Thinking about going red? Here are 8 things you need to know.

Save for a moment of baby pink, I’ve been varying shades of blonde my entire life. I always likened blondeness to walking around with your own personal spotlight — bright, shiny and attracting plenty of attention. 

Meet me in my mid-thirties, though, and “safe” and “boring” blonde no longer cuts it. I hankered for hair that felt as fabulous and daring as I did. Blonde was so commercial. Predictable. Classic “mum”. Nowhere near bold enough to suit my personal style.

Finally comfortable with myself outside of a fourteen-year relationship, I no longer felt I had to conform to anyone’s beauty ideals but my own. It was time to shake things up. 

And going red had been on my radar for about two years.

Why so hesitant to take the plunge, though? Well, for one, I had no idea whether or not it would actually suit me. Sure, there are filters and things to ‘try out’ fun colours but they’re never quite like the real deal. 

Watch: With and without hair. Post continues below.

Then, what if I did it, and hated it? Putting red in was one thing… getting it out? Nightmare. Everyone knows red is the most stubborn of all hair dyes to remove. I’d spent 20 years doggedly toning any show of warmth out of my hair. Deliberately putting that much in? Terrifying. 

There would be no going back to blonde, that’s for sure. Would probably end up just having to dye it brown or something, and that didn’t feel fun at all.

Finally — maintenance. I am not one of those girls that enjoys coloured hair because I get a ‘new’ colour every time I wash it. I don’t want to embrace the fading. I don’t want to go on a colour ‘journey’. I want it to look salon-fresh all the time. It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it's me. 

But despite aaaaall these reservations; my natural curiosity and reckless urge to simply say “f**k it” prevailed, and now, look who’s finally a redhead!

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So if you’ve been sitting on the fence about going red, here are 8 things you need to know.

1. You will instantly go from drab to fab, and you probably won’t be ready.

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It takes about a week to stop feeling like your hair is out-performing you. A vibrant copper is so damn extra that I felt like I needed more eyebrow/lip/jewellery/general bad-ass-ery to feel like I was the one in charge.  

2. Everything in your shower caddy is going to have the word ‘colour’ on it.

Image: Supplied

Because there is no point investing in statement hair if you’re not going to protect it. I’ve already said I can’t stand fading, so I put a little colour back in every time I wash it. 

Evo Fabuloso gives bright n’ zesty orange, Wella Copper Glow gives depth and Goldwell Dual Senses is a punky London-bus red. I’ve found alternating these three not only keeps colour spicy but my hair doesn’t get ‘used to’ one regime.

3. You might want to get some gloves.

All those products I listed above? They will stain the absolute crap out of your hands. I thought about getting some shower gloves, but I can’t bring myself to contribute to disposable waste. Instead, I’ve sorted my own little hair colour hack out and use an enzyme exfoliant on my hands after every shower. 

4. Oh, and hot showers? Say goodbye to those.

I like my shower hot to replace the warmth I lack inside (ha) but these are no good for your hair or your skin. Cold showers in summer are acceptable, but this winter? In this ice palace? Pls no. 

I get around this by permitting water heated in the underbelly of hell onto and below the boobs only. Then I wash my hair and face with tepid blasts towards the end, because #beauty.

5. You’ll probably need a new pillowcase. And towels.

Despite my dreams of living in a gargoyle-flanked goth mansion, I like my bed sheets so white they’re saintly. Unfortunately, now, my virginal linens are all stained a lurid tangerine — so I’m sleeping exclusively on my navy satin beauty pillow.

6. Choose the right colourist.

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You wouldn’t go to a Greek restaurant and ask for an Indian so don’t go to a balayage expert and expect a statement shade. If you want a special colour, you gotta go to a colour specialist! Stevie English has been doing my hair for 10 years, and luckily for me, vivid, vibrant hues are his thing. 

There are a billion different shades of red, from strawberry blonde to a deep, dark cherry. Find someone who can understand the assignment — and definitely stalk the salon's Instagram, first.

If their feed is back-to-back ‘expensive brunette’ I hate to say it, but when it comes to red, they’re probably not it.

7. Enjoy wearing colours you couldn’t previously pull off.

It really is a whole new world! Rich jewel tones like purple and emerald looked distinctly average on me before. Now - ding dong! I am loving being able to look at colours I previously considered ‘off limits’ and the same goes with my makeup. Blue eyeshadow? Yes, please.

Image: Supplied

8. Anyone who says ‘gentlemen prefer blondes’ has obviously never been red.

Now, don’t get me wrong — I couldn’t give a single, solitary stuff about what a man thinks of any part of my appearance. 

But after spending so long believing blonde was the horniest hair colour, I feel distinctly more fetishized and I blame Jessica Rabbit. Calls of ‘does the carpet match the curtains’ plague me on the daily. Duh - I’ve got floorboards.

In summary, I cannot believe I didn’t do this sooner. I am LOVING the new colour and see myself rocking this one for a while. 

If you’ve been tossing up embracing a more colourful do, let this be your sign to live life more recklessly and do ittt!

For more encouragement from your virtual best friend, slide into my dm’s on my Instagram.

Feature image: Supplied; Instagram.