One of the joys of hair color is being able to switch up your hue with the season-- going darker in the fall and lightening up for the summer. Unfortunately for some women, there can be some major color snafu's along the way. Read on to find out commenter Denise's highlights horror story.

Hi Jason,
A year ago my hair had blonde highlights and after nine months I decided to change it. I went to a salon and asked the guy to cover all the highlights and told him to just dye it black. My hair turned blue!! He tried to cover it with red and my hair was half purple and half blue. I was so upset and I told him that he had to fix my hair, which he finally did, and now I have all black hair.

The thing is, I really miss my highlights, so I was thinking about getting highlights this summer. I'm scared that something bad would happen to my hair though. What should I do?
-Denise

Hi Denise!
First, let me explain what probably happened when you went darker. Hair color is formulated with the perfect balance of tones and is manufactured assuming it is being applied to virgin hair. When we lighten hair we are removing the natural red, orange and yellow tones to reveal light brown or blonde. When you wanted to make your blonde highlights black, it sounds like your colorist didn't "fill" your hair first - that is salon speak for replacing the missing red, orange and gold tones. In his defense, when going black, 90% of the time it's OK to skip this step but if you get stuck in the 10% it doesn't work and it's a real drag!

Second - can you go lighter for spring/summer? Absolutely! One option is to do it with highlights over multiple salon visits. First do a full head of very fine, very close together medium to light brown highlights. On your next visit follow that up with a half head of medium blonde highlights and on your next visit another full head of highlights to make it look even more blonde. With this approach you can slowly but surely achieve a neutral, natural looking blonde and keep the hair as healthy as possible.

The key word there is slowly -- If you are an instant gratification girl you can lighten the entire base and then follow that up with a full head of highlights. You can expect your hair to feel a bit more compromised when you are finished and it will most likely have a very warm (golden or even reddish) result, but the upside is you can be all over lighter in just one visit.

My recommendation for anyone thinking about going from light to dark like you did last Fall is to do it with demi-permanent hair color. You can still get a rich deep brunette or even black shade but it will gently fade and when you change your mind in the spring to go lighter (as almost everyone does), it is so much easier and so much less damaging to change than permanent color.

Long story short (too late, I know), GO FOR IT! I hope this helps.
- Jason

Whenever I write a new post, I always check back to see what you readers are saying. Recently I've been noticing a lot of you have been telling me your various hair color problems in the comments. In light of these cries for help, I've decided to create a new feature, Commenter Crisis, to address your color woes. First, up is commenter Wardeh.

I've been coloring my hair for the last 5 years and nothing's been working. When I go to the salon to do one color, it comes out something else. I've been trying medium brown with some highlights and it comes out orange. Salons are very expensive and I don't have the money to do it all the time so I need some tips for coloring my hair the way I want it.
-Wardeh

Hi Wardeh
There are some things that may be helpful in giving you the result you are looking for as well as leave a little cash in your pocket. When you color your hair at home with the medium brown shade, choose a brown shade that has the words ash or cool in the description - Medium Ash Brown. The ash will help neutralize the warm tones and keep your color from looking red.

As for the highlights, they are really difficult to do at home. I do have a video clip on my blog demonstrating at home highlights if you want to try it yourself. In most cases though I think you should go to the salon when you want them.

Here is the trick - go after you have done your own base color - it will save you a ton of cash and you will end up with a fab result. The colorist in the salon can add just a few or as many as you like. Be specific in your consultation with him or her to let them know your color has a tendency to turn red so he/she can choose the right products. Depending on your hairstyle, you may only need to go in for highlights every 3 or 4 months - not bad.

When you are maintaining your color at home, only apply the color to the new growth (roots) and don't get it on the highlights. My sister trained her husband to help and my mother has my sister help her (with a bottle of wine of course! Might as well make a party out of it!). My point is it may be easier with a friend but if you are deliberate in your application it can be very easy. As your color fades and changes in between services, give yourself an at home gloss. Apply one of the Clairol Natural Instincts Brass Free colors to your very damp hair. Leave it on for 3-5 minutes and rinse. It will leave your highlights shiny and well, brass free.

I hope you find these tips helpful! I'd love to hear how it works out - LMK - Jason

I had a great chat the other day with Nancy Houlmont, the editor of Beauty 411 about how to create a great relationship with your colorist. Read on for an excerpt from our interview:

Women have such a connection with their hair colorist and it's important for you both to be on the same wavelength. I am not a fan of a woman sitting in my chair saying "Do whatever you want - you're the expert".  Beauty is individual and what I love, you might hate. Always keep that in mind.

I love it when people bring in pictures of themselves with a color they had that they loved and a color they less than loved. It's great even when they bring in tears from magazines because that shows me so much more clearly the direction that they want to go.  Don't worry too much about whether the images would look good on you or not -- that's my job -- you are simply showing me things you like and things you don't like so I can understand your aesthetic a little better.

Also be able to articulate what you like about the color you have now and what you don't like about the color you have now - that way I can perfect or change as needed.  Basically, the more you can tell your colorist and the more specific you can be about what you want or don't want, the better your end result will be.

Want to read the full interview? Nancy will be posting it on Beauty 411 next month so stay tuned!

Photo: © Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com

A common conversation I often have with brunettes is how to lighten up their hair without making them look like they could be mistaken for a blonde. I recently had this talk with the lovely Anne Hathaway when she stopped by the salon to freshen up her color last week.

When Annie got to the salon we discussed maintaining her hair color.  She loved what we did before award season and wanted the same kind of effect without being as dark and dramatic as it was for winter.

We decided to take the color she had faded to and sparkle it up a little by doing a single process with  a neutral tone light brown demi-permanent color.  A demi-permanent is a fantastic option for dark brunettes because it can add depth, richness and shine without being heavy or opaque.

We followed the single process up with a fantastic shine-enhancing product, Sebastian Cellophane. The Eighties favorite was revamped with a new protein base that makes it an incredible treatment with unbelievable shine. When we were finished, she was the perfect summer brunette - and really pleased with her new color.

This look can also be easily done at home.  Try Natural Instincts Brass Free as the demi-permanent (available several shades from medium blonde to medium brown) and follow with Nice N' Easy Shine Happy for that spectacular salon looking shine at home!

Try it out and LMK what you think!

I recently received a request from a friend of a friend who had a less than pleasant salon experience and asked me for suggestions - see the email chain and pics below. I loved it, what do you think? LMK

Hi Jason,

Great to finally "meet" you... Thank you so much for helping me out--I really didn't want to spend the rest of summertime looking like a cheetah :( I had asked for natural brown or red highlights (possibly slightly lighter, but subtle) and I think the colorist and I had a different understanding. I've attached some pictures of what my hair looks like now--I just got it done last night so I haven't washed it yet. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated :)

Kathleen

Hi Kathleen!

You are the best!!! You are like the Mother Teresa of hair color! The result came out amazing : ) I did it yesterday and it was truly as easy as you said it would be, and my first time with box hair color too!! I'm totally sold! I used the 6, light brown, and applied it two times.

The second time was the charm, and took away all of that awful orange/red brassiness. I am relieved to finally no longer look like a tiger -- it was a scary 36 hours.

Kathleen

When I was home in Minnesota a few weeks ago, my nephew Brady Hall wanted some highlights in his hair. He is eight years old so we had to get the OK from my sister (his mom) who said what the heck! I decided to try the Clairol Nice 'N Easy Hairpainting kit and make a video at the same time. In the video you will see the product and how I applied it with tips and tricks along the way. Brady and I thought the results were super cool - AND he's the coolest kid in school.

Have you tried at home highlights? How were your results? LMK - Jason

Times have changed!

Last weekend Ted and I were just outside Philadelphia selling Ted's brand new clip on hair extensions on QVC (which, I might add, he sold out of in 7 minutes!). On the drive home, I noticed a billboard advertising prom dresses and I had to laugh (when you see my prom picture you will laugh too!) because times sure have changed!!! Gone are the days of girls with natural hair color and floor length satin dresses.

Prom today is all about girls having the chance to live out a Hollywood glamour fantasy for one night. The dresses and hair are emulating what we see on starlets from the red carpet vs. the bridesmaid looking dresses of the 80's and bridal party updo's with curly tendrils hanging down on each side! I say right on girls! Live out that fantasy and have a great time doing it - as we grow up there are less and less chances to have a fantasy night out on the town - LIVE GIRLS! LIVE!!!

Perfect prom hair color is crucial to completing that starlet look. It can be as simple as taking a box of Natural Instincts from your favorite drug store to add sparkle, depth and shine or heading in to the salon for the advice and guidance of an expert. Either way keep in mind the hair color trends for the season. If you are sporting a blond shade, to be on point you should stay on the cooler side. That means less golden and more sandy or beachy tones. Whether it is a single process or highlights - or both - a neutral looking blond is right on. Kate Moss and Heidi Klum are good example right now.

Brunette? Go for rich and deep color with hints of walnut or chestnut to be in line with the trends. Whether you make a bold statement with a single process like Katy Perry or something soft and glamorous like Anne Hathaway, you will be sure to be the belle of the ball.

If you really want to kick things up a notch and be a show stopper at your prom, there has never been a better time to be a red head. Now, more than ever, reds are making a chic, sophisticated fashion statement and are guaranteed to turn every head in the room. Remember this tip for going red: the lighter your complexion and eyes the more copper you can have in your red and the darker your complexion and eyes the less copper you should have - think red-red or ruby red.

Whatever you decide, have a blast!!!! And LMK

Also--Please take our Prom Survey!

When I met Angie, we started to talk about an at home solution to extending the length of time between salon visits. She loves going to the salon and doesn't want to stop but at the same time she doesn't want to be there every three weeks to have her new growth colored.

I have mentioned this product before and I swear by it. Clairol's Root Touch Up can be a life saver. It is exactly what Angie was looking for, just a little cheater to give her a couple extra weeks in between salon visits. In this clip, I cover everything you might want to know about the product - from what it looks like when you open the package to how you mix it, apply it and process it. You even get to see the final result and what a great job the product does at blending out the grays through her part and around her hairline.

I love it - I hope you do too! What do you think? LMK

Nancy is one of my blogging inspirations. She is the creator and writer for the influential beauty blog Beauty411. When I was in Chicago a few weeks ago, I was thrilled to get the chance to meet her and to get to play beauty shop in the bathroom of my suite at the Hilton Hotel.

Nancy is really a salon color gal but was a really good sport and let me apply Clairol's Perfect 10 (my favorite) AND record it with my Flip Video recorder. During this process I walked Nancy through shade selection, application tips and processing to give her some insider tips on choosing the correct shades and how to get great salon looking results at home (or in this case a hotel bathroom!).

Take a peek at the video. What do you think? LMK

Maybe because it's the season of new beginnings, maybe it's because we are welcoming the light or maybe it's because it's a time of rebirth. Whatever the reason, wedding season is upon us in full force! Once we spring ahead with the clocks it seems there are weddings non- stop until the 4th of July - and I love it!

I get questions all of the time from brides-to- be about what they should do with their hair color. There are a few things to think about before the big day arrives and of course I am happy to share them with you ;)

First off, are you planning on making a big change? If you said yes - reconsider! Hahaha! Ok not necessarily, but give yourself some options. Clearly, a wedding can take a perfectly sane, lovely, delightful woman and turn her into another being - a dramatic color change right before the wedding could be the shove that pushes her over the edge. If you want to make a change in color before the wedding, I recommend making that change 8-10 weeks before the wedding. That way you have at least one, maybe two, more visits to the colorist to tweak the color before the big day - or to color it back if you less than love it.

If you are just maintaining the color you are currently wearing, you can pop in to the salon 3 days to a week before the wedding. If you get your color done more than a week before the wedding you may be able to see a more exaggerated new growth (roots) in your photos. Even if you're maintaining your color, think about adding some bolder highlights than usual - they will look great in the photos!

I love a good wedding story....How'd it go? LMK

Try on wedding hairstyles in the Star-Inspired Wedding Styles Look Book!

Need more bridal beauty advice? Check out the new Wedding Beauty special section.