Sofía Vergara, a Natural Blonde, Says Going Dark to Get Work in Hollywood Was 'Worth It' (Exclusive)

"At the end of the day, it was hair. It was not like I was cutting my fingers off," Vergara, a global brand ambassador for Schwarzkopf, tells PEOPLE

Sofía Vergara is sharing her hair story.

The actress and producer is a new global brand ambassador for innovative haircare brand Schwarzkopf and will spread the message about its new campaign, “What Story Will You Tell?”, empowering people to own their beauty stories. The trendsetting brand has also declared 2024 the year of the blonde.

For Vergara, 51, that means opening up about her hair journey when she got to Hollywood about 20 years ago.

The star, who was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, moved to the U.S. in her early 30s. The natural blonde says that when she started searching for work, she realized, “the way that I looked was not the way that Hollywood really saw Latina women. They were expecting a more dark-haired woman. It was difficult because they were a little confused, like, ‘This woman sounds like a Latin woman but she's blonde.’"

Related: Sofía Vergara Is Not to Be Messed with as Savvy Colombian Drug Cartel Leader in Netflix's 'Griselda'

That’s when her relationship with her hair began. “I made the decision to change my hair color to dark, and that’s how I started working.”

While the beauty move was a “hard decision,” Vergara says it was “worth the risk.”

“At the end of the day, it was hair. It was not like I was cutting my fingers off."

"It was like, ‘I'm going to see if that works. I'm here, why not?’ And it changed my life because I got hired to do Modern Family, which I did for 11 years,” Vergara says.

As the show rose in popularity, so did Vergara’s desire to change her hair again. “After the third season, I thought, ‘Maybe now that everybody knows Gloria is Latin and they know me, I could go back to my more natural hair color.’ So I did little by little and it was fine.”

Vergara says that between color maintenance and constant styling at work her hair’s “been through a lot.”

“I have very straight hair. I always have wanted it with more volume and shape and weight, but in my real life, I just keep it straight because it's super easy for me to do. And when I'm working, I want it to be a little bit more done and to feel more glamorous,” which can take a toll.

Related: Sofía Vergara Shares Rare Makeup-Free Selfie — Snapped from the Bathtub! 

She relies heavily on top-quality products. “I say that it's just hair, but in my situation, it's part of my job. I cannot just dry it or put a cap on and go to work, unfortunately. When you work in the field that I do, a lot can happen [to your hair]. So one of the most important things I can do is take care of it.”

Vergara does wash her hair every day. It’s essential for her to feel awake. It also means she leans toward gentle formulas and never forgets to pack them in her travel bag.

Coconut oil is must-have. “I've been using it since I was a young girl. Every once in a while [I apply it] on dry hair. It helps a lot.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Vergara’s spot will start airing on March 4. She will demonstrate how using the brand gives her any look she wants, any time she wants it while maintaining the health of her hair. A win-win, the star said in a release.

“For me, becoming Schwarzkopf’s global brand ambassador is not just about endorsing hair products, it’s about collaborating with a brand that shares my vision of embracing and celebrating the power of self-expression and confidence.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.