I’d been wanting to colour my hair in gorgeous shades of caramel and golden since a while now. But my apprehensions about the damage, will it suit me or not, is it going to be worth it and hundred such questions never let me take the plunge. So since my original hair colour was light brown-ish, I relied on the sun light giving me some natural highlights (admit it, you do that too!). Till when could I have done that, right? So I mustered some courage and got set to check it off my wishlist.
After a lot of research as to where to go for hair colouring, I homed down to Kromakay Salon (read the review here) and booked an appointment with the Director and Founder – Kanta Motwani. She’s also the woman behind many celeb’s hair transformation like Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Twinkle Khanna, Kriti Sanon to name a few. Apart from being a total pro she’s also a warm person. She could tell I was nervous and made sure that I got comfortable by talking about the process with me. She also suggested some pretty shades that can complement my skin. I instantly knew my hair transformation is in good hands. Kanta along with creative stylist Sonal (the woman behind Esha Gupta‘s gorgeous golden locks) were all set to transform my hair.
Check out the images to know the process:
Fashion & Beauty Blogger: Hrishitaa Sharma meets with Director Kanta Motwani at Kromakay Salon
All Hair Partitioned In Sections
Applying Colour And Wrapping It In Silver Foils
A Wonderful Blow Out
Kanta Motwani Styling
The Final Result
While the 2-3 hour process was going on, I saw my shot and asked Kanta all the burning questions I’ve had about colouring my hair. I know it wasn’t the usual salon gossip sesh but it was really helpful. I’m sure these are all the questions every first timer would have.
1. There are many myths about colouring your hair, one of them being; if you’re going swimming chlorine water will change the colour of your hair – is it true?
It’s not a myth. Chlorine will always make your hair change colour due to the chemical reaction. The chemical will react with your hair, if your hair is porous, damaged or bleached. If you have any blonde hair and you swim in chlorinated water your hair will get damaged and dry and dis-coloured.
2. What is the degree of damage your hair faces when it is coloured?
It doesn’t get damaged at all, if you use the right colours and right product. You have to assess your hair. A good hairstylist always examines the condition of hair to see if it can withhold the colour. The hair colouring process opens up your hair cuticle and the colour gets deposited. The colours are good and also add sheen to your hair. So don’t worry much about the damage.
3. But there are myths like your hair gets very rough/dry after you colour your hair. How to curb that?
The aftercare has to be correct. So use the right shampoo and conditioner to maintain the colour. Do not expose your hair to direct sunlight, it will damage your hair.
4. So a conditioner is a must after colouring your hair?
Yes, whether you colour your hair or not a conditioner is a must as it closes your hair cuticles and makes it smooth. So its like a finishing product.
5. So people say that some colours only suit certain skin toned people, is that true?
It’s true. You have to just be comfortable with what you’re wearing. If you want blonde hair and your skin tone is very sallow, then you just have to add a warm tone to your blondes so it looks nice. The colour of your hair should highlight your skin tone and features. A proper consultation from the hair stylist before getting your hair coloured is highly recommended.
6. Are there any particular trends that have recently come up when it comes to hair colouring?
Umm, these are just terminologies coined by hair artists, some people call balayage a colour melt. Some use the term reverse balayage depending on the placement of the colour. Balayage basically is like a stroke of paint, you know, it’s very free hand, you just pick up pieces and contour the hair with lighter colours so that the hair when styled looks sculpted. So these are just different names and terms for colour techniques.
7. For a person who’s colouring their hair for the first time, what precautions they need to take before colouring?
1 out of a 1000 people are allergic to hair colour so you should preferably do a stand test to rule out any allergies you might have with colours. Research properly the kind of colour you want and discuss it with your stylist during the consultation. You need to share your vision with the stylist so that you can get the desired results.
8. Is there any specific shampoo /conditioner /hair serum to be used after getting your hair coloured?
Yes, so basically after colouring your hair the PH balance of your hair changes so you have to make sure you’re using the correct shampoo and conditioner. Make sure you’re not using anything with detergent in it because that will strip your hair colour pigments. I would recommend sulphate-free shampoos and conditioners. You can also ask your stylist to recommend you a good colour protect shampoo according to your hair condition.
9. Once you colour your hair how long does a person have to wait to get it re-coloured?
It depends on your hair growth. If your hair grows one inch in ever two months, you just have to do a root touch up. If you’re doing highlights you can come for a touch up as soon and when you want it. If you’re choosing a very light colour the difference between your base colour and highlights will show. So that’s why balayage looks very nice and its very popular. It doesn’t look grown out, it just looks very natural and sunkissed.
10. How long does the colour last?
A permanent colour will last till you cut your hair off. It might lose its shine and depth of colour, like red colour loses its pigment quite quickly. So if you’ve coloured your hair red you must refresh it every 6-8 weeks just to give it a boost.
11. So what about the blondes and the browns?
The colours don’t fade, there’s just normal wear and tear. The colours become lighter, more noticeable, sometimes a colour looks nicer after a few washes because it blends in with your natural hair colour and appears nicer.
12. Some colours tend to fade/bleed when you’re washing your hair, does that happen?
Uhh, that happens with semi permanent hair colours. It happens because you use these colours after your hair has been bleached, so you’ve removed all the colour pigment from your hair and added something that will last for a few shampoos. So it all depends on the frequency of how many times you’re washing your hair.
13. Lastly, do you have any tips for people who’ve coloured their hair recently or want to get them coloured?
Just go for it really, I love colour! It just accentuates your hair cut as the layers get highlighted. Colour can really amp up your personality and really add colour to your life. Go for bright hues if you have really dark hair. If your skin tone is really dull, you can just put a few warm highlights to accentuate your natural hair colour. The trick to get the right colour for you is that it should match your eye colour. Don’t go lighter than that. It can be like soft browns, chocolate browns which looks very nice on our skin tone.
So, there you have it! All my questions were answered to my satisfaction and it only made me more confident about my new hair. Speaking of new hair take a look at how gorgeous it looks after my hair transformation.