Dyeing for a change

If you’re craving a change and looking to rise above the crowd, then it’s time to get a hair dye.

Are you looking to spruce up your look? If you’re craving a change and looking to rise above the crowd, then it’s time to get rid of your uniform hair colour and step into the aesthetic realm of dyeing. A visit to your nearby salon for an assortment of streaks is just the solution for you. The key to successful hair uplifts is choosing the technique and colour that suits your skin tone and hair colour the best. So don’t just get the streaks, get them right!

Application

Streaking is done using two methods. The first is using the traditional cap through which strands of hair are pulled out of holes. This is done for styles that are one toned with thin strips throughout the head. The other method uses squares of tin foil; this accommodates more colours and styles. Strands of hair are separated from the rest of the hair and placed on the foil as the chemicals are being applied. After the application, the hair is folded in the foil.

Techniques

There are some streaking techniques used that will accentuate your style irrespective of whether you are on the ramp or on the street.

Tipping: This involves the colouring of the tips only. The colours used with this technique are bold and more vibrant namely, red, blue and purple. Only venture into this look if you are up for a colour adventure and aiming for a diva look.

Fusion: This technique is most popular these days. The hair is divided into different portions. Three different colours are used, resulting in an extraordinary metamorphosis. It suits the younger lot, the hip and the happening, the all-out glam-conscious.

Lowlights and Highlights: If you want to play it safe and are scared you might dive into a fashion debacle, the idea of low/highlights is the most suitable option. Highlights and lowlights are selected strands of hair that are lightened by at least two shades compared to the rest of the hair. Highlights involve brighter colours while lowlights are more muted. They are apt for all; from the career woman to the housewife and suit women of all ages.

Size

Hair streaks can vary in size, depending on what kind of look you are looking for. The first step is to decide whether you want the highlights to give a dramatic look or a subtle one. Weaving thin highlights spread throughout your hair will give a soft and subtle look, while thick chunks in large sections will look more striking.

Colour

The contrast between your natural hair colour and highlights will also establish how intense your look is. If the tones you choose are light against very dark hair, it will be much more intense than hues that are closer to the natural or adopted/dyed colour. Once you have that down, you have a wide pallet of hues to choose from. Colours that are most ‘in’ these days are hazels, burgundy, honey, copper, warm browns and red. The latest and bolder colours are silver and blue but these suit only a handful of people and wash away after five to six washes. So no matter how subtle or wild you want to look, there is a hue meant just for you.

Expert Advice

Aesthetician Aliya Farooq of the Aliya Farooq’s Signature Salon and Spa says, “Before you think about getting any form of hair streaks, make sure your hair is healthy. Also I recommend that one should look at their lifestyle carefully and then make the decision. You shouldn’t get in the rat race and just get it done because everyone is, first consider whether it suits you.”

The after-care of streaks is equally important, cautions Farooq, “If you don’t look after them properly, instead of flattering your style, your hair will start resembling a broom.”  But damage control is possible, claims Farooq, “if, in spite of the care, your streaks still dry up, you need to get a treatment called glossing. Streaks that have lost their sheen can be revived through a colours refill, bringing the lustre back.”

Angie Marshal of Angie’s salon and academy says, “getting cabin treatments after streaking is very important and is the secret behind keeping your streaks as fresh as ever.” According to her, the trendiest colours this season are hazel and burgundy as they complement the majority of skin tones. Her formula for the ideal after-care of highlights is using a good quality shampoo for dyed and streaked hair, a touch-up after four months, protein treatments, hair masks and a shine spray. She also warns against blindly doing what everyone else is doing. “You shouldn’t just jump into it only to follow fashion trends blind-folded, you first have to be committed to managing your newly coloured hair. Women should get over the obsession with the blonde look, which doesn’t suit our skin at all, and take up better and newer colours,” adds Marshal.

In case you think all this sounds too daring for you, hair mascaras can provide a temporary hair illuminating solution that can be washed off with the next shampoo wash. However, if you are a master in changing your hair colour with every changing trend, you must pay a visit to the salon for the latest hair streaks. It is the ideal way to give dimensions to your haircut and play up your features. But before you venture into it, be sure you have the right attitude to carry it.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd, 2011.