Hair coloring: women love to do it, but read this

Hair coloring: women love to do it, but read this before you jump in, uninformed!

Women have been coloring their hair for centuries, mostly with herbal dyes to cover up errant gray hairs that crept in with age. Egyptian women used henna as a dye and shine treatment that rendered hair so lovely and burnished that women today still use this hair color treatment. Then, during the 1700s, those bouffant white wigs became a popular diversion in hair coloring, sweeping both men and women into the craze. Remember Josephine Bonaparte and George Washington? Yes. So this method of decorating the appearance has persisted right up to the present day.

You can go to any drugstore and find both sides of one long aisle dedicated to hair coloring products. Modern science has devised a way to make your hair any color, or mixture of colors, you might desire. You don't need to stick to the conventional colors and shades. In addition to the natural colors of blond, brunette and red, including every variation between, you can choose from day-glo lime, yellow or orange, or go with a streaked effect of black on fire engine red. There is literally no limit to your hair coloring options.

When I was a kid, I used to gaze in awe at older ladies with pale blue hair. At the time, I thought it was a dye job gone bad. Now, after perusing the selection of hair color products, I know that it must have been a deliberate choice. Guess it's supposed to be a more elegant form of just plain gray. OK, so now we'll get to some of the caveats you should be aware of regarding this most popular of hobbies.

If you've got naturally dark hair, the only way you're going to end up with blond hair is to bleach it. So?, you say. Well, the chemicals required to leach the color out of your hair can be very harsh. If your hair is fine, this can be a bad hair day indeed. You might end up with hair so fragile it breaks when you brush it. You must also consider that once the deed is done, your hair continues to grow from the roots which means you'll either be 'touching up' the telltale roots, or just letting the hair grow out. You might even need to resort to drastic measures, including a new, shorter haircut.

Perhaps a better hair coloring idea for the dark haired woman would be henna. Henna produces subtle, but magnificent changes, over time. There are a variety of shades available, ranging from deep red to black, with which to adorn yourself. Henna also makes your hair extremely shiny and soft, while actually improving the condition of your hair.

What if you're natural hair is light and you'd like to try out being a redhead, or go to a deep black? Again, there's the problem with the roots. In addition, your complexion must be considered. Rare is the individual with naturally light hair whose complexion will look 'right' as a redhead, or with black hair. Sometimes it works, but sometimes not.

So how can you avoid hair coloring catastrophes? Your best bet is to get online and do a virtual hair makeover. Try all the colors you see as possibilities. It won't cost you a penny. The virtual makeover websites have all sorts of advice, articles and beauty products, including hair coloring products galore. Do your homework before you start messing with the hair you have to walk around with every day! Besides, it's fun. When you've decided what color hair suits you, go for it!