I witnessed drama unfold in front of me last weekend. Religiously, I go to the saloon every weekend to have my hair and nails done. After my hair was done, I sat ready for my nails to be taken care of; a procedure that always leaves tears in my eyes because my nails usually go deep into the skin, creating a lot of pain when my manicurist removes them. This time instead of tears of pain, I cried tears of what I witnessed.

A lady sitting next to me in the saloon, was having her hair dyed blonde even though her skin tone was as black as the night but very beautiful. As we were chit chatting I commented that the colour she was trying dye on her hair will be a disaster and will not suit her, but she brushed off the comment and told me I knew nothing about what it means to be stylish.

After her hair was ready and styled, she called her husband to come and pick her. The man walked into the saloon and even passed her wife not recognizing her because of the hair. She called him back and what we saw thereafter left little to be desired. The man went straight to his wife and pulled her up to where the sink was and started washing her hair himself, yelling at her inability to choose the right hair styles to befit a married woman.

All the while the woman was trying to defend herself and saying she was not going to change the colour of her hair, because no one has a right over her head except herself. It was after a scuffle and exchange of very harsh words-when the woman realized that hair was going to cost her marriage. With her head bowed down her hair was dyed to black once again and looked very beautiful.

No one in the saloon commented anything until when she left. By the way it is not just this lady who has made a blunder in choosing the right colour that complements her skin, but we have seen quite a number of African women turning heads in bizarre colours of their hair. In fact I once saw a mature woman old enough to be my mother having worn a weave which had more than five colors on her head! You see we copy so much from the magazines that we forget that these people do not go out in public in such horrible colours on their heads.

Different skin tones match different hair colours, it is always a bad hair day when you dye your head blonde when your skin tone is charcoal black, just the same way some people  dye their hair green. Whether you are opting to colour your hair to hide the gray strands or just to change the way you look, you have to choose the best hair colours for your skin tone. It is absolutely essential that the hair colour you choose goes with your skin tone.

Many women blindly follow fashion and choose hair colours that are currently in trend, when those particular hair colours may not suit their complexion. Dying hair can be of different types. You can go for an all over colouring job with a single colour or opt for hair highlights and lowlights. Whatever process you choose, the most important factor that will define your look is the shade of the hair colour you choose that matches your skin tone.

There are colour shades that do not augur well with grandmothers or mature women. It can be very embarrassing to women in this age bracket to be spotted with funny colours on their heads; it is now very common because every woman wants to look like a sweet sixteen.

Many times I walk in the streets in different countries that I visit, and appreciate how my mother carries herself, with her short and natural hair- she looks every inch a woman her age.

Choosing the right hair colour entails more than simply finding a shade you like. You should consider how the colour works with your skin tone and opt for a shade that brings out the best in your natural colouring. A well-chosen hair colour can help camouflage flaws while brightening or balancing your complexion. First-time hair dyers should work with a professional stylist to select the most complimentary colour for their skin tone.

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