Choosing Color....

So....today I wanted to touch on hair color. Natural hair takes and handles color better then relaxed her...that doesn't necessarily mean that natural hair is stronger then relaxed hair. I have heard people say that if u color ur natural hair then it is no longer natural...well I don't really agree with that because natural refers to the texture. My natural hair is brown but if I dye it red that will not change the fact that I have locs.
Now if u want to color your natural hair u must first decide what color u want. Sometimes this can be difficult especially if ur hair is dark and u want a drastic change. There are those that will bleach their hair in order to bring it up to the color they want immediately. I don't think there is anything wrong with that as long as u know what u are doing. Bleach is very harsh on the hair whether natural or relaxed. Bleach will break ur hair off and/or burn ur scalp.
After u have figured out the color that u want u have to make sure that u know how to apply it. I don't think there is anything wrong with box color as long as u know how to apply it. The boxes normally have directions that are easy to follow and it is important that u follow them to a "t". You also want to make sure u have enough. Sometimes when u have natural it tends to be thicker then what ur relaxed hair would have been which means that u would want to purchase at least 2 boxes. Also make sure that if u have gray hair that the color covers gray. If the color that u purchase does not have gray coverage then u run the risk of having the gray hair to have a different color then the rest of ur hair.
Now if u feel that u want blonde hair, you do not have to bleach it...u can buy a blonde color which will lift ur hair to blonde without as much damage as bleach. If u want a very bright color(like red) then u may have to take the color up to blonde first and then cover with a rinse. A rinse does not damage the hair because it only stains the hair. A rinse will not have the same effect as permanent color.
If u are not sure how to color ur own hair and u choose to have the color done by a stylist...make sure that u disclose to the stylist what color u are trying to achieve and let him/her know if u have ever had problems with color before.
The most important thing to remember is that color can enhance ur appearance when done correctly.