Ever walked into a hair salon feeling all excited to get a long-awaited hair makeover, only to leave the salon with a look that you’re unsatisfied with?
We feel you and we’ve been there too, which is why we’ve compiled five different factors you should consider before colouring your hair, according to a user on RED (a.k.a. China’s version of Instagram).
Read on to find out if darker or lighter-coloured hair suits you better!
1. Your face shape and facial features
One major factor to consider before deciding on your next hair colour is your face shape and facial features.
Pictured above is Thai actress, Mai Davika, and Korean songstress, IU, who both have very different face shapes. Mai’s face shape is wider around the cheeks with a distinct V-shaped chin, while IU has a smaller face shape that is slightly rounder.
Tip: If you have a smaller face, dark-coloured hair can make you appear older and more sullen, whereas lighter hair helps instantly brighten your look.
Pictured above is popular BLACKPINK member, Rose, and Chinese singer, Meng Mei Qi. You can see the vast difference in their appearance when they had darker hair as compared to lighter hair.
Darker hair made them look tired and slightly older whereas bleached locks instantly brightened their complexion.
2. Your skin tone
Skin tone is another important factor that determines the compatibility of your complexion and desired hair colour.
You definitely won’t want to pick a hair colour that’s of the same tone as your skin as it takes away a form of dimension from your overall appearance.
For example, if your skin has yellow undertones, then you’ll want to avoid hair colours with yellow undertones. As seen in the images above, these K-pop idols had dyed their hair a colour that was too close to their skin tone, causing them to look washed out.
If you’re someone who has neutral undertones, you’ll definitely have more options when it comes to experimenting with hair colours. Neutral complexion undertones tend to pair better with both warm and cool colours.
3. Overall style and dressing
While this factor isn’t of as great importance as the above-mentioned ones, it is still one to consider if you don’t want to spend hours matching your hair with your outfits on a daily basis.
If you prefer a tailored, more masculine style, then you might want to stick to darker hair colours. If you consider your style a little more eclectic, however, feel free to experiment with brighter and bolder hair colours.
Chinese-American actress Crystal Liu (above) appeared more serious yet charismatic when she sported black hair, while a lighter shade of brown made her appear more youthful-looking.
4. The condition of your hair
Examining the condition of your hair is a must if you don’t want to face hair loss issues down the road.
If you have really damaged hair, bleaching should be completely out of your plan as lighter hair colours will cause your hair to look more damaged than it already is.
Furthermore, bleaching instantly damages your hair and you won’t be able to salvage your locks until more hair grows back, so it’s better not to take the risk.
Additionally, if you have extremely long hair, you might want to refrain from going for light colours as well as it will be tough to maintain in the long run, which might result in even more damaged hair.
5. Your hair volume
Last but not least, one factor you should consider before dyeing your hair is your natural hair volume.
Lighter hair colours tend to make one’s face and head appear larger in general, so it’s best to avoid it if you have a slightly wider face shape.
If you have really thin and flat hair though, going for lighter hair colours might do the trick!
Pictured above is American-Japanese model Kiko Mizuhara with black hair and dark brown hair. The lighter shade evidently helped her hair look fuller and framed her face better.
All screenshots are taken from RED.
