Changing hair colour seems to be a popular past time with celebrities at the minute, with Cheryl Cole ditching the brunette for a blonde bob and Katy Perry, who is currently rocking a ginger hue, in her quest to become a blonde! Are you currently thinking of sprucing up your colour for the summer? We asked Chris Tilley, a stylist at our Trafford Centre salon in Manchester and a member of the Regis Artistic Team, for his top tips on what to consider when opting for a new hue…

Here are my top tips on what to consider when talking through your ideas for a new colour with your Regis stylist.

• Maintenance: You need to consider how often you are prepared to visit the salon to have your colour topped up. High-lights and low-lights will show less growing out of your natural roots than a full head colour, but do take a little longer to apply in the salon. If you want a look that lasts but has multi-tones ask your stylist about having undertones of colour with your tint.

• Do you like to change your colour a lot? If you get bored easily, and like to change your colour often, let your stylist know. You may be better having a colour that will fade quicker, allowing you to change your hue often without having to strip colour out of your hair.

• Get to know your skin tone! Are you cool or warm? What colour are your eyes? If you have a hair colour that compliments the tone of your skin, your skin will look radiant. Don’t worry if you cant tell what skin tone you are, your stylist will be able to advise you.

• Are you covering grey hair? If you dont have a lot of greys then consider using Color Touch. This is a long lasting semi-permanent, which gives your hair amazing shine and condition and will cover up to 70% of your greys.

• Do you want to change your hair colour gradually? If you’re thinking of lightening your hair colour, but a little scared you wont like it, have a look at the Ombré technique. Its a great way of introducing a change without to much commitment and is really current. Check out our Ombré video for top tips on how to achieve lush Ombré locks.

• What is your condition like? If you’re thinking of a big change then you may need to have some of your existing colour “cleansed” out first as some colours wont work on top of others.  You can prepare your hair for a change by using a deep nourishing shampoo, conditioner and treatments prior to having your colour done. The better condition your hair is in the better colour result you will get.

But overall speak to a professional. Many colours and techniques don’t work on top of others and need to be personalised to your hair. So before you change your colour book in for a free colour consultation with your nearest Regis salon to get the best advice on what change in colour is best for you!