Your hair gets its color from a substance called melanin, found in the cortex of the hair (the part of the hair shaft between the outer layer, or cuticle, and the core of the shaft, the medulla). Melanin comes in two varieties, eumelanin (which is responsible for brown and black colors) and pheomelanin (which is responsible for red and blonde shades). Hair can have either of these types of melanin, or none at all - in the case of gray hair.

Getting your hair color right is a science. Stick to colors that compliment your skin tone, figure out if you're better off with single-process color or highlights.

Selecting the right hair color can get complicated due to the number of shades but sticking to natural hair color
and adding different complimentary shades can really spruce up a hairstyle and the overall look. Changing hair color totally from natural color can be dramatic if a person is no prepared but can be also very invigorating and fresh as it opens up many different looks and styles.

Semi-Permanent Hair Color:
Semi-permanent hair color is made for darkening or adding depth to the hair, not for lightening. It coats the hair much like a rinse, but some types do contain small amounts of peroxide (not enough to lighten the hair). This is a good option for adding richness to your existing hair color and will last about four to eight weeks.

Permanent Hair Color:
Now we move on to permanent colors, which are perfect for giving you a whole new look or for covering significant amounts of gray. However, because of the higher levels of peroxide, permanent color is better for:

• Healthy, natural hair
  
• Lightly texturized hair

Hair color level system:

• Level 10: lightest blonde
  
• Level 9: very light blonde
  
• Level 8: light blonde
  
• Level 7: medium blonde
  
• Level 6: dark blonde
  
• Level 5: lightest brown
  
• Level 4: light brown
  
• Level 3: medium brown
  
• Level 2: dark brown
  
• Level 1: black

Pick Your Perfect Hair Color

Changing the color of the hair is as vital as changing the length or style, which is why it is important to first determine which shades are better fitted for reach look. There are four main shades for hair colors and those are blonde, brunette, red, and black. These main shades can have different hues as well such as golden brown, dark red, and a lot of other choices as well. Each hair color has its own properties for defining looks and each can look great.

Blonde Hair:
Blonde hair gives energetic quality to any style. Blonde can come in many different hues including golden, light, dirty, and the hard to accomplish platinum. The blonde colors go well with many different skin tones but are better with lighter ones as the color seems to contrast with darker skin tones. A mix of darker shades of blonde can make any hairstyle low key and fit darker skin tones. Blonde hair can fade easily and the main key is to select a good shade that matches individual skin tone and keep the blonde vibrant and not faded. The list of celebrities with blonde hair is endless and many have changed to blonde from other hair colors as well. Blonde hair will continue to be a favorite look for many women.

Red Hair:
Red hair is probably the hardest to come by because if it's not natural, creating the red shade is truly a hard feat. Naturally red heads have a great advantage in that, if maintained correctly, the hair has a natural vibrancy. The red tint seems to highlight any hairstyle and draw great attention to it. Red hair seems to be more fitted with medium and long hair lengths because shorter cuts draw a lot of features out and if a person does not have delicate features, irregular features will stand out more. The red hues can range from anything from dark red to autumn leaves. Red is a great color that can be combined with other complimentary shades to bring out the red hues for a hairstyle.

Brunette Hair:
Brunette hair is probably the most versatile as there are an abundance of shades and the colors available seem to match almost any skin tone. From honey brown to light auburn to caramel, there are so many shades of brunette available and with these color choices comes a great selection for highlights and lowlights. Light shades can give a bright, bronze appearance that is not as strong as blonde while darker shades give a mysterious, rich look not as dark as black hair. A number of brunette shades can bring out the features of the face as well as. Brunette hair color definitely has its advantages.

Dark Hair:
Dark black hair has qualities that stand out more than other hair colors. Black hair is plain and simple; it is dark with no highlights or streaks or anything else. The hair is just black and shiny. Black hair color provides a very exotic, mysterious look especially if the hair is long and very shiny. The key to creating great looks with black hair is to have it not look dull but shiny and reflective. This creates a great look. The only variation to black hair is a few dark brown tints but that creates a whole different look that is not as good as the sleek, shiny hairstyles that can be seen on many celebrities.