Summer hair color can look very different by the time we get into late August and September.
This is when a lot of my clients start wanting a change. They are thinking about fall, considering extensions or simply realizing their hair does not look quite like it did at the beginning of summer.
Before we change anything, I like to look at what summer has done to the color and the condition of the hair.
Sometimes we need to condition it first. Sometimes we need to balance the color. And sometimes it is simply time to start adding some dimension back.
Blondes Can Get Very Blonde
If you are blonde and spend a lot of time outside, you may notice that by the end of summer you are really blonde.
The sun and everything that comes with summer can leave the hair looking lighter, while the ends may also feel drier and need more conditioning.
Going toward fall does not mean I automatically want to make you darker.
We might add a little dimension back. We might soften the blonde or introduce some warmth. Sometimes just making the color feel a little richer completely changes the look while still keeping you blonde.
I also want to make sure the condition of the hair is where we want it before we start doing too much.
Brunettes Can Start Looking Brassy
Brunettes have a different issue.
By the end of summer, I see brunette hair that has become warmer or brassier than where we started.
Instead of simply making everything darker, I may want to balance some of that warmth out and condition the hair so the brunette looks rich and healthy again.
We can also bring dimension back into the color.
A beautiful brunette does not need to be one solid dark color. Dimension gives the hair movement and can make the overall color feel much richer.
Reds Can Start Looking Washed Out
Red hair tends to tell its own summer story.
By late summer, reds can start looking a little washed out and lose some of the richness they had earlier in the season.
This is where we can start warming the color back up and adding some depth.
Sometimes the change is subtle. We are not necessarily creating a completely different red. We are restoring the warmth, depth and richness that makes the color look beautiful.
Fall Does Not Mean Everyone Goes Darker
This is probably the biggest thing I want clients to understand.
I do not look at September and think, “Everyone needs darker hair now.”
Sometimes we soften the hair.
Sometimes we warm it up.
Sometimes we cool unwanted warmth down.
Sometimes we add depth.
And almost every hair color can benefit from bringing some dimension back after summer.
The right choice depends on what happened to your hair over the summer and what you want it to look like going into the next season.
Your Hair May Need Conditioning Before Color
I also pay attention to how the hair feels.
Summer means sun, heat, swimming, humidity, vacations and plenty of styling. By the end of it, some hair simply needs some attention.
Conditioning the hair and improving how it feels can be just as important as changing the color.
It can also give us a much better starting point if you are considering a bigger change, including new color or extensions going into fall.
Keep Your Color Fresh Between Visits
What you use at home can help too.
Color refreshing products, including pigmented shampoos and conditioners, can help maintain or refresh certain tones between salon visits.
But I do not recommend choosing one simply because you are blonde, brunette or red.
For example, not every blonde needs the same toning product, and not every bit of warmth in brunette hair is something we necessarily want to eliminate.
The product should support the color we are trying to maintain.
Let Your Hair Tell Us What It Needs
I love this time of year because we can start making small changes that make hair feel completely different.
For one client, that might mean bringing dimension back into her blonde.
For another, it is balancing a brunette that has become too brassy.
For a redhead, it may be restoring warmth and depth.
And sometimes the best first step is simply conditioning the hair and getting it healthy and manageable again.
You do not have to completely change your hair because fall is coming.
Sometimes we just need to bring back what summer took away.
