In the 1950s, only 7 per cent of women coloured their hair, compared to more than 65 per cent nowadays, according to a recent Proctor & Gamble survey. However, there’s nothing new about hair dye. The ancient Greeks and Romans used indigo, henna and red-earth to colour their hair, while 19th century women risked nasty peroxide burns, not to mention their reputations, all in the name of keeping grey at bay.

Thankfully, hair colouring has come a long way and women over the age of 50 are no longer consigned to ‘pepper and salt’ or a blue-rinse.

However, finding the right hair shade can be tricky, as I discovered not so long ago when I let myself be talked into some red and gold highlights. Not only was my purse considerably lighter after the experience but my complexion seemed to take on a reddish hue to match the hair, which resulted in me having a permanent ‘ruddy glow’ – not a good look!

Contrasting colours
International hair-colouring expert Louis Licari says: ”Your hair colour should give a contrast to your skin tone so it defines your face.”

The mistake many of us make when opting for a colour is that we try and return to the colour we were in our teens, rather than taking our cue from the base colour we are now. As a result, brunettes can end up looking like witches and blondes like ageing Barbie dolls.

According to Christophe Robin of L’Oreal Paris, hair colour is not just about whether you are blonde, brown or red but more about matching your skin tone.

Useful tip
“Each hair colour is divided into warm, cool and natural tones,” he says. “A useful tip is if gold jewellery looks good on you, go for warm tones and, if you prefer the look of silver jewellery, opt for a cooler tone.”

Blondes
Going too blond or ashy can make you very pale and wan looking. Hair specialists suggest adding low-lights as an alternative or mixing in some golden tones to add a bit of warmth and life to your face.

Brunettes
As we age, our skin softens and becomes paler. So, if you go back to your original colour, the contrast can be too severe and you end up looking like one of the Adams family! Ideally, brunettes should lighten up two to three shades from their natural colour, adding some highlights for a more realistic effect. Don’t go darker than chocolate brown or auburn, say the experts.

Medium brown
According to Licari, if medium brown was your natural colour, light brown or light auburn is what you should be thinking of now. Ash brown is also a good colour for medium browns but avoid reds, which can be hard on the complexion.

Red heads
Natural red heads tend to have pale skin, so honey-blonde is a good colour for them. However, many red heads go grey later than darker shades and their hair tends to fade rather than go silver.