Busted: Five Myths About Dyeing Hair

When it comes to colouring your hair, there’s so much to think about beyond picking a shade. From the idea that hair colour damages your strands to box hair dye being less effective than the salon variety, these five hair colouring myths just aren’t true.

As with most beauty treatments, information on hair colouring is overwhelming—and often conflicting. You might think it’s best to show up with hair you washed three days ago to a colour appointment and then your stylist tells you they need to wash it. Or you might have a friend with golden blond hair you love, but you think blond could never work on you. And the biggest: that colouring your hair will damage it. All of these common myths, and more, just aren’t true. Read on to find out the facts and gain a little more confidence as you choose your next hair colour change-up.

Your hair should be dirty when you colour it.

This isn’t 100% false, but there is definitely misinformation you should know about. While it’s a good idea to refrain from washing your hair between 24 and 48 hours before your colour appointment, you should avoid using any products after you wash it. The idea here is to let your natural oils build up so they can help protect your scalp from the dye but not allow product to build up on your hair shafts and block the colour from penetrating. Some hairstylists will even say that freshly washed hair actually holds hair colour better than dirty hair.

Not everyone can pull off blond hair.

Maybe someone has told you in the past that blond hair doesn’t go with your skin tone. But there is a huge spectrum of blond hair colour, so you just need to figure out which one will work best for you. If you’re fair with a bit of redness, try an ashier, cooler blond, like L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference in 110. If you have yellow undertones, try a silvery, platinum blond, like L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference in 8S. If you have medium-toned skin, try something warm and golden, like. Caramel blond works really well for darker skin tones, and the best at home hair dye for that is L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference in 48.

Hair colour will damage your hair.

Again, this one isn’t completely false, but there is a way to undo it. When you colour your hair, the cuticle has to open up to let the dye fully deposit, so it can cause a bit of damage. That said, it isn’t difficult to repair it with the right tools. If you’re taking your natural hair colour to a shade that’s a lot lighter, you’ll need to regularly use nourishing hair masks and other damage-repairing treatments. Consider investing in a silk pillowcase, too, because it will help minimize breakage as you sleep, use a cotton T-shirt to dry your hair and use spiral hair rings instead of elastics.

Your hair colour doesn’t have to match your brows.

Remember when you spot a celebrity rocking platinum blond hair and dark brown eyebrows and it looks ultra eye-catching? Hold on to that memory when you’re considering dyeing your brows to perfectly match your new hair colour. Instead, try switching it up, and also remember that darker brows tend to frame your face better than light ones. If you have brand-new red hair and your brows are blond, think about dyeing them a warm brown colour. If you have light to medium brown hair, take your brows a few shades darker. Grey or silver hair can be the trickiest, so you might want to leave them at their natural colour. But if you’re feeling adventurous, try dyeing them a cool brown.

To get the best colour, you need a pro.

First of all, getting your hair coloured at a salon can be pricey, so it’s good to know you have lots of options if you can’t swing it. Choosing a product like L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference is one of the best ways to colour hair at home, because you’ll get the same long-lasting effects and beautiful high-shine colour. Plus, there’s a whopping 50 shades to choose from! If you’re not sure how to dye hair at home, at-home hair colour kits are pretty much foolproof, so as long as you thoroughly read the instructions and pay attention to timing, you’ll have gorgeous shiny colour in no time—and at a fraction of the price.