Brown hair: everything you need to know about going brunette

All the tips you need to go brunette, straight from the experts

Want brown hair? It might seem like an easy change, but going from blonde hair to brunette or red to brown, or even lightening your hair from black can be actually be pretty difficult. Depending on how light your hair is, you could end up with it turning green or another unexpected colour if you simply put a darker shade on top of it.

There's a whole lot of brown hair shades to take into consideration as well, whether you want brown hair with blonde highlights or just a simple classic brunette. So before you snap on your gloves and reach for that dye, get your questions answered by Nicola Clarke, expert hair colourist and Creative Colour Director at John Frieda Salons and Color Wow.

How can I make the colour look natural?

Keep your hairline lighter to make the colour appear more natural. Whether you're naturally blonde or brunette, everyone naturally has a lighter hairline, so avoid dyeing these areas. And don't dye your hair a solid colour. If you look at your natural colour of hair, you'll notice that there are several different shades, which is what gives your hair dimension so it doesn't look flat and lifeless.

How can I pick the best shade of brown for me?

Work with your skin tone when choosing your shade of brunette. A hair colouring specialist will be able to tell whether your complexion will work with cooler or warmer tones. Bring in photos of hair colours you like too, it's a great starting point to give your hair colourist.

Will going brunette make my hair healthier?

You're not stripping your hair of colour, so it won't be as damaged as it would if you bleached it, but I would always recommend following up with a treatment called Olaplex, which allows us to colour hair without damaging it, while simultaneously re-building hair strength.

How can I keep my brown hair from fading?

Use a sulphate-free shampoo, like Color Wow Colour Security Shampoo, to stop colour from fading. This particular shampoo is also free from silicones, conditioning and pearlizing agents so it's the only shampoo that leaves your hair clean without leaving colour-affecting residue behind.

To disguise roots in between salon visits, I recommend Color Wow Root Cover Up, £28.50. It's a professional powder compound that adheres to hair to camouflage roots and has a great shade selection.