors, but there may be a way for your stylist to customize your request to work with you and not against you! 

2. What kind of maintenance will this require?

If you are looking for low maintenance color, perhaps platinum blonde isn’t in the cards for you. Certain colors require much more time in the salon to have them looking their best than others do. Knowing what you are getting yourself into is the first step in deciding is a new change is right for you. Shades that require the most maintenance are ashy tones, silvers, platinum blondes and red colors. Not sure if you are ready to commit to frequenting the salon that often? You can always try a lower level of commitment with balayage colors since they have a more rooted, lived in effect, you can go longer between salon visits.

3. How do i keep my hair looking amazing at home?

How you care for your hair once you leave the salon can have an even greater impact on your color than what transpired during your appointment.  Proper home care is very important to be able to maintain the tone, vibrancy and shine of your new tresses. Ask your stylist what they recommend for you so that you don’t end up washing your new color down the drain by accident. Oftentimes color-safe shampoos are formulated to be sulphate free in order to give longevity to your color, without stripping out the pigment with harsher surfactants. 

4. How soon will i need to come back?

Oftentimes people think of hair color maintenance as the appointments to get your regrowth touched up, that may not be the first thing that you need to do. Depending on what kind of color you are getting done, some shades last longer than others before they start to fade. If you are looking for light, ashy blondes or pastel/vivid shades then you will need to refresh your color sooner than later. A lot of this is determined by the condition of your hair as well. If you have over porous hair, then your color will likely fade faster than someone who has healthy or virgin hair before coloring. By discussing what the next steps are, and asking when you should come back is important so that you don’t get blindsided by potential fading tones sooner than you expected. 

5. is this going to be…uncomfortable?

Everyone has different skin, so everyone will have different reactions to chemicals and products. If you already know that you have a skin condition, allergies or sensitivities to certain ingredients, make sure to inform your stylist before your appointment begins. By having this conversation before you have color on your scalp will make sure that products that are best suited to you are used during your appointment.

6. to wash, or not to wash?

When you change your color, you may need to update your wash routine as well. Over-washing your hair can fade the color sooner than you would want, but lack of washing can lead to product buildup and scalp issues. To find the perfect balance for you routine try discussing with your stylist what would be best for your hair type, and condition. 

7. How long will it take to achieve?

This may seem like a pretty basic question, but depending on what color journey you are embarking on, it could be as simple as a 20 minute glossing, or a multi-appointment project. Because of the range in times of services, you should absolutely know what to expect from this, and subsequent appointments. This also helps you plan accordingly with your own schedule for that day, so feel free to ask when you are booking how long the appointment may be. 

Of course you should always feel free to ask any questions of your stylist regarding your own hair, but these are certainly some of the important ones for when you are deciding to switch up your color.