Have you ever colored your hair and looked in the mirror and said, “Oh my, this is too dark.” Or, “My hair is now green. What happened?” These are just a couple of reasons why it is important to do a strand test first, and why color manufacturers recommend performing one prior to coloring.

When you look at a hair swatch and choose your color, there are a few things to take into account.

• What is your natural color?
• How do I get to the color I want? (A.K.A.: How many levels of lift does my hair need to achieve this color?)
• What do you want your final color to be?

Once you have the formulation in place, do a strand test to make sure you are achieving the desired results before applying to your whole head. To do a strand test, grab a small piece of hair from a place on your head that doesn’t show. Then process the color following the included directions. This will help stop “Oh NO! I hate this color! This is not what I wanted!” moments.