The summer season is upon us – which means many of you may be rushing out to get the perfect summer tan. But did you know that tanning could cause your skin tone to completely clash with your hair color? You may not realize that when you tan your skin, certain colors (especially those on your hair) can contrast with it the wrong way and make you look sallow or orange.
Not everyone can pull off the tan, beach-blonde look, but luckily there are some options for everyone else. Here to solve the problem for you are our stylists, always ready with tons of advice on everything hair. So how do you balance a summer tan with your hair color and skin tone? Read on to find out!
If you have brunette hair:
Many natural brunettes already have tan skin with golden, olive, or brown undertones. Our stylists say that darker hair colors with warm golden undertones, such as golden brown or deep honey, often look good with a tan – so go ahead and soak up the sun!
However, if your hair color is on the cooler brunette side to complement your fair skin, we recommend against too much tanning because it won’t work well with your color. In addition, our stylists say that very dark hair colors don’t usually look good with a tan, so it’s best to cover up when you’re in the sun.
If you have light hair:
Certain shades of blonde can handle a tan, but others cannot. If your blonde shade has warm golden tones in it, such as a golden blonde or caramel blonde, you may be the perfect candidate for a summer tan. That’s because tan skin and golden colors often complement each other very nicely.
However, if your blonde hair is an ash or platinum tone, don’t let your skin get too much color this summer. Tan skin can clash with cool hair colors like those, so you’re better off keeping your skin fair.
If you have red hair:
Keep your skin protected from that sun! Too much sun exposure could make your skin tone clash horribly against your red hair color. Our stylists say: red hair looks much better against fairer skin, rather than tan skin. So lather up on the sunblock if you want your red locks to stand out and look gorgeous this summer!
Some general tips to remember:
Warm hair colors often look better with tanned skin than cool colors do. This means if your hair color has tones of gold, yellow, or red, you may be able to pull off a summer glow.
However, before you go tanning it’s always important to apply sunscreen to protect your skin! The sun’s UV rays can cause lots of damage, including wrinkles, sun spots, or even skin cancer. If you are going to tan in the sun, limit your exposure by doing it in short increments. One safer way to get your summer tan is with a sunless tanning product that gradually adds a tan color to your skin. This cuts down your exposure to the UV rays.
Just remember to be safe in the sun if you plan on tanning this summer. A sunburn is definitely not the perfect complement to any hair color. And if you have any questions about color schemes or hair dilemmas, you can always give our colorists a call – they love talking about all things hair color!
Colorfully yours,
The eSalon Team
