By Taylor Medford-Major | @taylor_louisem
NCT’s stylists have always given the members incredible, vibrant hair colors. They’ve covered it all, from neutral browns to icy blue, and everything in between — of course, always rocking it. We’ve all seen the array of shades that belong to Taeyong and the Neos. But, we’ve also seen the condition their hair has been left in, and sometimes it’s enough to make us scream, “Aigo, kamjagiya!” This is why we’ve put together some tips and tricks to help your hair color stay bright and the condition soft to the touch.
1 – Choose a color and stick to it.
It’s obvious to most that constant dying and bleaching of your hair will leave it limp and lifeless. When contemplating changing up your color you should first think about if you want it to be permanent or not, and which color you want to choose. If you’re only looking for a temporary change, there are great alternatives to permanently dying your hair, such as hair chalks, hair tints, colored extensions, and wigs. But, if you’re dead-set on making the change for real, then the healthiest option is to choose one color and stick to it. Although this may seem boring, this minimizes the need for constant color stripping and lightening, whenever you wish to change color.
If you’re thinking of changing your hair color, it’s important to think about the long term commitment of that color. Colour specialist, Arron Mcdonagh (@arronmcdonagh – https://www.instagram.com/arronmcdonagh/?hl=en) from Not Another Salon (@notanothersalon – https://www.instagram.com/notanothersalon/?hl=en) informs us that the hardest color groups to maintain are reds and coppers, “because the pigments are weak”. If you’re looking to change your hair to any color that falls into these categories, then you should be aware of the upkeep. Likewise, if you’re looking at dying your hair any pastel shade, you must be aware that light colors often contain only a little bit of pigment, which means to keep it noticeable, you will also have to constantly maintain that pigment. It’s recommended to buy pigmented products, such as Revlon’s Nutri Color Creme (https://www.revlonprofessional.com/articles/nutricolor/), to help with the upkeep of color so you don’t have to keep dying it.
On the other end of the spectrum are the colors hardest to remove. Arron says, “Blues stain your hair, they’re the hardest to remove. You’ll always have green left in your hair until it grows out.” So, if you’re looking for blue or green — like Taeyong’s “Long Flight” era color — then you have to be prepared for it to last a long time. The other colors that are hardest to remove are black box-dyes because it is the darkest artificial color and when it comes to changing from black box-dyed hair to a lighter color, Arron specifically mentions, “Transitioning slowly from black to copper, then to blonde,” to ensure your hair doesn’t become too damaged. Once you have reached the desired lightness, you can then think about changing the color to another, if you want bright hair like Mark’s infamous shade of pink.
2 – Visit a pro!
If you haven’t colored your hair already, but you’re thinking of taking the leap and making the jump to something more vivid, the first tip is to visit a salon! In many places around the world, this tip may be more difficult and for some, the budget just simply doesn’t allow it. However, professionals are pros for a reason. If possible, we recommend saving up or finding a good, affordable salon that can give you your desired color in a safe way, using pro-products and pro-methods.
You may be tempted to turn to box dyes but we promise you, the cheap price tag isn’t worth it, and here’s why: Arron explains how box dyes can leave your hair looking dull and end up damaged. “For one, box dyes are full of ammonia,” Arron begins, “even though salon colors contain ammonia, it doesn’t contain the same levels as box dyes.” Ammonia is used within color to help penetrate the cuticle, which ultimately means, the more used in a product, the more it will degrade the hair’s structure — making it weak and shine-less.
More often than not, box dyes can end up looking patchy and uneven. Although initially cheaper, Arron highlights that when rectifying the mistake of box dyes, it is “no longer a straightforward process, but a color correction, which takes more time and costs more money.” The cost of color-corrections is far higher than that of the original color process due to the lengthy process involved and could leave your bank account a lot more empty than originally anticipated.
3 – Tips for washing hair.
For those who have already transformed their locks, or are preparing to, and want to know how to keep the color maintained, these secret-shower tips are for you — the first being washing your hair less frequently. Every time you wash your hair, you’re washing your new color out — makes sense right? Not only does washing your hair less frequently mean you’re not rinsing away your color, but it also allows the natural oils on your head to be replenished.
Next, is washing your hair in cold water. Much like the pores in our skin, our hair’s cuticles “open” when exposed to heat. In terms of maintaining color, if you wash your hair in hot water, the color is “more likely to be dragged out.” Arron specifies, “Wash your hair in cool water, using a sulfate and paraben-free shampoo.”
Likewise, Arron suggests investing in a professional haircare range. “You wouldn’t use just anything on your skin, so why use just anything on your hair? It’s the same.” Arron points out the importance of good products when looking after your hair, colored or otherwise. Much like box dye vs. professional dyes, haircare is the same, containing higher-grade ingredients. It’s also far more cost-efficient as you don’t need to use as much! When using a professional haircare range, you should only use a little. “It shouldn’t even lather, it only needs to loosen the dirt and excess oil from your hair.”
Once you’ve managed to get these tips mastered, and found what works best for your hair type, your color journey will be much easier! Please share your hair care tips with us by tagging our socials @ncity_mag and using the hashtag #Envi. We can’t wait to see what NCTzens recommend and whose hair color twin you are.
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