Hair Color Hints

Watching Katy Perry transform her tresses from brown to red to blonde these last few weeks got us thinking. While such dramatic transformations aren't for everyone, highlights can offer a more subtle way to update your color. Highlights give hair dimension, a natural sun-kissed look and can even take years off your appearance. But achieving effortless, natural highlights can be tricky, especially if your hair is on the darker side. With hair color on our minds, we're sharing our top three tips for improving your color results:

1. Always wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo for one week prior to coloring to remove impurities from the hair. Follow with a deep conditioner, which allows for better penetration of color.

2. If you're undergoing a major hair makeover-especially a drastic color change-it's important to update your eyebrows too, to complete the look. You can adjust the hue of your brows with either tinted brow gels, which wash off, or with a brow tint for a permanent change.

3. Since highlights are a chemical process and literally zap the hair of its natural oils and moisture, it's crucial to use a deep hydrator at least once a week-twice a week or more if your stylist advises you to do so.