For over two years, I made biweekly trips to the nail salon to put a shiny coat of red on each of my fingertips. I thought to myself that I wouldn’t be caught dead without this part of my signature style. Then one day, completely out of the blue, pink suddenly appealed to me. My friends were shocked, “who is she?” they joked. Shortly after changing my signature nail color, I unexpectedly entered a new (and thrilling) chapter of my life. It felt like I went through a personality change. Similar to my dedication to red nails, I often told myself I would never stray away from my classic dark roots. I’ve always been in love with natural beauty and I felt my natural Hair color was a token of that. However, when I saw the red hair color trend pop up, I felt naturally drawn to it.

In the past year, celebrities who have never strayed from their natural brown or black roots are standing out in hair colors that range from fire hydrant to Aperol spritz. From runway models to grungy city kids, this color seems to find its way to every sort of person. And I, the woman who is normally clutching her pearls over the thought of straying away from the old money aesthetic I’ve always loved so dearly, wanted in.

Seconds before Adrian Wallace, the colorist who eased me into the transition, set his brush atop my head, I nearly changed my mind but an iconic Paris Hilton quote rang through my head, “life’s short take risks.” She was talking about mini skirts but hair color is almost the same thing, right? Strikingly similar to the change I experienced when I said goodbye to my red nails, I noticed a positive shift, and shortly after dying my hair red said goodbye to some old habits, people, and personality traits and hello to yet another new chapter of my life.

If you’ve been on the fence about trying something new or taking a risk, this is your sign. I recently saw a TikTok that said, “Now as soon as I see a b— dye her hair red I already know what is going on, you’re entering your villain era aren’t you?” In my case, the answer to that question is a definitive yes.

One thing that always held me back from dying my hair was my fear of damaging it too much but I know one product line that all colorists recommend is Olaplex so I decided to have a brief chat with JuE Wong, the CEO of the cult haircare line, to learn more about how to prevent damage. 

Does dying your hair have to mean that there will be damage?

“Yes, anytime you have a chemical process, you are exposing your hair to damage.”

What makes Olaplex such a great brand to explore for people who’ve dyed their hair?

“Olaplex is great for all hair types as hair bonds are hair agnostic. 90% of women do something to damage their hair every day. The most damaging of all is chemical services to your hair. Coloring one’s hair is the most sought-after salon service. As such because Olaplex helps to repair, strengthen and protect your hair bonds, it is especially great for anyone looking to color their hair.”

If you had to suggest one product, which is your most powerful?

“The most powerful hair product is our power duo of Olaplex No.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment and Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector because they are like your toothpaste and toothbrush. Olaplex No.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment is our professional-inspired treatment that primes your hair for deeper repair, rebuilds hair bonds, strengthens, and protects hair integrity. It features an easy-to-use nozzle that delivers the highest concentration of the patented bond-building technology of any OLAPLEX at-home product.  Use as the first step in a two-part at-home system with Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector (sold separately) to strengthen and repair all types of damaged hair.  When used together, they are scientifically proven to deliver 68% more repair and 3x stronger hair in just one use.” 

If you were dying your hair tomorrow what would you do the night before to prepare? And the day after?

“Use Olaplex No.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment and Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector before you go to your hair colorist. Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector is our top seller with one sold every 3.5 seconds.”

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