I am a hair dye enthusiast -- I love to color my hair. While some do it to cover gray or because they've always dreamed of being a blond, brunette or red head, I do it because I love that it's a non-permanent way to considerably alter the way I look. Well that, and also due to the fact that my normal hair color is an extremely unappealing shade of mousy, ash-brown.

While I'm happy to shell out a fair-sized amount of cash to have my hair done professionally for special occasions, I can't afford to pay expensive salon prices every time I decide I need a change. I imagine this is the case for most of you fellow dye fans out there. I know that many hairdressers will try to persuade all of us that home hair-coloring kits will forever destroy our hair, but I also know of a few who will admit that many of the products currently on the market do a pretty decent job at a much lower price.

Having said that, if you do decide to try the DIY method, it is important to do a little research beforehand as the onus is on you to get it right. A botched at-home job will end up costing even more when you have to go to a professional to fix the splotchy, orange mess you've made of your former crowning glory. With this in mind, it's important to think about the four things listed here before you start the process.

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It's a Saturday night and I just want to go out and relax, listen to to some music, and have a drink or two -- see you at the...spa? Yep, the latest rage in beauty treatments and relaxation seems to be for spa and beauty salons to stay open late into the night, serve drinks, and play music you'd probably expect more in a club setting.

The salons that have joined this craze say it makes for a nice social mix of young "up and comings" getting dolled up before heading out on the town and the older more mature crowd that's winding down for evening. It's not only less crowded at that time, but the atmosphere caters to mingling and meeting people -- beauty salons are becoming the new social hot spots.

Yes, sexy lawyer, come over and talk to me while I sit with foil in my hair under a large dryer that looks like a space helmet. Perfect.

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Although fitness and weight loss have awesome health benefits, and that should be all the reason we need to work so hard at the gym or deprive ourselves of food we love, let's be honest -- most of us do it to look better. And even if appearance isn't your biggest reason, I don't know anybody who ever said "You know, I really wish I didn't have to be in shape to be healthy. I just hate the way I look when I'm thin and toned."

So with beauty in mind this might be the perfect time, as the pounds are dropping off one by one, to reward yourself and finally act on that urge to do something different with your hair. The power of a woman's hair is amazing, from the infamous "bad hair day" to how wonderful and beautiful you feel when it's doing just the right thing. But what to do differently -- cut or color? Bangs or no bangs? Long or short? Steering away from anything drastic is good advice, and check out this article for pointers from a Miami stylist regarding the latest hair trends and ideas for different age groups.

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