Hi, I'm Jasen James, a professional hair colorist and your HairColorHelper. I'm here to answer your questions about coloring your hair at home. Many of you simply want to know what color to choose. I know how confusing it can be, especially with all the choices out there.

Don't make it so hard on yourself! It's much easier if you narrow your range by staying one or two shades lighter or darker than your natural color. That way you don't have to consider the entire inventory in the store and you'll look better, too.

So start out by asking yourself what color you are. Examine your hair at the roots in daylight with a good mirror. Then ask yourself about your goals. Would you like to be lighter, darker or natural? Do you need to cover a brassy color or cover gray?

Do you look better in warm tones or cool ones? If you're not sure, stick to a neutral tone. It contains equal amounts of cool and warm. If your hair's really thick or you want to cover greys consider a permanent, cream formula. Buy two boxes just in case so you won't run out in the middle of your color application.

If you want to just blend your greys because you don't have a lot, or if you have highlights and want to keep them, reach for a semi or demi-permanent formula. Look for wording on the box that says, "No Ammonia."

Above all else, remember that color doesn't lift color. If you've colored your hair you can't buy a box of a lighter shade and expect results like you see on the box. It bears repeating: Once you've gone darker, you can't go back to light without a color correction. And that's a whole other story.

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