Hair dye has the power to transform your appearance this summer— for the better, or for worse. We checked in with professional hair stylists, experts and colorists for 3 common dye and color mistakes to avoid over 40 to prevent adding years onto your look. Read on for tips and suggestions from Gina Rivera, celebrity hair stylist and founder of Phenix Salon Suites, Ghanima Abdullah, hair expert and cosmetologist at The Right Hairstyles, and Jean Will, hair expert and co-founder of NiaWigs Inc.
1. Over-Processing, Bleaching & Dying Bright Colors
When women over-process their hair, such as by bleaching it or dying its bright colors, Will explains that they "frequently make a hairstyle error" and can inadvertently make themselves look older. Another issue is that "some women get hair rebond," she adds, which can "significantly burn and flatten thin hair." This, she says, may cause the hair to become "more dry, frizzy, break, or in the worst case," result in hair loss. Particularly for thin and aging hair, a "careful touch" is required. She recommends going for "shorter hair" if you dye it, to help to "give off a more healthy-looking" appearance. "Try a hair spa treatment instead of bleaching your hair," she suggests.
2. Going For Chunky Highlights
Most women, when they are starting to go gray, have gray hair in "different spots" of their heads, Abdullah notes. "So if you have chunky highlights of bleach blonde or silver, this is how you will look," she says, pointing out the potential to add more years to your tresses. If you really want to add "style to your hair that will actually appear youthful," Abdullah suggests trying dimensional highlights. "These use three or four different shades of your original color, so if your hair is brown, the stylist will use successively lighter colors of brown, sometimes going up to a golden blonde color, but never a bleach blonde," she explains. "The colors are applied sparingly in such a way as to increase the appearance of movement and volume." Light will also filter through in the sunlight in a very attractive way, she says, and dubs this "perfectly flattering for a woman over 40."
3. DIY-ing Your Colored Tresses
Rivera stresses that her "number one rule is to never take on something that a professional should be doing when it comes to your hair," especially processes that involve chemicals. "There is a science and chemistry involved in services such as coloring, highlighting and perming, to name a few, and professionals are well trained to understand the proper methods for application," she continues. Incorrect application (especially when coloring your hair at home) can lead to "damaging the hair and can result in long-term, irreversible damage in extreme cases," she warns. Likewise, Rivera concludes that "professionals attend school and often apprentice to learn proper cutting techniques that ensure a great look," so she suggests "staying away from the urge to cut your own hair or someone else’s if you’re not properly trained."
