Filed under: Hair, Hair Color

There are worse things than not liking your new hair color. Like, hating it.

If you've ever walked out of the salon -- or looked in the bathroom mirror after an at-home dye job -- and wondered how long it would take for this color disaster to grow out, you're not alone.

Given the fact that 55 percent of women lighten or darken their locks (increasing to 75 percent once we hit 40), it happens more than you think.

Tracey Cunningham, Redken's color consultant and co-owner of Byron and Tracey Salon in Beverly Hills believes less is always more when it comes to color.

"The biggest problem that goes wrong with hair color is putting too much color in or doing too many colors," Cunningham says. "If you've got shorter hair, stick to a monochromatic all-over color. With longer hair, use natural-looking highlights woven through. Especially with short hair, if you put in too many highlights, it tends to look stripey and unnatural."

If you're unhappy with your color, you don't have to resolve to living the next few months under a hat -- even though this season's rife with stylish toppers. Here are Cunningham's best tips on what to do:

Stripy Highlights: If you're unhappy with your color or if your highlights are too light, use a toner to draw out your natural colors. The gloss will richen the color and bring it to a happier medium.

Invisible Highlights: When your highlights come out too dark, you simply have to re-highlight. Be sure to use good color-extending conditioner following your treatment to maintain the vitality and strength of the hair.

All-Over Color Disasters: If your all-over hair color comes out differently than what you hoped for, you will have to start over - there is no shortcut. Be sure to consult with your colorist so that you don't make too dramatic of a change too quickly and damage your hair. Choose an end goal and work towards it and realize that it may not come after one treatment. Be sure to use a conditioner for color-treated hair to keep your locks healthy during the transformation.

And don't worry, Cunningham says It's not necessarily more difficult to get the perfect shade the second or third time. "At times, you can only achieve the perfect color after two or three treatments depending on where you're coming from and where you're going," she says.

If you're dye-shy after your hair-hating episode, growing it out is always an option too. "When doing this, use a gloss treatment which is not a permanent coloring system that will change your natural color, but rather one that gives life and shine to the natural colors while refreshing the faded highlights or dye."

"The biggest mistake that people make when choosing their color is looking at a picture of a celebrity and blindly deciding on that color." says Cunningham. "There are many factors that should be kept in mind when choosing your color - face shape, skin tone, hair length - that may not match the picture you are looking at. Be sure to have a discussion with your colorist, choose a color and stick to it".

It's not only color that can trouble us with our tresses. Take a look at why 91 percent of women have serious hair issues!

Hate Your New Hair Color? We've Got Solutions! originally appeared on StyleList on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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