You've made up your mind. You're tired of spending all that money getting your hair colored at the salon, so you want to try to color it yourself at home. It is possible to get excellent results with an at-home hair color kit, but you need to understand how coloring products work, and you need to proceed carefully, one step at a time.
About Hair Coloring Products
Hair color works by using two key ingredients: hydrogen peroxide and ammonia. Although you can find products that are ammonia- free, many women have reported uneven color from these types of products.
The product known as the developer contains hydrogen peroxide. Ammonia is in the color itself and opens the hair cuticle to let the color into the cortex of the hair shaft. When the hydrogen peroxide and ammonia are combined, the alkaline properties of the ammonia allow the color to penetrate the hair, while the hydrogen peroxide oxidizes and bonds the color to your hair.
Types of Hair Color
Permanent Color. When you use a permanent hair color, tiny molecules of color combine with the developer to form large molecules in the hair. These larger molecules move deep into the hair and expand so they cannot be washed out. Permanent color works in two ways. First, it lifts your natural pigment and lightens it to form a new base color. Then, it deposits the new color into the hair. You can use a permanent color to lighten or darken your hair up to two shades. If you want to change your color more than two shades, you really should skip the home color and go to a salon instead.
Semi-Permanent Color. A semi-permanent color uses a much smaller amount of color molecules that penetrate only the outer layer of the hair, known as the cuticle. Semi-permanent colors do not combine with your natural color and do not lighten or lift your natural hair color. They wash out slowly, in about 12 to 20 shampoos, so you don't need to worry about your new hair growth.
Demi-Permanent Color. Demi-permanent colors use no ammonia and cannot lift the natural pigment of your hair. They are used only to deposit color and will usually last from 4 to 6 weeks or about 24 to 26 shampoos, Demi-permanent colors are also known as long-lasting semi-permanent colors. The molecules of pigment in demi-permanent colors are medium-sized, and some of them enter into the cortex of the hair. Because these molecules are larger sized than semi-permanent colors, they take longer to wash out.
Choosing Your Shade
When you choose your new shade, you need to know what to expect. First, the final color result is the combination of the natural color of your hair and the added pigment of the color product that you put on your hair.
The level of a hair color is the density of the color. There are 10 levels, with Level 1 being black and Level 10 being the blondest blonde. You should only use a home coloring kit to lighten or darken your hair one or two levels from its natural color. The chances of getting an unpleasant result are greater when you try a more dramatic change.
Hair color, just like clothing and skin color, has warm or cool tones, which directly affect the color you will wind up with when dyeing your own hair. An easy way to know your tone is to think about what color clothes look best on you. If your best colors are warm ones, like reds, oranges, golds and browns, then go with the warm-toned hair colors like blonde, golden brown, auburn or strawberry blonde. If cool colors are your faves, like black and fuchsia, royal blue or pine green, then your best look for your locks are platinum blonde, ash shades of blonde or brown, burgundy or deep black. If you look your finest in pure, deep colors-true red, purple, charcoal, teal or periwinkle blue, then stick to the neutrals-sandy blonde, chocolate brown or mahogany colors will look best.
So, How Do I Do It?
Easy. Just follow the directions on the box-to the letter. Block out plenty of time, do a test strand, mix the product correctly, time the color carefully, condition if directed and rinse, rinse, rinse. Wear an old shirt, and use towels that you aren't afraid to stain. Once you read the directions, you're on your way to a whole new you!
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