Colorful is a word we've attached to many things, including hair. And as the years go by, men appreciate the beauty of stepping out of their natural color and embracing a new look. Hair color ideas for men are endless, so don't limit yourself.
However, caution is still a watchword when choosing men's hair dye. You need to consider your skin tone, hair type, and personal style before saying yes to that fantasy hair color. But all the same, let your imagination run wild because there's always something for you.
We've created a guide on how to choose the right color to complement your look to help you on your hair dyeing journey.
What Should You Consider Before Dyeing Your Hair?
1. What Does Your Skin Tone Say?
Figure out what your skin tone says before you decide to be the next Jared Leto of the Suicide Squad or look like Zayn Malik. It's not wrong to want to look as hot as they do in their hair color. But, while you might be fantasizing about several colors, let your skin tone decide what best suits you.
Determining your skin tone might not be as easy as it sounds, but here's an easy way. If silver jewelry suits you better, you have a cool tone. But if gold looks great on you, you have a warm skin tone. As a general rule, select a color opposite your skin tone.
2. What Is Your Hair Type?
Your hair type will often dictate what you can or cannot do. Thick curly hair will be more difficult to bleach while light hair can get destroyed with harsh bleach. Using the wrong hair dye can damage your hair. Hence, consult a hair colorist if you're unsure what product is best for your hair type.
3. Does It Suit Your Personal Style?
To wear your look with confidence, your choice of color must fit your style. You don't want to look great while feeling not so good. Thus, as much as every other factor matters, always consider your style and what suits you. Look out for the color of clothes in your wardrobe to help you know your style.
3. How Long Do You Intend To Wear the Look?
You should choose the type of hair dye depending on how long you intend to wear the look. There are three types of hair color:
Permanent Hair Color: Permanent hair color lasts for a long time. It changes your hair color and hair structure. Hence, permanent hair colors work for a long-lasting look. For instance, you will need a permanent dye for bleached hair color.
Semi-permanent Hair Color: Semi-permanent hair colors refresh or change the tone of your hair without lightening it or altering your hair texture. It's often referred to as gloss or toner. Semi-permanent dyes add color to your hair without permanently changing the color.
Demi-permanent Hair Color: Demi-permanent hair color is suitable for a temporary color change. They last longer than semi-permanent dyes and require a low-volume developer.
Semi and demi-permanent colors fade out with repeated washing. However, demi-permanent dyes last longer, about 30 shampoos. It's best to space out your washing so it can last longer.
Hair Color for Men
1. Natural Tones
Some men don't want to leave their comfort zone when choosing a color for their hair. Something subtle and not out of the box? You want a natural tone.
Natural tones will resemble your original hair color. As a rule, you should use a hair dye that's a shade or two darker than your natural hair. Alternatively, you can use one shade lighter than your natural hair.
2. Gray Hair Coverage
A sign of aging is salt and pepper hair. If you're not ready to embrace gray hair, you can choose to conceal it. If you want to cover the gray, your best option is a permanent dye. However, you can use a demi-permanent dye though it will fade with every shampoo.
Most gray hair can be dyed at home, especially if it is short. Mix your dye and use a small brush to apply it to the gray areas in a circular motion. You will have to reapply the hair dye once in two months to maintain the look.
Popular Bold Hues
Bold hues are not all the rage for nothing. They stand out and can accentuate your features, giving you a more confident look. Here are some common bold hue hair color ideas for men, from platinum blonde to contrasted colors:
1. Platinum Blonde
Platinum blonde is popular in the male celebrity world and will give you a striking look. But it's not your regular hair color. Creating this magic look involves bleaching your hair so you must be very sure you want it. Also, platinum blonde hair is not something you can easily achieve so it's best to leave it to the experts.
2. Fashion Color
There are many bold colors to try out: pink, blue, red, green, or any color you can imagine. And no, there's really no limit to what you can try as a man.
Semi-permanent dyes are ideal for fashion color because you might need to change it real soon. This is also not your do-it-yourself look. You should let a colorist handle it. Also, ensure you consider your color tone before choosing a color.
3. Gray Hair
Gray hair has transformed from being an old people thing to a trend of its own. You can also dye your hair to match the gray streaks if your hair is graying.
There are several shades of gray to choose from. Once you find one that looks great on you, you can enjoy the feeling of timeless beauty that comes naturally with gray hair.
4. Bleached Tips
A variant of platinum blonde is tip bleaching. If you don't want to bleach your whole hair to blonde, bleached tips are another way to wear the classic blond look. Bleached tips can create a nice contrast between your natural hair color and tip.
5. Streak of Color
Adding a streak of color to your hair might not sound bold, but it's anything but inconspicuous. If you don't want to completely change your hair color but still want to change your look, you can try this. Your colored streak will make you stand out anywhere. Add a few pops here and there with the color of your choice, and enjoy your new look.
6. Contrasting Colors
Light and dark colors have a way of seamlessly complementing each other while contrasting. Contrast hair color is a popular trend and it's certainly worth trying.
You can change the top of your hair to a different color while leaving the rest (the lower part) natural. Alternatively, you can dye both different parts with different colors.
Another way to achieve color contrast is to dye half of your hair with one dye shade and the other half with another. You will appreciate this style especially if you wear a low cut.
How to Maintain Men's Hair Color
Wash Your Hair With a Color-Specific Conditioner
Using a color-preserving conditioner after each wash will help you retain your hair color. You should ask your hair colorist for a recommendation.
For platinum blonde hair and silver-gray hair, use a violet or blue conditioner and shampoo. This will offset the brassy yellow tinge that you can acquire as keratin starts to show. Also, use a nourishing conditioner to restore weakened hair strands and moisture.
Use blue toning shampoo for brown hair to neutralize the orange undertone. Gray hair coverage dyes will require regular touch-ups. You can do this once a month or once in two months. But, the color might wane earlier so always look out for exposed gray strands to know when you need a touch-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Should I Do Before Dyeing My Hair?
There are a lot of things on the list. But first, determine your skin tone and then research what color fits it. Next, avoid shampooing less than 24 hours before you dye your hair. Your hair won't dye well when washed.
You also need to preserve the natural oils in your hair to prevent irritation. However, you would need to have washed your hair with shampoo to remove any mineral build-up. Just don't do it right before dyeing your hair.
2. How Often Should I Dye My Hair?
While it's fun to try everything. You shouldn't overdo it. It's advisable to leave at least two weeks between each treatment. Taking a break from dyeing is most critical for permanent hair color. Your hair needs enough time to recover and regain moisture.
3. Can I Dye My Hair at Home?
Some men's hair dyes are easy to use. This is the case for gray hair coverage and some easy colors. However, if you don't know how to apply color, it's best to leave it to the professionals. For bleached hair especially, do-it-yourself may be a disaster so let a hair colorist handle it.
Handcrafted Color at Chicago Male Salon
Looking for the perfect hue for your personality? Or do you want a natural tone? Whatever your needs are, our team of stylists at Chicago Male Salon can bring your fantasies to life and land you the hair transformation you desire.
We take the workload off your shoulders by helping you from start to finish. From dark to light, highlights, lowlights, and corrective colors, our experienced stylists will work with you to handcraft the perfect color for your new look. All you need to do is sit and enjoy the ride.