Top 5 Tips for Going Dark

By Naturint, Kerry Capewell, hair care expert and stylists

Neutral dark shades such as brown-black can be sported by a number of skin tones but unless you are feeling brave, should probably be avoided by the very pale as it can make you look washed out. Olive skin tones can work well with rich raven locks but you might feel more confident using a dark brown rather than a full on jet black shade.



It can be easy to over process the ends of your hair when colouring darker, as it can be tempting to apply a full head colour when your roots need retouching. This will not only dry out the ends of your hair but also cause colour build up, leaving an uneven shade. If you do find your shade needs refreshing, you could just use a temporary rinse to maintain the colour in between applications.



Remember to alter your make up accordingly – if you do have a pale skin tone you may find your features are lost against your new dark locks.



As much as a good conditioner, regular trims will help to reduce split ends which can be accelerated by colouring and also keep your cut looking sharp, which is best for a dark block colour. If moving from light to dark, try also to cut down on your use of heated appliances as this can further dry out the hair and make the colour look dull and flat.



It is a good idea to follow the same rule when going darker as you would going lighter – try to stick to just one or two shades darker as generally speaking this will suit your natural tones. If you do decide to move from a very light shade to a dark shade, bear in mind that you might need to add some warmth to prevent it looking dull and obviously coloured.