Ash vs Warm tones in hair colour

[Rini]

I was speaking with an acquaintance the other day and she was saying that ash tones in hair can be ageing. She was not talking about grey hair, but rather the ash tones that are in some hair colours (whether it is dyed or natural).

What do you think about this ash vs warm theory? Surely if your skin tone is warm/cool then that should determine what hair colour is most flattering? Do ash tones really age people? :confused: Have you had ash toned hair and warm toned hair before and, if so, did the ash tone make you look older?

[missfortune9335]

I think you're correct in thinking that the skin tone should determine the hair tone. People with cool skin tones look better in cool (or ashy) hair tones, in my opinion anyway

[rapunzhell13]

I believe it depends on your overall colour scheme. Ash tones on a warm person will age them and warm tones on a cool person will age them. Also, the right tones will flatter you in other ways like bring out your eyes.

[girlcat36]

I am seeing so many young girls with beautiful brunette hair getting ashy highlights recently. I always have to do a double take because I think it looks like grey hair on a young girl!

[paperwhite]

I don't think that ash tones would necessarily age a person with a warm complexion so much as just not suit them well. The same could be said for warm tones on someone with a cooler complexion. I naturally have a cool complexion and ash tones in my hair, but I've also had great results with dying it red for a number of years. Maybe I just got lucky?

[jane53]

I have discovered that ash tones are too ashy for me, but red tones are not good either.

I put a temporary rinse on my roots sometimes (my whites and grays blend into the rest of my hair more effectively the longer they get, but when they're just coming out at the roots sometimes I like to tint them temporarily). I was using a red-toned light brown, and it just looked wrong, wrong, wrong with my skin tone and the rest of my hair. So I went to the other extreme and used a light ash-brown, and that looked purple under certain lights! Not what I was shooting for! So I finally learned that plain old straight-forward light brown is the best for the times I use the temporary tint: not too red, not too ashy.

[chipzahoy]

I have very yellow undertones and find that neither ash nor warm tones suit my face. It's been a constant color battle ever since getting highlights over my naturally black hair, which eventually face to a red color (looks bad) then the cycle of dyeing over the highlights with an ash color, then fading again, etc. I'm learning how to accept my natural color :rolleyes:

But anyway, I don't agree with the idea that hair color ages people. Skin is a much clearer indication of aging, to me.

[MsBubbles]

I agree with what Girlcat said. In some cases it makes their lovely deep brunette hair look grey, and this is on young ladies. Otherwise I'd say it depends on your own skin tone as to what colors bring it out, or slay it.

[Debra83]

When I change my naturally darker hair (med brown) to a very light ash blond, or a dark ash blonde, I find that I look like a faded copy of myself and I definitely FEEL like it makes me look older. Ash blond can very much, and very easily, look like gray hair IMHO.

[Qadupae]

For me personally, I know ash tones in my hair are actually in a way both maturing, but not aging for me since I have cool pale skin. Whenever I had my hair dyed vivid dark reds and and such, it would actually accentuate my wrinkles and dark circles under my eyes. Switching the a medium ash brown for me has calmed down my skin tone and softened up my skin complexion. I agree with the overall idea so far that skin tone can really shift what looks aged on one person versus another.

[UltraBella]

I am naturally a dark ash blonde. Until just recently I was coloring my hair copper red and had been doing so for five years. I still do not know which to go with ! While they look very different from each other, neither ages me.
I have been thinking of finding an old pic of my natural hair color and posting it along side a copper pic, and then taking a poll on which I should go with before my hair appointment on Thursday.......

[Anlbe]

I don't know if ash is aging but I have a very pale cool skin tone and ash does NOT suit me. I completely agree that it's necessary to match everything from hair and clothes to jewelry to skin tone, but I don't believe that's simply a question labeling oneself warm or cool.

It took me years to break away from labeling myself 'cool' but with my white powdery skin cool hair makes me look ill and washed out. Now my highlights have quite alot of red in them. It funny because they doesn't really read red and everytime I go and get them redone my stylist has to check with me because she suspects she's got the wrong card. But my skin needs the warm coloured hair to reflect off, otherwise the green and blue undertones come out to play.

[Charlotte:)]

I believe it depends on your overall colour scheme. Ash tones on a warm person will age them and warm tones on a cool person will age them. Also, the right tones will flatter you in other ways like bring out your eyes.

Well, I think it just depends on their natural coloring. I naturally have very cool skin/eyes and warm hair, and people always think I am much younger than I am. I think that whatever colors you're born with will look best whether they are warm, cool, or both :)

[Dreams_in_Pink]

I think exactly the opposite :D Golden brown tones (if hair's also frizzy, of course) remind me of platinum blonde bleached hair dyed back to brown :D Ashy colors look more natural to me and look like they were never dyed at all. Currently, i'm thinking of dyeing my ends dark ash brown like my roots.

I'm talking about my own skin tone here though.

[Sylvanas]

I believe it depends on your overall colour scheme. Ash tones on a warm person will age them and warm tones on a cool person will age them. Also, the right tones will flatter you in other ways like bring out your eyes.

I agree with this. Though if you've had bleached, unnatural looking hair for a while and decide to dye it a light ash blonde - ofc you will look more grown up. But aging? No :)

[squiggyflop]

when people who used to have ashtones go warm through dye it ages them sometimes..
and when people who used to have warm tones go ashy through dye it can sometimes be aging

[lapushka]

I see all these messages about how cool goes with cool and warm with warm 'cause that's how it is and that's how it's supposed to be. Odd. I have pink undertones and have natural dark ash blond / light ash brown hair. So what am I? A freak of nature? :) I've had ash toned hair since about age 8 or 9, before that I had light blonde, then beige blond hair. I don't think there's necessarily any correlation between your skin tone and the color of your hair. After all, your hair color changes throughout your life.

[Melisande]

Lapushka, far as I understand this gospel ;-) pink undertones mean cool skin, and so do ashen hair colors. So you are totally consistent.

I also think that there are many different aspects to color choice than only warm and cold. I have cool/neutral skin color, always had dark blonde hair with golden/reddish shine, and I have green/brown eyes in a warm tone. I'm certainly a freak of nature. My henna'ed hair plays my rosacea to disadvantage so I dampen it with brown. So somehow it works out.

My best colours that I get complimented on are cold purple or warm olive green. Go figure...

[jane53]

All the color dictates fly out the window in my case.

I have very dark brown eyes and light brown hair. My skin is light peach/gold. You would think I should wear peach and coral makeup colors and look good with a golden hair tint. However, I look exhausted and sallow with peach and coral and brown makeup tones and look good with roses, berries, purples, and mauves. And I look like a clown with golden hair tints; they look Ronald McDonald red. On the other hand, ash doesn't work either.

I started looking better when I stopped following rules and just did what was right for me.

[Cheeks1206]

I am seeing so many young girls with beautiful brunette hair getting ashy highlights recently. I always have to do a double take because I think it looks like grey hair on a young girl!

I used to work with a girl that had medium brown hair (natural or dyed, I have no idea) and she always got really pale ashy blonde highlights. I never told her, but I thought it looked terrible! I guess the dark hair/super light highlight combo creates an aging look. Her hair really did look like it was full of grays.

[Rini]

Hey thanks for the comments girls! I'm always quite confused when it comes to warm vs cool. For myself, I really don't go by any rules now as I seem to contradict many of the warm vs cool theory. Sometimes I wear clothes because I love the colour, but they may not be perceived as looking very good on me by others. Oh well, as I near 40 I don't care anymore! hehe I think if I were to add more warmth to my hair, then it would not look right somehow? Yet, I really enjoyed being a bright copper henna head for many years. Strange....:confused:

[jera]

I'm fairly pale, but anything ashey makes me look totally washed out which I feel can be aging. On my hair golden tones look best. :)

I think the hair color you have in your siggy pic looks beautiful BTW.

[dropinthebucket]

At 45, I started growing my hair out for that same reason! i don't care what people think of me anymore! ;) isn't getting older great??! everybody always told me my hair was too fine and thin to grow long, and it would look like rats' tails - now i think, ok, so if it looks like rats' tails, who cares? i got no one left to please in life now but ME! :D

[TrudieCat]

when people who used to have ashtones go warm through dye it ages them sometimes..
and when people who used to have warm tones go ashy through dye it can sometimes be aging

This. A family member dyes her ash toned dark blonde hair a very warm blonde, and it just seems to make her look older. I sometimes see dyed hair that just looks weirdly "off" on the street, and I think it's because of this same issue.

[WilloTheWisp]

The suitability of cold or warm tones depends on skin, eyes and hair ofcourse. That's what I think but everyone can use the tones they want and like :) personally I prefer colder tones, warms don't suit me at all. I hate my natural hair because it has "natural golden shine" out in the sunshine. But it looks grayish indoors... fortunately dyeing is invented! :D

[Culdayne]

I was confused about the warm/vs cool thing for a long time. I agree with others, though, sometimes rules don't apply.

I think sometimes a neutral hair color is best for people, including myself. :shrug:

[gi2121]

I fear I'm also some kind of "freak" like some of you said earlier because I have yellow tones to my skin but my hair (dark brown) is definitely on the ashy side. I see the difference very well now that I'm groing out henndigo because though the color looks even on the whole hair, the henndigoed hair has warm tones when under the sun, because of the henna, while the 2 inches or so of virgin hair are ashier. You have to take a close look to see the difference and there has to be a direct sunlight, but it's definitely there. I tend to think whatever you're born with is usually the most flattering to you, so unless Mother Nature freaked out the day I was conceived, maybe this whole dark/ warm thing isn't as linear as it sounds. Maybe there are also some "neutral" colorings going on or some dark/warm possible combos...

[gi2121]

I'm fairly pale, but anything ashey makes me look totally washed out which I feel can be aging. On my hair golden tones look best. :)

I think the hair color you have in your siggy pic looks beautiful BTW.

Pale doesn't necessarily mean cool... I'm also pale but the undertones are warm, it's possible.

[Rini]

jera, thanks :flowers:

dropinthebucket, I'd like to post the link you sent me here: http://www.prettyyourworld.com/ I found the quiz quite helpful actually!

gi2121, I also am VERY pale but when I put my arm next to someone else's arm, my arm looks positively yellow! I guess I am warm toned, yet my hair is naturally ashy. It's sooooo confusing!! :confused: