Chocolate Brown Hair Colour

Brown hair is the second most common hair colour in the world, after black hair. It varies from light brown hair to almost black hair. There are various shades of chocolate brown that one can choose from. These include milk chocolate, dark chocolate, spicy chocolate, and raspberry chocolate. Chocolate brown hair mostly suits all skin complexions. This article covers everything about chocolate hair colour. 

Types of Chocolate Brown Hair 

The different kinds of brown hair are:

  • Deepest Brunette Hair This colour is the darkest brown. It sometimes appears to be black from distance. Most Asians and African Americans naturally have this hair colour.
  • Dark Brown Hair This shade of hair is lighter than deepest brunette hair but is still darker than most brown shades. 
  • Milk Chocolate Brown Hair This hair colour is a warmer shade of brown hair. It looks best on pale or light brown skin.
  • Dark Chocolate Brown Hair This hair colour looks like the most authentic brown colour shade. This hair colour suits people with darker skin more than those with pale skin. This is one of the most common brown hair colour that people have over the world.
  • Medium Brown Hair This one is lighter than the dark chocolate brown colour. It is also known as the standard brunette hair in western countries.
  • Walnut Brown Hair or Chestnut Brown Hair This is a warmer version of medium brown hair. Its colour is very like the colour of walnuts or chestnuts. 
  • Light Golden-Brown Hair – This hair colour is referred to as blonde hair as well. This colour suits women who have pale skin the most.

How to do Chocolate Brown Hair at Home

To dye your hair at home, you will need the following products:

  • Your favourite chocolate brown hair dye,
  • A pair of disposable gloves,
  • Hair colour protectant serum, or vaseline, lip balm, or hair conditioner.
  • Colour protectant shampoo and conditioner.

The following are the steps one should follow to dye their hair at home:

  1. Wash your hair, 24 to 48 hours before applying hair dye to it. This helps in enabling natural oils in your hair, which binds well with the hair colour and brings out an even richer colour.
  2. Pick your favourite chocolate brown hair colour, which could be semi-permanent or permanent, according to your preference.
  3. Drape a towel around your shoulders and wear a pair of disposable gloves. 
  4. Brush your hair well, removing any knots from your hair. Divide your hair into four sections and secure them with plastic clips.
  5. Now, coat your hairline, ears, and neck with a protectant serum before applying the hair colour. This is done in order to avoid getting excess colour on your hairline, ears, and neck. If you don’t have a protectant serum, you could also use Vaseline, lip balm, or the conditioner included in your hair dye package (if it has one).
  6. Mix the dye in a bowl according to the instructions given on the package. Also, mix your dye with a developer. However, note that a developer comes with only a few dye packages. So, make sure that you’re buying a dye package that has a developer in it.
  7. Now, apply the mixed dye to your hair in sections. Break each section of your hair into even smaller sections. After applying the dye with the brush, you can also use your gloved hands to spread the dye evenly on your hair. 
  8. After you have evenly applied the dye to your hair, cover your hair with a shower cap.
  9. Remember: The thicker your hair is, you’ll have to make even smaller sections of your hair accordingly.
  10. Set the timer for how long you want to keep the dye on your hair. This information is usually given under the instructions of your package.
  11. If you have excess dye on your forehead, wipe it off with a wet cloth, without disturbing the dye on your hair.
  12. After the time of keeping the dye on is over, rinse off the hair dye with plain warm water. Don’t worry if you see colour running down on the sink, it is a natural process. Excessive colour that is not needed by your hair will be washed out with water.
  13. After washing your hair with plain warm water, wait an hour before using a shampoo and a conditioner. It is always better to use a colour protectant shampoo and conditioner.
  14. Once you’ve shampooed and conditioned your hair, let it air dry or use a blow dryer to dry your hair.
  15. The hair colouring process is over, you can now style your hair as you wish to.

OTC Products for Chocolate Brown Hair

OTC refers to over-the-counter products which are safe and appropriate for use. The following products are safe to use if you want to dye your hair:

  • Garnier Nutrisse – This brand has various chocolate brown shades such as; sweet cola, dark chocolate, truffle, cocoa bean, and chocolate caramel. This product only has permanent hair colours. This product causes the least amount of damage and leaves a hydrated look once you wash it off.
  • Revlon Colorsilk – This product has shades such as; deep rich brown, dark brown, golden brown, and red-brown. According to customers’ reviews, Revlon Colorsilk is the perfect choice when choosing between hair colours. They provide a nourished look once you wash them. They have both; semi-permanent and permanent hair colours.
  • Clairol Natural Instincts – This is a semi-permanent hair colour product. This product’s colour usually fades after 28 hair washes. It is the best product for beginners who are still conflicted about if they want a permanent chocolate brown hair colour. They have shades such as rosewood, golden brown, hot cocoa, and dark chocolate.
  • Clairol Nice ‘n Easy – They have shades such as; natural dark brown, natural darkest brown, medium caramel brown. This product has a range of permanent hair colours. According to customers’ reviews, the hair colour from this range is said to be long lasting and gentle. They also cover grey hair and leave a natural look.
  • Garnier Belle Color – This range of products has shades such as; dark brown, medium brown, chocolate caramel. They are permanent hair colours. They provide a natural look after you wash the colour of your hair. They also give 100% grey coverage.

Precautions

The following are the precautions to keep in mind when dying your hair:

  • Always make sure to use a quality hair colouring product when dying your hair.
  • Make sure to wear gloves when you’re dying your hair at home.
  • Do not use a conditioner a day before you dye your hair. This can change the texture and colour of the hair colour formula.
  • Pool water can ruin your coloured hair. Chlorine can damage the colour and the quality of your hair. Always use a shower cap if you’re going in the pool.
  • Sun exposure also causes damage to one’s hair colour. It can burn your hair, lead to hair ageing (grey hair) and cause colour fading. Hence, always apply a sun protectant spray before leaving your house.
  • It is always better to choose those hair dye products that have more natural ingredients than chemicals. They cause less damage.
  • If you are dying your hair for the first time, it is better to get it done from a salon with the help of a professional.
  • If you have jet black hair, you might have to bleach your hair or go for hair lightening to get the ‘chocolate brown’ hair looks. Thus, going to a salon is recommended over bleaching your hair at home.
  • When you’re lightening your black hair, it is advisable to not go for blonde lightening. This is because if you lighten your hair to blonde colour, and then dye your hair brown – the outcome will be dull brown hair. Thus, lighten your hair to a grey colour first.

Myths and Facts 

MYTHS FACTS
It is hard to return to your natural hair colour once you dye your hair. This is not true. If you want your natural hair colour back, you can choose to apply a semi-permanent hair dye. These hair dyes usually rinse off in about 10 washes. If you choose a hair colour that is closest to your natural hair colour, your hair will return to its natural hair colour soon enough.
If I dye my hair, it will become dry and brittle. No. This is not true. One’s hair will only become dry and brittle after dying them if they have chosen cheap products or products that have harmful chemicals in them. It is best to use products that are safe to use and have good reviews. It is also advisable to not bleach your hair excessively as that can also lead to dry hair. It is also important to take care of your hair once you have dyed it. Make sure that your hair is always hydrated and healthy.
You should wash your hair only after two to three days after dying them. No. This is a myth. You can wash your hair whenever you’d like, even every day if you’re using shampoo and a conditioner that is designed to protect your hair colour.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q: Is it necessary to do an allergy test before dying one’s hair?

A: Yes. It is always better to be safe than sorry. Even though very few people are allergic to hair dyes, it is still risky. Hence, 48 hours before dying your hair, pat some hair dye on the inside of your elbow or behind your ears. If you experience itching, swelling, or irritation, it means you have an allergy. 

Q: Is it important to use colour-protective shampoo and conditioner after dying one’s hair?

A: Yes. Shampoos and conditioners that protect hair colours give more nourishment to the hair than regular products. They also help in protecting colour fading that is caused by water exposure. They also help in making one’s hair shiny, hydrated, and healthy. 

Q: Does dying one’s hair cause permanent hair loss?

A: No. This is not true. Hair colour treatments do not cause permanent hair loss. If you don’t take care of your hair, hair loss is inevitable, even if you have not dyed it. Thus, always take care of your hair and use products that offer moisture, and nourishment to your hair. This way, your hair will not be damaged.

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