Our resident hair expert Dylan Bradshaw advises on the new hair colours making waves this autumn

Autumn signals a new season for hair styles and colours. Gone are the lighter summery tones and beachy blonde tousled hair look, the new season heralds the arrival of striking new colours and cuts. The runways for Autumn/Winter featured some sharp fringes, soft waves and cropped cuts including the curly and shaggy mullet. Colours ranged from honey golds to chocolate browns, burgundy and auburns. Braids, classic and unusual (Simone Rocha had a very contemporary braid style) and gorgeous cornrows graces the catwalks.

There are richer coppery tones, typical of autumn, but new shimmers and platinum lights add a new twist to autumn hair fashion.

As always, your top priority should be making sure your hair is healthy and glowing. A trip to the salon is worthwhile if you are planning on a colour transition or a new cut and style, but here’s what you can do at home.

>>CLOSE THE LID ON YOUR PURPLE SHAMPOO:

Purple pigmented shampoo is used to tone and neutralise unwanted warm yellow tones in blonde hair. As we step away from summer and into autumn it’s time to let some warmth come back into our colour. You might not need to stop using your purple shampoo completely but reducing your usage will help allow a little more warmth to come through. Choosing a colour protecting shampoo, conditioner or mask will help protect your colour and preserve the tone in your hair without the need to wash your hair with purple shampoo.

>>HEALTHY, GLOSSY HAIR:

Add a gloss to your hair for autumn and shiny hair starts with healthy hair. Spend a bit of time examining your hair to see what needs to be fixed and focus on that area first. Dry hair needs moisture, damaged hair need strengthening and coloured hair needs colour protection. I always recommend a treatment mask once a week or at least once every fortnight. These will give the hair an extra layer of protection and nutrition.

Reducing how often you use heated tools will also prevent the hair from being dehydrated, it will enhance shine by leaving moisture in the hair and will stop colour from fading due to oxidisation.

Finding hairstyles that don’t require frequent heat styling will help with this.

When styling is necessary be sure to use a heat protector. There are plenty of products out there that offer sufficient protection. If it’s a case that you need to blowdry the hair before you use a straightener or curler then be sure to use a heat protector that stays in the hair after styling or reapply after your blowdry and before you use any more heated tools.

>>GENTLE COLOUR CHANGES:

After months of hard work getting your colour perfect for summer you don’t want to have to go through a big colour change to get your hair autumn ready. Plus, if you can get the look you want with minimal effort then it will be easier to brighten your colour again if or when the time comes.

A great way to add warm tones back into the hair if to use a simple gloss. A semipermanent colour can be used to slightly darken the hair and to add in those beautiful autumnal golds, coppers and reds. Only using a toner will mean that the colour change is subtle and isn’t permanent. It can be lifted from the hair easily whenever you want. This is the perfect way to start a subtle transition towards a new shade. If you are worried about a change being too drastic, speak to your colourist about how you can gradually transform your colour over the coming months.