How to Choose a Hair Colour as You Age

Question: In one of your posts, you talked about our coloring changing as we age. This is true for me, when considering covering my newly multiplying grey hairs I put some streaks in my hair but now even the streaks aren't giving the blended coverage I was hoping for. so it is time to tint my hair. What considerations should I make in selecting a hair color, should I go a little warmer (some people suggest warmer colors are more flattering as we age), or stick to my natural color ( some people say to go lighter to soften your appearance). What tips can you give us?

Always Stick with Your Natural Undertone

Yes you'll read that you should go warm with age, but if you have cool skin, don't! I have no idea why that information is out there, but it really doesn't work and can make you look pink and flushed.

Make sure whatever colour you choose works with your undertone. If you have had a recent personal colour analysis and have a colour swatch, then make sure the colour you're proposing goes with it. If it doesn't it won't look good next to your face!

Lighten up

As hair greys and goes whiter, it's lightening up, so rather than dying it really dark, which can look "witchy" and harsh, instead start lightening the colour up.

Highlights work better on those with warm undertones.

Cools look better with a block cool colour as it's very hard to maintain cool highlights without them going brassy and warm. If you don't want to block colour, then maybe it's time to rock the silver!

Consider Your Eyebrows

If your eyebrows are still dark - then you're most likely to still suit a darker hair colour. You may want to lighten up your hair colour a shade or two, but keep it darker.

If you have a warm undertone, you can start adding highlights to blend the grey away at any stage you like.

If you have a cool undertone, it's very hard to dye hair that is less than 80% silver to a good cool light blonde.

If your eyebrows have faded, this could be a good indicator that it's time to embrace the fair side.

Use Hair Colour Samples to See How they Look On Your Skin

Watch the demonstration in the video - it's easy to see just what does and doesn't look good on your skin, and it's really important, as your hair surrounds your face, an unflattering colour will either wash you out or make you look ruddy, or will just look like a bad wig. I'm sure you're not keen on any of these outcomes.

Place the hair colour swatches against your forehead and see if they look natural or unrelated to your face. You ideally don't want a colour that is the focus, but something that harmonises.

More Tips on Choosing Hair Colours

Choosing the right blondeTips for going greyHow to know if your hair colour is wrongHow to decide if you should have block colour or highlightsChoosing hair colours and hair stylesHow to choose a flattering hair colour

You can read about my transformation from brunette to blonde part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4

Question: In one of your posts, you talked about our coloring changing as we age. This is true for me, when considering covering my newly multiplying grey hairs I put some streaks in my hair but now even the streaks aren't giving the blended coverage I was hoping for. so it is time to tint my hair. What considerations should I make in selecting a hair color, should I go a little warmer (some people suggest warmer colors are more flattering as we age), or stick to my natural color ( some people say to go lighter to soften your appearance). What tips can you give us?

Always Stick with Your Natural Undertone

Yes you'll read that you should go warm with age, but if you have cool skin, don't! I have no idea why that information is out there, but it really doesn't work and can make you look pink and flushed.

Make sure whatever colour you choose works with your undertone. If you have had a recent personal colour analysis and have a colour swatch, then make sure the colour you're proposing goes with it. If it doesn't it won't look good next to your face!

Lighten up

As hair greys and goes whiter, it's lightening up, so rather than dying it really dark, which can look "witchy" and harsh, instead start lightening the colour up.

Highlights work better on those with warm undertones.

Cools look better with a block cool colour as it's very hard to maintain cool highlights without them going brassy and warm. If you don't want to block colour, then maybe it's time to rock the silver!

Consider Your Eyebrows

If your eyebrows are still dark - then you're most likely to still suit a darker hair colour. You may want to lighten up your hair colour a shade or two, but keep it darker.

If you have a warm undertone, you can start adding highlights to blend the grey away at any stage you like.

If you have a cool undertone, it's very hard to dye hair that is less than 80% silver to a good cool light blonde.

If your eyebrows have faded, this could be a good indicator that it's time to embrace the fair side.

Use Hair Colour Samples to See How they Look On Your Skin

Watch the demonstration in the video - it's easy to see just what does and doesn't look good on your skin, and it's really important, as your hair surrounds your face, an unflattering colour will either wash you out or make you look ruddy, or will just look like a bad wig. I'm sure you're not keen on any of these outcomes.

Place the hair colour swatches against your forehead and see if they look natural or unrelated to your face. You ideally don't want a colour that is the focus, but something that harmonises.

More Tips on Choosing Hair Colours

Choosing the right blondeTips for going greyHow to know if your hair colour is wrongHow to decide if you should have block colour or highlightsChoosing hair colours and hair stylesHow to choose a flattering hair colour

You can read about my transformation from brunette to blonde part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4