6 Hair Color Commandments to Follow the Next Time You Dye Your Hair

Changing up your hair color can be a big commitment. After all, your work doesn’t end after you’re done dyeing your hair—instead, you’ll need to think about regularly touching up the color and making changes to your hair care routine, as color-treated hair requires special care. That’s why we’ve rounded up six hair color commandments for you to keep in mind the next time you decide to get a dye job. Keep reading for tips on how to color your hair at home, product picks for color-treated hair, and more.

Hair Color Commandment #1: Consider Your Complexion

Before you rush out to try the latest hair color trend, take your skin tone into account. Of course, we’re all about rocking whatever hair color you’d like—but there are some guidelines you can follow to pick one that flatters your skin tone the most. If you’d like to add the look of warmth to your skin, opt for a warmer hair hue; meanwhile, cool hair shades are a great option for those with warm skin tones, as they can help brighten up the look of your skin. How can you tell if you have warm or cool skin? Flip your wrists—if your veins look green, you have warm skin; if your veins are blue, you have cool skin. If you can’t tell, then you likely have neutral skin—and that means just about any hair color will look amazing on you. (Read our guide to determining your skin's undertones.)

Hair Color Commandment #2: Always Bring Pictures to the Salon

If you’re going the salon route and visiting a professional colorist, one of the best things you can do is bring photos with you showing how you’d like your new hair color to look. By providing your colorist with visuals, you can help ensure that you’ll end up loving your new ‘do.

Hair Color Commandment #3: Manage Your Expectations

You know that trendy unicorn-inspired hair color you’ve been seeing just about everywhere these days? Keep in mind that when you’re going from a darker to a lighter shade, this will require bleaching. And the darker your base color, the more sessions it may take to achieve your desired color. If you’re making a super-dramatic change—such as going from dark brown to platinum, it’s always a good idea to visit a pro who can help manage your expectations as well as the process from start to finish.

Hair Color Commandment #4: Don’t Be Afraid to DIY

Of course, not all hair color changes need to be done at the salon. You can get a new hue from the comfort of your own home. L’Oréal Paris has plenty of at-home hair color kits to choose from, such as L’Oréal Paris Féria, L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference, and L’Oréal Paris Excellence Crème. If a rainbow hair color is what you’re after, try the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Semi-Permanent Hair Color.

Hair Color Commandment #5: Use a System of Shampoo, Conditioner, and Mask Formulated for Color-Treated Hair

Once you’re done dyeing your hair, it’s important to tailor your hair care routine. Switch to a system of products formulated for color-treated hair, like L’Oréal Paris Hair Expert Color Vibrancy Intensive Shampoo, L’Oréal Paris Hair Expert Color Vibrancy Intensive Conditioner, and L’Oréal Paris Color Vibrancy Intensive Ultra Recovery Mask. Then, follow our tips for caring for color-treated hair.

Hair Color Commandment #6: Temporarily Hide Gray Roots

At some point or another, gray roots will begin to peek through. If you don’t have time to head into the salon or touch up your roots at home, you can temporarily disguise them with the L’Oréal Paris Root Cover Up, which is available in a variety of black, brown, red, and blonde shades. All you have to do is spray the color onto new growth and partly through the length of your hair to blend it in.

You’re now ready to rock a new hair color with style! For color inspiration, here are the best shades of brown, best shades of blonde, and best shades of red for every skin tone.