Go for It Color!

Style Sessions: Everyday Casual

By B. Lee Cash for Style Sessions

Some girls get a tattoo. Some pierce a body part. Some run 10 miles a day. What do you do when the going gets rough with school or home, a job or even a guy? If permanent art, pain or excessive exercise isn't how you manage the parts of life that can often feel unmanageable, Style Sessions suggests...hair dye! You can control how much color and how intense, and choose permanent or temporary. So step away from the stress and have a seat in the salon chair. Because when life throws you lemons, you can't just squeeze them on your hair -- real highlights are a much better choice! See here.

Lovely Low-Commitment, Semipermanent Color
"What's great about semipermanent color is it's an adventure!" says Francesca Windsor, color specialist at Lloyd-Windsor Salon in Los Angeles. "You can see what you'd look like in a completely different shade without totally committing because it washes out in four to six weeks."

Semi-color is a plant-based dye, and can be mellow or bold. As you wash it daily or weekly, the color fades and looks incredibly natural.

Best for: All over color for all hair types

Your color: All colors can be altered beautifully with semi-color

Salon time: Two to three hours

Price: $50-$120 depending on length of hair

Damage factor: "Semi-color is actually good for your hair and will add shine," says Windsor.

Care: The less you wash, the longer the color stays.

Totally Hot Permanent Highlights & Lowlights
Permanent color all over is a big commitment, think Renee Zellweger's recent brown 'do. So when you find the color that suits you, going permanent is your next step so you don't have to watch that gorgeous color run down the shower drain like with semi-color.

But if you haven't tried the semi-color, go highlights or lowlights. "You wouldn't want your face-warming highlights to fade, so permanent color is a good choice to enhance what you already have."

Best for: All hair types

For blond: Add a touch of honey lowlights, and suddenly you're sparkling gold

For brunette: Try auburn lowlights or honey highlights, and you'll add warmth to your skin and eyes

For red head: Add copper highlights to dark red for warmth, blond highlights to copper red for a soft sunny look

Salon time: two to three hours

Price: $75-$250 depending on how much is high/lowlighted. "You can add color just around the face, partial hair, or the whole head," says Windsor.

Care/Damage factor: "Always use a color care shampoo and conditioner," says Windsor. "It seals the cuticle, so the color can retain its vitality, because when you're cuticle is closed, it's a smoother surface and it reflects shine."

Style Sessions Tip: With adding highlights or lowlights, you're not coloring your whole head so it grows out with a root line, and it's less maintenance.

Brave Girl Primary Color
Who needs natural colors when you can add bright blue to bangs or cherry-red highlights to your crown? "Unless you have super blond hair, you have to bleach out the sections you want to dye," says Windsor. "I take sections and apply bleach, then I apply the color, but I don't like to do a whole head in a primary color. You look at a girl with blue stripes and think how cool. It's a touch of punk or rock 'n' roll without being obvious, like a whole blue or purple head of hair."

Best for: all hair types

For blond: Pink or bright yellow pops on a gold hair

For brunette: Blue or black streaks are totally sexy on jet or dark brown hair

For red head: Blue, purples, or even yellow adds an extraordinary punch to red hair

Salon time: Three hours

Price: $40-$150

Care/Damage: "It's two chemical processes, so it's very damaging," says Windsor. Deep condition the hair once a week -- the hair will repair itself.

Style Sessions Tip: Are you a wanna-be at-home hair dye stylist? "Chemicals are best left in pro hands, but if you want to experiment, take it slow, read the instructions very carefully, and definitely have a friend help you," says Windsor. While you're processing, rub a small section off on a towel. If it's orange, you need to process longer. And if your scalp starts to burn...take that dye off!"