In search of an aesthetic change, a handful of men and women today have turned to hair dye in hopes of spicing up their appearance.

Some opt for coloring their hair in order to satisfy an internal sense of adventure, cover up the silvery strands that come with age or even just because Mother Nature graced him or her with a color that wasn’t quite “them.”

Whatever the reason may be, the option to color, streak or highlight hair has become increasingly popular among teens and adults in the twenty first century.

“Personally, I decided to start dying my hair because I got bored with my brown hair,” freshman Peyton Young said. “I just think that the brighter colors I dye it suit me better than my brown hair did.”

When choosing to dye hair, there are certain steps one must take in order  to ensure success, avoid damage and keep one’s hair healthy.

Dying hair is essentially stripping it of its natural color, oils and moisture, which can leave hair brittle, dry and straw–like if precautions are not taken.

“After dying my hair, it feels like it’s a broom,” senior Soffie Adams–Schteingause said. “It’s not smooth and doesn’t feel nice, but there are ways to restore hair after it’s dyed.”

The first critical step before coloring is to deep condition your hair a few weeks prior to the procedure. The stronger and better conditioned your hair is pre–coloring, the less likely it will experience damage.

“To get rid of the dryness in my hair, I personally condition it twice and also use leave–in conditioner with keratin in it to bring the strength back to my hair,” Adams–Schteingause said.

One helpful tip is to leave conditioners in your hair while in the shower for 5–10 minutes before washing it out, so that the conditioner can work its way through the hair before being rinsed away.

“To keep dyed hair vibrant, I would recommend using shampoo that’s specifically meant for colored hair,”  Young said. “Use cold water when you wash your hair and remember not to scrub your hair– just run a small amount of product through it.”

Finding specific products for dyed hair that actually work, however,  is another task for avid hair–dyers. From Herbal Essences’ “Color Me Happy,” to John Frida, Tresseme and many more, it can be difficult to know which brands work best.

“What I use to keep my dyed hair maintained is “Its A Ten” conditioner  with Keratin oil,” Adams–Schteingause said. “It makes my hair feel somewhat back to normal and gives it a smooth moisturized feeling.”

What many people don’t realize about hair dye is that the ingredients found in it are extremely potent and restrictive to your hair’s future color, growth and overall health.

“One long term effect of dying your hair is that it falls out more easily and can become very brittle and dry,” Young said.

  In addition to using quality conditioners and shampoos, trimmings should also be maintained regularly, since chemically dying or treating your hair can increase split ends.

Finally, avoid overlapping chemicals. If your hair is chemically relaxed/processed, wait at least six weeks to dye it in order to avoid over–processing.

Keep your overall self healthy and hydrated. Your hair is a tell tale sign of whether or not you’re in good health. You can rock a beautiful head of hair with color as long as you take every necessary precaution to keep it that way.