All that you did wrong about your hair colour

Celebrity international hair colour expert Andy Cheong, Regional Education Director for TIGI Copyright Colour, who was recently in India, spoke to us about the various aspects of hair colouring and the dos and don'ts one must follow.
Excerpts from an exclusive chit chat with him.
1. What are the hair colour mistakes that one must avoid?
DIY Colours, also known as non-professional hair colours available over the counter should be avoided as they may have lead impurities which may damage the hair cuticle.
Another popular mistake most people make is colouring the ends every time they go for a touch-up. The ends are the damaged and porous parts of the hair which needs to be treated with a specific application technique or a mild strength of activator.
2. Is there a way to know which hair colour would suit a particular face type/complexion?
Professional experience and education enables the colourists to judge one’s skin tone/complexion and eye colour before suggesting hair colour. The colourist can actually help choose the perfect colour that will suit one’s face and skin colour.
3.What are the dos and don'ts of colouring your hair?
(A) Asian skin tone (mostly being on the warmer side) can be neutralized with cool tones (blue, violet, green) to enhance skin tone and complexion.
(B) People with very porous and dry hair should get Colour gloss service.
(C) Men should not go very loud with their colour. They could go for a block colouring that is not more than two levels lighter than their natural hair.
(D) Do not use Heena, it blocks the cuticle and creates a coat which makes it difficult to use a professional colour in future.
(E) Finally, for an ultimate finished hair look, a good hair colour has to be complimented with a well styled haircut.
4. What is the latest trend in hair colour?
Reds, coppers, mahogany, copper reds, cool browns are the latest trends being followed in hair colour.

5. Which hair colour suits the Indian complexion most?
Though there has been a lot of debate over the one colour that suits the Indian complexion, we truly believe that there is nothing that beats red and copper for the Indian complexion.
6. The care you should take, after colouring your hair...?
Here are the tips to take care of your coloured hair.
(A) Use a colour protect shampoo and conditioner.
(B) When using a styling product, choose the one with heat and UV protection.
(C) Always keep hair hydrated.
(D) One should avoid swimming without a head gear in chlorine or sea water as the same may result in faded /discoloured hair
7. The shades of colour that look best together?
It is not the question of which colours look best together. Imagine two colours looking fabulous together, however they don’t suit your skin or hair tone. What use would they be for you.