Bronze or Blonde

Color has come a long way and we are and Indian women are more willing to experiment now than we were willing to earlier. A head of colored hair, even in the 1980s, drew a lot of attention and appreciates glances. But today, take a quick look around you and you will agree that 80-90 per cent of young college girls and even career women have colored hair. And unless it is crazy color, it is considered normal and acceptable. Should you or shouldn�t color your hair is a question you often ask yourself. Here are a few answers to help you make up your mind about coloring your hair.

Are hair colors safe?

Yes, they are totally safe, in fact most of the colors today have special polymers and conditioners incorporated in them to make them superior to hair colors which were available earlier. These polymers and conditioners actually penetrate the hair shaft and enter the cortex, mending any damage in the normal hair structure. They smoothen the outermost layer of hair that is made up of cuticles, which appear like tiles on a roof under the microscope. The ultimate effect after the use of such a product on your hair would be shinier, smoother and healthier hair. So far there appears to be no connection between the application of hair color and the appearance of gray hair. Hair turns grey due to the inability of hair to produce melanin in the early stages of hair growth.

Melanin is the color pigment in your hair, which can be black, brown, red or yellow. The individuality of your hair color is determined by the percentage of each color pigment, making each person�s hair color characteristically their own. Poor diet, illness, age, heredity, etc can cause the acceleration of grey hair and the actual use of a hair dye has nothing to do with the graying process.

Which color suits you the best is the question you should ask your beautician. Let her know if you had colored or hennaed your hair earlier, the products you used and whether you had straightened or permed your hair. Also have your hair checked out for porosity or elasticity, both of which play a major role in how healthy you hair, will look after the color. Discuss this with her in detail how long the process will take the cost and after care you will require to keep up the effect. You must also take a stand test so that both you and your hairdresser know what to expect at the end of the process.

What are the side effects of coloring?

If a professional taking into account all the above points does coloring, the side effects are almost nil, especially if the client follows the after care recommended. However, it is very important that your hairdresser recommends a patch test in addition to all the points mentioned above, especially with a product you have not used before. This is to check for allergic reaction before carrying out the coloring process. This should be done at least 24-28 hours in advance.

What do you need to maintain the color and the quality of your hair?

Certain fashion colors fade easily and you may need to go back for a rinse once a month, for example, in the case of wine reds, you would need a regular touch up or rinse to maintain their intensity. In the case of grey hair, it would depend on the individual growth rate of hair. On an average, hair grows �"- �" every month, so a touch up once in 20 days is a must for grey hair.

For those with no grey hair and a mild color not too different from their natural color, a touch up once in six months is ideal. For those with a drastic or dramatically different hair color, a root touch up is important.

The after care needed is usually a shampoo for color treated hair, which increases the life of your color and conditioners to protect your hair. Too much exposure to sun, sea and chlorine should also be avoided.

Which brand of color should you use?

It is usually best to leave the choice of color to your hairdresser once you have discussed with her what you expect after the color job. The safest home use products now available in the market are by L�Oreal. They have a wide range of products in different shade from which you could choose. For those of you who are allergic to ammonia they have now launched a new product called casting, which is available in a few fashion and basic states. So do go ahead and make a beauty statement with your hair color.