Comments on: Is Ombre Hair Professional?

By: khatsar

khatsar — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 15:06:30 +0000

Due to variations in skintone, culture and hair texture/cut, no one size fits all when it comes to hair. Meh to the “must look natural” line of thought. I’m of East Indian descent with black hair, so pretty much any ombre look would be “unnatural” by European standards, though henna is used in many parts of the world to add an ombre-like tint to hair.

I recently did an auburn-brown ombre on my angled bob because I think red/purple/brown tones complement brown skin. It also adds dimension to my bob, adds a bit of volume and keeps me from looking washed out in the fluorescent light of my workplace/most boardrooms.

Three things that are very important when considering ombre colouring:

1) Tone/brightness of the colour – does it complement your personal skintone/undertones or compete with it?

2) Placement – does it look like it was painted on in one stripe (usually less attractive), or is the placement a bit more subtle (I prefer a sunkissed effect)

3) Maintenance of the hair itself – if the haircut/style is itself looking frayed, unpolished or unkempt, ombre colouring will add more of a “relaxed” effect than one might prefer.

Just my $0.02.

By: Debs

Debs — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 20:39:36 +0000

In reply to Ellen. I have to be honest - scrunchies are a terrible look. It looks reasonable on teenagers at a festival but on anyone else it looks unprofessional, messy and old fashioned. When tying my hair back I go for a simple band in a similar colour to my hair and sometimes even twist hair over the band so it is not visible at all. This will make your hair look smart, neat and professional.

By: Victoria W.

Victoria W. — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 23:22:10 +0000

Personally, I think ombre hair is extremely professional as long as, like you said, you stay away from unnatural colors that draw extra attention. The cool thing about ombre is, if done right, it never “fades.” As a norm, ombre hair never starts at your roots (unless of course you have black hair, but you want your hair to be brown that fades into blonde. Or some other variation). I myself have dark brown hair with natural light golden highlights. So ombre was a good choice for me. My natural hair picked up the honey and blonde that was used for the ombre.
That being said: just because it is a low-maintenence hair coloring option, it does not mean you don’t need to take care of it. Especially if you used bleach, you’ll have to find a REALLY good conditioner that will keep your hair booking fresh. But that’s a given with any hair coloring option.
I especially find it cool when I put my hair into a smooth bun. The hair on top is brown, but when you look at the back you see all blonde.
So anywho, all of that is just to say that I think ombre is a good choice for anyone. Especially those who wants color, but don’t want that mandatory monthly touch up to keep your roots from showing!

By: Cat

Cat — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:16:59 +0000

In reply to Christine. Right, during interviews, really thinning hair could read as unwell, in the way that my Mom's head after chemo looked. And while it is illegal to discriminate based on health, that might cause you to be viewed as less reliable than another. Everything that you do for your appearance should be focused on making you look capable, reliable and ready to do the job. So clean, neatly styled hair, makeup and clothes are all going to be part of the deal. So, unless your hair or boobs or nails or hemline are applying for the job, what you want your future boss to notice is you as a whole, not one dramatic particularly flashy part of you. Think well groomed, not va-va-va-voom.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:36 +0000

Yes, ombre hair DOES exist in nature. I have naturally brown roots that lighten towards blonde at the tips. Hopefully 1. I “exist in nature and 2. I am employable… Discrimination, ppl.

By: Christine

Christine — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:58:38 +0000

In reply to Nonny. I have a friend in big law in DC who wears extensions all the time with her hair down. When she bought them, she immediately took them to her stylist to color match them with her natural hair. Her whole reasoning for extensions was not to add length but to add some volume. She, unfortunately, has extremely thin hair and she finds that w/o the extensions she looks less professional when she wears her hair down.