Introduction to Hair Color

Most unwanted hair color tragedies are because of the lack of understanding of the fundamentals or hair coloring laws to color and how to apply to hair color. Though you cannot learn thorough education for hair coloring, but at least some steps can help home users to do hair color by learning the basics.

One should not go too technical, and so, following steps carefully and re-reading any area that one is not sure about learning is must while reading about how to hair color.

First rule: hair color is not paint

Color, as we comprehend it, is actually the reflection of light off of the color pigments present at the hairs’ shaft. Such reflection of light is what we view as a color. The shades of color are made up of the different combinations of reflection of lights off of the colored pigment and this is why hair colors appears different under fluorescent lights as compared to that of in natural sunlight whether a color is from nature or from any bottle.

Levels of hair color; what are they and what is the impact

Levels are the degrees of brightness or contrasts of a color that is reflected or seen to the eyes. Hair colors are assigned a level 'number' from 1-10 with 1, being black and the lightest blonde. In other words, black would reflect very little lights and lightest blonde would reflect the greatest amount of lights. A level 10 blonde is two steps brighter as compared to a level 8 blonde. Such system of levels will apply to all the colors and almost all the brands commonly determined.

Different types of hair color

There are many kinds of hair color. Here are few of the important ones.

Permanent hair color

Permanent hair color is just what it means and hence, this makes a 'permanent' change in the pigments present of the hair shafts and it does not wash out with any water or solutions! However, it fades with time, but cannot be simply taken off to "bring back" the natural color one more time. All hairs that have been colored in this way have the natural color pigment irreversibly chemically changed.

Thought, it can be removed, leaving that changed hair shaft pigments that can be corrective color back closer to that original colors of the hair.

Single process hair color

This is the only permanent color, which can be attempted by the amateur! Single process does mean that the color is lifted and deposited in just single step.

Semi permanent hair color

This class of hair color is what it says it is. It means that it can cover gray and get you darker, but can not make your hair brighter or lighten. This class lasts varying lengths of time that depends upon the product and this is suitable for amateur colorist.

One should remember that double process (bleaching and toning to get the desired colors) should never undertake by home hair colorists. This is, by all odds, a pro-only process.

Second rule: practice before you actually get in

Now this means that one must be perfectly honest to oneself and about the factors those involve hair coloring. Practice on some fake hair before you perform this onto your own hair. Remember that shading is most important in hair coloring. For instance, if you have very dark haired (Level 1) and willing to turn to a level 10 platinum blonde, you should then forget home hair coloring and seek professional touch!

There are many lightening kits present readily in the market that lighten hair at home and there are couples of beauty-stores those sell professional products to the general people but if one tries this at home, she or he is taking a big gamble.

The mathematics of hair color

One should not panic while learning that there could be reddish or blonde undertones. Remember that the color one sees is a combination of colors that reflect off of the hairs. Now one must follow the math part of the homework. One must use some swatch book or ring for comparing the hair color as it is now time for matching levels and toning in natural lights if at all possible.

Let us now quickly an example look to the math required to get desired color shade on hair –

Expected color-Warm Blonde Level: Level 8

Objective color level X 2 = 16

Original color-Light Ash Brown: Level 6

Deduct this from targeted color level of 16; that means 16 (-) 6 and you get 10.

This ends up with number of levels to lift (that is 2) and the level of color to use (that is 10).

PS: If a total number for the level of color is 13 or more, pre-lightening is needed for achieving the expected color. One needs to go to some professional for such double process colorings.

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