From time to time I become obsessed with changing my hair color. I blame the magazines for this obsession, as every page has a beautiful golden blonde or golden brunette that simply cries out my name. The problem with this obsession of mine is the fact that I have jet-black hair and going from black to anything light is simply not a simple task. I have done this a couple times already. This won’t be my first time delving into the unknown of hair lightening. I have gone from black to brown, black to blonde; only to go right back to black.
Why do I go back to such a dark and hard to lighten hair color? The answer is quite simple. I do so because I love the depth of black hair and it is easy to maintain without the need of a salon. If you get the right shade of black, one that is full of shine, it is stunning. However, it also makes me look pale and from time to time I simply get tired of it. My biggest setback when changing my hair color is accepting that in order to go from black to anything lighter, chances are I am going to be a redhead for the same amount of time.
Hair color rule number one is that if you go from black to anything not black, you will go red. Yes, you can bleach the heck out of your hair and try to skip this stage, but then you will also have very dry and damaged hair. So in order to change that black hair color and try to keep your hair’s integrity in place, you will have to be a redhead for a bit.
Last week I took the plunge! I went to the hair salon and announced my departure from black to a lighter hair color. My goal being a beautiful golden brown like Emilia Clark. I just saw her article in Elle Magazine and have fallen in love with the color. Her hair is the perfect mix of dark chocolate with light gold highlights. It is heaven and that exact color is my present goal. Will I be able to achieve that exact color? Who knows! Al I can do is try to get there and do so without damaging my hair too much. I am trying to be patient for the next month, until my next hair color appointment. At that time I will be ready to tweak the color a little more and see what happens. The month in between processing also allows me to apply as many hair treatments as I can at home to help get my hair back to its natural shine and health before processing it again.
Until then, I am a redhead and I must admit for the first time I am enjoying it. It doesn’t look terrible and it isn’t driving me crazy, at least not yet. Changing your hair color is much like becoming married! It is a big commitment and takes a lot of work to do it right. So be sure to do your research, get a lot of pictures of what you want and most importantly be realistic and open-minded. You may end up with something different all together that suits you even better than what you wanted, or you may end up going right back to your old color!
