7 Things You Should Know about Dyeing Your Hair ...

Now, although I joke about not knowing my natural color, I at least have an idea – and that one thing you should know about dyeing your hair, too. You always need to be aware of your natural shade, because that needs to determine what shade of color you use. Nine times out of ten, for example, if you're a natural blond, it's just not going to look good if you try to dye your hair jet black.

Let's look at the reverse of that. Say you have black or really dark brown hair, and you want to go lighter. That's cool, but as you see here, you have to be both patient and realistic. You can't get down to a lighter shade – and have it look good – in just a day. If you want a really bold change, you have to take your time with it. Going from black to honey blond isn't the same as going from, say, red to auburn.

Another thing you should know about dyeing your hair is that it's better to have more than you need than to not have enough. You always need to buy more dye, because your hair might end up being too long or thick for one box. That happens to me all the time, and my hair is short – but it's super thick. You don't want to get caught with color on only half your head.

Not every brand of hair dye is the same. You need to get the formula that's right for your hair type. If you've got really thick hair or it's currently very dark, I can pretty much tell you right now that those new foams will still leave your roots exposed, but they're awesome if you have sensitive skin. If your hair is thick, though, or curly, go for a liquid or gel formula instead.

One other thing you need to know about dyeing your hair is that advertising lies. That pretty color you see on the box? Yeah, you're not going to get that. In fact, the results are more than likely going to be a lot darker. For that reason, experts encourage you to look for something a shade lighter than what you actually want – unless you're really wanting to go dark.

After you've just dyed your hair, you need to avoid the shower. In fact, you need to avoid it before you color your hair, as well. When your hair is dirty, all those natural oils work to make the color stick better. Plus, it's easier to apply dye to hair that hasn't been recently washed.

If you're going to color your hair, you have to be willing to take care of it. That means making sure that you buy the right products to take care of it after you've dyed it. Make sure to get color safe products, as well as things that will protect your hair from heat damage and things like that, if you still spend a lot of time with the hair dryer and flat iron.

It's important to take care of your hair no matter what, but it's especially crucial when you color it a lot. I'm sure there are many other things you should know about dyeing your hair, but I thought these were the most important of the lot. Do any of you have any other tips on coloring, dyeing, and the appropriate haircare?

Top Photo Credit: Bubblechunk