Understanding Hair Color

Sometimes, the color we choose for our hair does not come out to be the same, as it appears in the swatch book of the product. It may be because of the 'underlying color pigment' of your hair that plays a key role in the final outcome of the hair color. To determine that you get the desired look, you need to identify the color of this pigment, melanin, in your hair. Melanin is generally of two types - Eumelanin, which is responsible of shades of brown and black in hair and Phaeomelanin, which brings yellowish blonde tones of hair to ginger and red colored hair.

White and gray hairs are the result of absence of melanin in hair. The tone of your hair color can be warm or cool. While red, orange and yellow are considered warm tones, shades of blue, green and violet fall under cooler tones. Hair can also be classified according to the level of color within each tone, on a scale of 1 to 10. As per this scale, 1 indicates black and 10 signify the lightest blonde hair. The intensity of hair color lightens, as you go down the scale. The level of hair color usually depends on the saturation of the hair pigment or the degree of concentration of melanin in the hair. The scale can be graded as follows:

1 - Black
2 - Very Dark Brown
3 - Dark Brown
4 - Brown
5 - Medium Brown
6 - Light Brown
7 - Dark Blonde
8 - Light Blonde
9 - Very Light Blonde
10 - Light Platinum Blonde

Types Of Hair Color

Temporary
This type of hair color generally lasts from one shampoo to the next, and is deposited on the outside of the hair shaft

Semi-Temporary
Semi temporary hair color usually lasts up to 4-6 times of shampooing and contains no ammonia. In this case, a developer is also not used.

Demi-Permanent
This type of hair color contains little or no ammonia and makes use of a low peroxide developer. The demi-permanent hair color lasts for about 6 weeks after which the color fades back to the normal shade.

Semi-Permanent
This type of hair color contains a small amount of ammonia and uses a developer of 10 to 20 vol. It lasts for about 3-4 months, depending upon the growth of your hair.

Permanent
This type of hair color uses a developer and an alkalizing ingredient as part of their ammonia or an ammonia substitute. The permanent hair color usually lasts for almost a year, depending upon the growth of your hair.

Hair Coloring Tips

Are you bored of your hair color? Do you want to revamp your look? If yes, then the easiest way to change your look would be to opt for hair coloring. A new hair color can add a new dimension to your personality, making you look more confident and impressive. However, with the need to be in sync with the competition around, people are left with little or no time to flock to the salon. Nonetheless, when time or money doesn't allow you the pampering of salon color, you'll find that at home hair coloring preparations are both affordable and easy to use. Here are some handy tips that will make your hair look healthier and glow with the desired color and give you salon-like results, along with quick and easy solutions to common problems related with coloring your hair.

Hair Coloring Tips

• Shampoo your hair properly and then condition them. Thereafter, wait for two days, to give the natural oils in your scalp time to resurface. This is an essential step to protect the scalp from chemical reactions and also would help your hair color to set better, giving you uniformed results overall.
• On the day of hair color, you need to first arrange the toolkit for the hair coloring purpose. Put on an old t-shirt and collect some older towels and washcloths. Get some hair clips for sectioning your hair, a handy timer and a hand mirror, which will enable you to view the back of your head.
• Section your hair so that you can handle you hair better, during the coloring process.
• Before starting, make sure you read the instructions at least two times. Each of the coloring brands follows a definite style or process, so if you don't want to do a blunder, ensure that you read the instruction. Also, do not forget the strand test.
• Put on the gloves and start the coloring process. If you are touching up the roots, be sure that this is the area that you target. You shouldn't be applying the color to the entire head as in the first application.
• For those of you, who are coloring for the first time, start at the crown or at the nape of the neck. This because it is here that the natural hair color is darkest.
• For the ends, apply hair color that is one level darker, without adding the developer. The color at the ends of the hair tends to fade faster than the rest, because the ends are porous and does not hold color.
• Once you have applied the color, use a timer to keep track of the time. Often while reading a magazine, we completely forget to keep a track of the time. So, a time would be beneficial in this case.
• After the specified time is over, rinse your hair thoroughly. Rinse, until the water runs clear.
• Make sure to condition your hair properly. After the coloring process, hair becomes very vulnerable to damage.

Precautions

• Always color your hair, when they are fully dry because color of damp and wet hair may get diluted later.
• If your current hair color is darker than the next shade chosen, use a color remover to completely lose the old tint. However, they are effective on only artificial colors and not natural hair color.
• For gray hair, use a shade darker than the shade of color used on the rest of the hair.
• After coloring your hair, do not perm or straighten for several weeks.
• If you go out in the sun or swim regularly, your hair color may wear off quickly. To avoid this, condition your hair regularly to negate the effects of summer heat and water.
• If light-reddish blonde tones fade to orange color, you can use a little red-gold accent to give fashionable highlights.