What happens to hair when dyeing. What you need to know about hair coloring

Despite the more than 5 thousand-year history of the hair coloring tradition, we still ask ourselves the question: isn’t it dangerous? Moreover, myth-making around this procedure has deep historical roots.

Frequent dyeing can lead to hair loss

You can wear makeup for the rest of your life. The main thing is to do it competently. Select high-quality paints from well-known manufacturers. Pre-test the dye on strands of hair and an area of skin (most often behind the ears). Carry out coloring strictly in accordance with the instructions. Carefully care for colored hair using special products that strengthen and nourish the hair roots.

You should not dye your hair during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

This is not prohibited, however, due to physiological changes in the woman’s body during this period, in particular, fluctuations hormonal levels, the coloring result may not match your expectations. A similar effect can occur during coloring during menstruation. Contraindications for the procedure are: asthma, eczema, organic kidney damage, hair diseases, for example, fungal ones.

The hair coloring procedure should start from the roots.

Not always. When first dyeing, you need to start applying dye from the ends of the hair. A few minutes after finishing work with the tips, you can begin painting the main part of the head. This is due to the fact that the ends of the hair contain natural pigments in much lower concentrations, as a result, this part of the hair will change color much longer. At the roots, the hair is healthier, the temperature is higher due to its proximity to the body, so coloring occurs more intensely.

When repeating dyeing, the dye is first applied to the regrown parts of the hair at the roots, and then to the remaining hair to refresh the color.

Masks for colored hair wash out dye pigments

On the contrary, conditioner balms and special masks used immediately after hair coloring not only do not wash out the pigment, but also allow you to preserve the long-lasting color obtained for a longer period of time. long time. In addition, they nourish and care for the hair after the procedure. But washing your hair with shampoo after coloring is not recommended for at least 2-3 days. This time is necessary for all hair scales that have absorbed the pigment to close and prevent the dye from being “washed out.”

After repeated dyeing and bleaching, natural hair becomes darker

This visual effect does not occur as a result of regular bleaching of your own hair, but is a complex of several phenomena.

Firstly, at the roots the hair is always darker than its main mass, and in combination with light shade hair, this external effect only intensifies.
Secondly, over time, the hair does darken, but this is not due to the effect of the dye, but to age-related changes. To restore them and give your hair a blooming, healthy look, you need care using special products.

Hair starts to fall out after dyeing

There is no scientific explanation for the sudden onset of hair loss after coloring. It’s just that most often women resort to coloring procedures at the appropriate age - to hide the beginning gray hair. But age-related changes- this is not only gray hair, it is also a gradually increasing intensity of hair loss, a natural process in advanced age. However, it is possible to provoke sudden hair loss if you use cheap dyes with aggressive, unadapted bleaching agents.

The process of hair coloring according to the instructions can be adjusted to suit you

This is a big and gross mistake. Applying paint in less volume (or time) than required, according to the principle of “less chemicals”, will not lead to the expected effect; it will most likely force you to resort to painting again, which obviously will do nothing after such a short period of time good hair won't bring it. Likewise, overexposure to hair dye is harmful. Violation of coloring technology can cause disruption of the structure of the hair shaft and its physical and chemical characteristics, which is fraught with problems for the hair.

That is why experts advise having your hair dyed in salons, with the help of specialists.

As I promised, today we will take an excursion into anatomy and physics: we will study theoretical basis the dyeing process and talk about the main difference between natural hair dyes and their chemical “competitors”, about the mechanism of hair dyeing and the effect of dye mixtures on hair.

As practice shows, the largest number of errors when using natural dyes occurs precisely because of a lack of understanding of the essence of the dyeing mechanism. Many people incorrectly believe that henna is an ordinary dye, only natural and harmless. This wrong message is what leads to disappointment.

Henna is a dye with a radically different coloring mechanism than the chemical dyes we are used to, which are simple and straightforward to use. Its interaction with hair occurs according to a different principle and requires compliance with certain conditions. How does the dyeing process take place? Let's look at this question at the level of hair anatomy.

As you all know, hair consists of three layers: the cuticle (the outer scaly layer), the cortex (the middle layer of “woody” keratin fibers, the “bark” of the hair, which contains our own pigment - melanin) and the medulla (the central layer of living liquid keratin fibers). fibers). All three layers are anatomically and physiologically inseparable and are normally present in any person. At the same time, the cortex is anatomically a keratinized continuation of the medulla, and the cuticle is tightly fused to the cortex by a lipid casing - fatty acid molecules bound to hair keratin by covalent bonds through a sulfur atom. This lipid casing protects the cortex from external influences, preventing the destruction of keratin fibers and the loss of melanin grains, which are tightly woven into the keratin framework.

Depending on the integrity of the keratin fibers of the cortical layer, as well as the strength and tightness of adhesion of the integumentary scales to it, hair is divided into silky (smooth surface of the hair with a tight fit of scales and tight interweaving of keratin fibers) and porous (rough surface of the hair with incomplete adhesion of scales and loose interlacing of keratin fibers with a large number of voids). Porous hair are more susceptible to aggressive environments, lose elasticity more easily, dry out, break, fade faster (lose melanin), but are easier to paint (with any dye). Silky hair, on the contrary, is more stable and elastic. They are more difficult to paint (due to their strength), but the dye adheres to them more firmly.

But not only the strength and density of the cuticle affects the ability to dye: the location and size of melanin grains and the predominance of one or another type of it (yellow-red or black-brown) also plays an important role - the color obtained as a result of dyeing depends on this.

When dyeing hair with chemical dyes, the hair's own pigment is completely or partially replaced with an artificial dye pigment. To do this, all artificial dyes, without exception, contain aggressive components (such as persulfates, resorcinol, hydrogen peroxide, ammonia and the like), which loosen the lipid casing between the cuticle and cortex, tear and split the dense keratin fibers of the cortex, squeeze out grains melanin and finally fill the voids with artificial pigment. As a result, the hair can change color radically, but at the same time loses its integrity and is gradually destroyed. Due to the destruction of keratin fibers, the artificial pigment is washed out very quickly, which forces us to resort to repeated dyeing again and again, which each time only aggravates the situation and leads to complete destruction of the hair along its length.

And here the prudent cosmetic industry and enterprising hairdressers do not allow our hair to die peacefully, without milking us of every last ruble (or last hair): silicones, keratins, vitamins, petroleum jelly and proteins - everything is used that will glue the pitiful a washcloth left from the hair, at least for a while... Therefore, we notice the problem too late, most often when it can no longer be solved with anything other than scissors.

Some of my customers, after switching to washing their hair with natural soap, notice that their hair begins to catastrophically “split” at the ends and believe that this is due to the soap. However, soap has nothing to do with it! This is just a vivid demonstration of my words: as soon as we stop “gluing” the crumbling keratin into dust with silicones of industrial products, the hair (or rather, what’s left of it) immediately begins to break off right down to the very roots. Because the mechanical integrity of the hair has long been gone, we just don’t notice it under a thick layer of “glue”! But if you examine damaged hair under a microscope, the picture will be depressing:

Dyeing mechanism natural dyes completely different. Natural dyes contain too small amounts of substances that can have any effect on the lipid casing of the hair, so they are simply not able to penetrate the cortex and displace the natural pigment.

Keratin fibers are not damaged when dyed with natural dyes, their interweaving does not weaken, and melanin is completely preserved inside the cortex (which affects the final hair color after dyeing). But then how does henna allow you to change hair color? Oh, this is a complex multi-step process!

It begins at the moment of brewing and infusing dry plant powder: lawson particles are extracted with water to form a colloidal solution. I should note that any henna needs extraction (in simple terms, “fermentation”), regardless of whether it is rich in pigment or not (the pigment must be transferred from the cells of plant tissues into a colloidal solution, otherwise it will physically not be able to get into hair). If a seller tells you that his henna does not need this because it is “high quality,” he either does not understand the essence of the process, or is lying, or is selling henna mixed with a chemical dye, or is trying not to miss out on his profits by forcing you to spend more herbal powder than needed for one coloring.

You cannot dye your hair without first extracting the pigment! Moreover, the thinner the mixture (the more water it contains), the faster and more completely the extraction process will be completed. And these are not my “inventions”, these are physics: the laws of diffusion in general and Fick’s law in particular, according to which the diffusion process directly depends on the gradient (increase) of the concentration of the solution.

And I can confirm this with simple and clear experience (what is the difference between physics and chemistry and the humanities? Because everything said here is easy to verify and distinguish reality from claims to originality: if you say it, prove it!). So, I’ll prove it: take two glasses, pour an equal amount of henna (the cheapest) into them and fill them with water at a temperature of 80-90°C. Just pour 200 ml of water into one glass, and into the other just enough to dilute the henna to a thick, creamy consistency, which henna sellers usually recommend for application to hair:

We leave the glasses for an hour and a half so that the extraction is completed as completely as possible and compare the results. To do this, bring the volume of water in the second glass to the level of the first, shake the contents of both glasses and evaluate the color.

As you can see, in the first glass, where there was initially more water, the color of the infusion is much more saturated with pigment than in the second. The small amount of extractant (water) in the second glass quickly became saturated with even a small amount of pigment, diffusion slowed down critically, which did not allow extraction to complete, until the plant material was completely depleted. In other words, most of the pigment remained dead weight in the tissues of plant materials, which means the amount of dye we used was wasted:

Thus, coloring begins with the correct pigment extraction process, thanks to which the colloidal aqueous solution is as saturated as possible.

Further, when a colloidal solution is applied to the hair, the pigment particles finely dispersed in it are deposited layer by layer on the surface of the hair, similar to the thinnest layers of Venetian plaster. At first, these layers are almost translucent, but gradually “gaining weight”, deeper and deeper permeating and “cementing” the cuticle, filling all the voids, unevenness and roughness, they acquire the required thickness, brightness and strength of the “chitinous cover”. Pigments in combination with tannins compress and compact the surface layers of the hair, thereby thickening the hair, making it stronger and harder.

As you can see, the coloring process does not take place from the inside of the hair, but from the outside according to the principle of “cementation”, and not the replacement of melanin with colorant. This is why henna cannot be removed with anything other than scissors. However, dyeing your hair to the desired level of intensity and depth of color is also not easy! To build up the required thickness of the “cementing” layer, it will take time, at least six to eight regular stains, which will take about six months.

And I want to warn you against trying to “speed up” the process. Do not forget that the dye settling on the hair not only thickens the hair (which makes it possible to gain the much-desired volume), but also weighs it down! It is necessary for the hair follicles to have time to adapt to the increased load. Painting with natural dyes can be compared to finishing work: first a contact compound is applied to a concrete wall, then rough plaster, then a primer, finishing plaster, another layer of primer and, finally, finishing putty. It is important to strictly follow the sequence of actions and time for drying the layers, otherwise either the walls will never become even and smooth, or all several layers will crack and fall off the concrete base.

So it is in the case of henna: if you rush and color it too often, exceeding the dye’s exposure time on your hair, you will damage your hair (dry it out, make it hard and unruly), or lose it completely (it will simply fall off at the root). its exorbitant weight).

Everyone who started dyeing their hair with henna in their youth is quite “trained”, so certain “discounts” are always provided for them. But for those who decide to switch to natural dyes only with the appearance of gray hair, you should under no circumstances rush! With gradual and leisurely progress towards the goal, in compliance with all dyeing rules and precautions, the dye will adhere to the hair firmly and without loss, and the hair will acquire the long-awaited volume, thickness and will grow almost twice as fast.

With this mechanism, hair coloring is not only saturated with color and smoothed, but also “sealed” in an additional protective casing, thanks to which it can withstand external aggressive factors and retain moisture inside the living core. The layer of dye on the surface of the hair also plays another important role - the role of a mirror “reflector”, a universal UV filter. I have repeatedly tested all these effects in practice: in hot countries, the color of my hair does not fade either in the sun or under the influence of sea water. There were even funny cases when, by the end of the vacation, those around me lost any doubt that this was my “natural” hair color.

Now that the mechanism of coloring has become clear to you, the causes of problems when coloring gray hair have become obvious.

Gray hair is a transparent glassy hair completely devoid of its own melanin pigment, with a large number of air bubbles inside the cortex (due to which the hair becomes light and fluffy, but at the same time unruly, hard and, at times, crimped). Difficulties always arise when dyeing such hair. The complete absence of its own pigment does not allow us to limit ourselves to simple “tinting”, therefore, to dye gray hair the same color as the rest of the hair, you need a combination of both yellow-red and brown-black pigments (a mixture of dyes).

For example, you have brown hair, which means you have approximately equal amounts of red and black melanin. By dyeing your hair with pure henna, you increase the amount of red pigment, but the amount of black does not change, resulting in a mahogany shade.

In the case of gray hair, when dyed with henna (yellow-red pigment), the hair acquires apricot-orange tones (red varieties of henna) or soft pink tones (copper varieties of henna), since its own black pigment is absent and cannot influence the shade .

The same thing happens when simultaneously dyed with a henna/basma mixture - henna is a stronger pigment (better absorbed by hair) than basma, and therefore gray hair will have a maximum light chestnut (ocher) tint.

Over time (5-6 dyes) gray hair will be colored deeply, reliably and forever - neither henna nor basma lose their positions, including on gray hair (this is the most important advantage of natural dyes for gray hair - chemical dyes made from them are easily washed out and the process has to be started all over again each time).

But even in the case of natural dyes, owners of gray hair are always faced with the “root problem” - roots colored in orange tones are crying out! What to do in this situation?

The solution to the problem is regular (every 8-10 days) tinting the roots. Hair grows by approximately 0.3 mm per day, respectively, in 10 days the length of the regrown roots will be no more than 3-4 mm, which will not be able to create color contrast due to low visibility. And by the time the length of the regrown areas increases to a clearly visible one (1-1.5 cm), they will already be colored at least 3-4 times and the color depth of the root zone will no longer contrast with the main length.

The second solution to this problem is two-stage dyeing - first henna, then basma. This way, the dye applies more intensely the first time, and the roots immediately receive a darker (less contrast) shade.

This technique is very difficult when dyeing the roots, when dyes must be applied sequentially strictly to a certain length of the hair area adjacent to the roots, but for owners of short and very short hair, applying dye to the entire length, and not just to the roots, this option is ideal!

A similar problem awaits owners of hair that has been bleached or dyed with a chemical dye - alas, it will not be possible to naturally and smoothly match the hair color “before and after” - the hair will forever retain the “border” of color. So, gradually, centimeter by centimeter, they will have to be cut off - this is the only way to avoid contrasts.

And now it’s time to talk about the disadvantages of natural dyes. As usual, they also have their weaknesses.

Most of the substances that make up henna have an extremely positive effect, but there are also those whose influence is not so clear and should be minimized. Gallic acid is a substance that, like any other acid, dries hair. Also, tannins - salts of gallic acid (which are essentially beneficial) can cause harm - they add stiffness and fragility to the hair, which affects the appearance of the hair (especially if the hair is long). Such consequences when dyeing with henna are not uncommon and are associated with improper preparation of the mixture, too thick application or too long (frequent) use of the dye.

To prevent the above problems, there is a simple solution - an ordinary vegetable oil! It will not only protect hair from the destructive effects of gallic acid, but also soften the “cement” layer of tannins, ensuring that it remains soft and elastic during regular coloring. Add a little vegetable (or special) oil to the coloring mixture and henna will not cause the slightest harm to your hair. And I will tell you in detail a little later about which oils are best to use when coloring.

So there is no need to demonize the harm of henna. Never and under no circumstances will henna (even without adding oil to the dye mixture) be able to dry hair the way chemical dyes do!

Moreover, gallic acid and its esters (tannins) also have beneficial features- These are powerful antioxidants, the benefits of which in terms of neutralizing free radicals and radionuclides are known to everyone. Thanks to them, henna and basma have a healing effect not only on the hair, but also on the scalp. Under the influence of tannins, the skin proteins thicken (tanning). The skin becomes denser and better resists infections, chemical and mechanical stress, which contributes to stronger rooting of hair, reduction of hair loss and rapid growth.

But natural dyes also have a number of other features that are classified as “disadvantages”. In my opinion, it is they (and not the mythical “harm” that opponents of henna constantly talk about) that are reducing the popularity of using henna and basma.

First of all, this is the complexity and duration of the dyeing process. Using a chemical dye is much easier and faster, and few people want to burden themselves with unnecessary hassle. Our own laziness is the first enemy of everything natural. Yes, I agree, dyeing your hair with henna is not for the faint of heart. This will require patience, patience, more patience and the greatest willpower! Usually, it’s not difficult to give yourself half an hour or an hour for a pleasant relaxing procedure. But taking the whole day, every two to three weeks, and even month after month, year after year, for the unpleasant procedure of hair coloring is... a big problem. At the same time, the dyeing process is not only long, but also terribly troublesome - from preparing the mixture to washing it off (otherwise dyeing with natural dyes in specialized salons would not cost such significant money!).

How to simplify the procedure and save time? For this, there are also a number of measures that you can use. Here is a partial list of them:

if you have reached the specified color depth and the hair along the entire length (except for the root zone) is persistently and evenly colored (especially if you have long hair), then there is no longer any need to apply the dye to the entire length of the hair each time; it is enough to dye only the roots and the adjacent 5-8 centimeter segment. After applying the color mixture to the roots, gather the rest of your hair into a bun and pin it at the back of your head. Such “partial” coloring will significantly reduce the time of application and rinsing of the mixture, and will also significantly reduce the consumption of expensive dye. Among other things, this technique will preserve the desired color depth and protect the ends of the hair from excessive drying (and cementation);
If it’s not a problem for you to go to bed later, but to get up early, and you use a one-step dyeing technique, apply the dye at night, for about 6 hours (as they say, the soldier sleeps, the service goes on). However, in this case, you must use a very liquid coloring mixture, no thicker than kefir, which practically does not stick to the brush, easily flowing off it. It is imperative to add a double amount of oil to the mixture, and do oil wraps between dyeing so that the hair does not lose its softness and elasticity;
If your hair is not too dirty, color it without first washing your hair. In this case, the dye mixture should also be quite liquid, but there is no need to add oil - your own sebum will be enough to protect the hair and scalp - this will also reduce the time required to wash and dry the hair before dyeing;

How to restore hair after lightening, unsuccessful dyeing, dyeing with henna, basma and bright neon colors is told by colorist, founder of Nataliia Yurchak Beauty School Natalya Yurchak

Poppy Delevingne

Recently, the query “how to restore hair” has become more and more common. There are several reasons for this. Wanting to save money on coloring (a completely understandable desire, by the way), people turn to specialists who use budget materials. And they get a lot of problems. A competent colorist not only uses high-quality (read: expensive) materials, but also makes paint samples. And during the process, he constantly monitors the condition of the hair: coloring is total control. If you get distracted, the client will lose his hair. Well, or at least it will remain with the spoiled ones.

For information. The cost of complex coloring materials alone - for example, Air Touch or balayage - ranges from $50 to $100, depending on the length and thickness of the hair. But there is also the work of the master and associated expenses. But restoring hair is always more expensive and takes longer.

Another problem is keratin straightening (by the way, today it is sold under the guise of treatment, although in fact it is not a treatment at all, but a trauma to the hair). If you start to discolor after keratin treatment, it will end in disaster. There was a case at our school when a girl who came as a model for color training did not warn the masters about her experiments with keratin and transitions from blonde to dark and back. Her strands began to fall off right in the sink. Fortunately, we took all measures that allowed the girl to maintain maximum length. But after that incident, we always invite clients and models to a test and dye a control strand to understand how the hair will behave. The paint test, by the way, is useful in the following cases: if henna dyeing or keratin treatment of any kind has been carried out, when it is difficult to get out of the black color.

How to restore hair after home dyeing

Everything we have today is the result of our yesterday. This applies to everything: wealth, career, figure, health and, of course, hair.

Hair is protein. 20 amino acids are involved in protein synthesis: arginine, alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, valine, histidine, glycine, glutamine, gluamic acid, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, prline, serine, tyrosine, threonine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, cysteine). On the outside, the protein cortex of the hair is protected by the cuticle. When hair is exposed to coloring powders, compositions for perm or keratin straightening, amino acids are destroyed in the cortex. To restore them, products with amino acids (from the list listed above), keratin or hydrolyzed protein help. But if the hair is severely damaged by dyeing, then it is impossible to restore its structure 100%. All you can do is wait until they are long enough to cut them off. Today everyone is looking for a magical remedy that will help cure their hair. But in fact, the main recommendation is not to bring them to a deplorable state.

How to restore hair after bright temporary dyes

Now there are a lot of funds, including for home use, which give blue, green, red colors. Their main by-effect– the desire to quickly get rid of this color. But if you give in to impulse, you can immediately say goodbye to the quality of your hair. It takes time to recover from color experiments - and frequent washing. So if you are already going to experiment, have patience. The good news is that direct pigments work quickly: both “in” and “out”.

Photo: Patrick Demarchelier

The speed of washing out depends on the structure of the hair. If they are pre-dyed blonde, they can take a long time to wash out. On porous, curly hair – 3 times. The period of painting in this case is measured not by a calendar, but by the number of “washes”. If you want to get rid of the tint faster, wash your hair with hot water more often (remember, this is contraindicated for hair whose color you want to preserve for as long as possible).

The most dangerous advice on the Internet - this is adding aspirin to shampoo or water. Just “don’t pretend to create in real life.” When a person has a toothache, and he stubbornly sits at home, self-medicating, everything ends in tears. It's about the same with hair.

Today the segment of skincare bloggers is very developed; There are a lot of people who consider themselves skin"tellectuals. With hair and caring for it, there is some kind of offensive gap. Therefore, in order to increase people's awareness of how to care for their hair, I am preparing an online course. A book comes with it as a bonus." Planet coloristics and its satellites." The course will be useful not only to specialists, but also to people who want to understand what processes happen to hair during coloring, and what to do with it after.

How to restore hair after henna

It’s funny, but previously it was widely believed that henna restores hair, but now it’s the other way around - people are interested in how to restore hair after henna. We must remember that when dyeing with henna, the quality of the hair does not suffer - on the contrary, it improves noticeably. Problems begin when color is removed. Henna is a powder from the lawsonia plant, the dried leaves of which give a coloring effect. Henna paste colors the surface layers and seals the hair cuticles like tar. This is why they become thick, dense, as if they put a cocoon on every hair.

Emily Ratajkowski

Henna has a side effect: it reacts with any oxidizing agents and in the process acquires green tint. You can’t remove henna on your own; you need to go to a specialist who performed the procedure to remove the pigment from the hair. We work with two approaches: acid “washes” and peelings.

How to restore hair after unsuccessful dyeing

If a person dyes his hair, but doesn’t like the color, then it is impossible to return everything to its original state - especially if this is the first dyeing on natural hair. You can only cut them off later. But perhaps the mistake was not in the choice of color, but in the choice of the colorist. A simple example. The girl dreams of a cold shade. The problem is that it is difficult to achieve. Colorists mix up to three shades to create the desired color for a specific client. Previous dyeing, the natural undertone of the hair, its structure, porosity and looseness, and many other factors are taken into account. Reach desired color a qualified, experienced master is capable, but not a debutant - and certainly not a girlfriend in the kitchen.

barbara Palvin

How to restore hair after bleaching

The very first thing you need to know is do something. Very often damaged and dry hair occurs in those who do not properly care for it. Everyone understands that care is needed, and everyone habitually neglects it. You can always immediately see from your hair whether something is being done to it. Therefore, stop endlessly buying care products and filling your bathroom shelves with them. We need to use it all. “It sits on the shelf and doesn’t help” is a common story. Until the products get on your hair, no miracle will happen.

It is important to know that caring for bleached hair requires regular investment. Funds must be selected according to your budget so that you can replenish supplies monthly - and use them regularly without regret. Because, no matter how expensive and effective the mask is, in one application you can only see whether the hair is better detangled. System and regularity are important. It’s like with Sanskrins: the best one is the one you apply in the right amount and constantly.

If a person understands that he will not pedantically and carefully care for his hair, he should outsource the care. There is no need to blame yourself for disorganization and laziness - today life is too complex and busy to have time to control everything. I’m lazy myself, but I regularly come to the salon for treatments. Combination salon care(once a month) and minimal home use gives really good results.

How to restore hair after dyeing it black

This is the most difficult story, although it is real. We always do a control strand test to understand what maximum we can achieve. We must understand that it is expensive (the cost of work at our school is 11 thousand UAH) and long (10 hours in a chair). And the most unpredictable thing is what will happen to the hair later.

The problem is this. To bring a person out of years of dyeing black, you need an extremely strong colorist - with qualifications, experience, and a huge arsenal of tools. Many clients try to get out of black from insufficiently competent masters (and sometimes on their own) and get a “leopard” effect. And in addition - severe damage. After this unsuccessful attempt, 90% of people capitulate and paint themselves black again. They will never have normal hair again.

The struggle with black is complicated by the fact that girls often paint it at home: it is believed that dense black goes on without problems, and you should not go to a specialist for this. We see the truth when we begin to get rid of dark pigment: where it lies most densely (in front, at the roots, and on the ends), it remains stained. Where the paint was layered with less generosity (at the back of the head, along the length at the back), bald spots appear. Their master will have to painstakingly paint over them by hand, like a restorer working on old paintings.

I explain to everyone who wants to remove black that the real result after leaving black will only come when, and this will happen not in one day in the salon, but after several years. For those who are not ready for a long-distance race, it is better to direct their efforts in a different direction.

With white, by the way, it’s a similar story. If a blonde wants to change to a different color, then it is necessary to saturate the strands with double pigment - or splice them together. In any case, I do not advise blondes with porous, curly, loose hair to radically darken their hair: after dyeing it will cause dissonance. All because dark color- always glossy, shiny - at least this is how it is perceived subconsciously. Loose dark hair look strange.

How to remove gray hair

Recently, scalp care products have been appearing (including very expensive ones), the advertising of which hints: they will help restore the natural color of gray hair. Of course, this is a lie. Gray hair color is not restored. And there are two ways - either accept it, or methodically dye your hair. An excellent example of acceptance and competent stylization is the heroine Meryl Streep from “The Devil Wears Prada.”

Poppy Delevingne

Growing roots can be masked in between paintings - there are special crayons, sprays and temporary paints. All of them are washed off with shampoos. By the way, the next time you paint, it is important to warn your master about the “temporary measures” taken: sometimes such products react unpredictably with paints.

Does it make sense to fight for natural color

If it makes sense to chase natural color? - My point of view may not be popular. I like dyed hair - it always looks more vibrant, glossy and flexible than natural hair, even if it's dyed tone-on-tone. Plus, in fact, there are really few people in the world who are adorned by their natural color. Here at school I see more color than probably anyone else, so I consider my statistics to be representative.

Now there are so many bloggers who promote healthy lifestyle, fitness, skin care and makeup. For some reason, hair is unfairly forgotten. So, I am sure that you also need to treat your hair well. It's nice when your head calls good impression for you and those around you

We once wrote about that, but the issue with hairstyles, of course, is not limited to this. Now we've talked to a professional colorist about hair coloring and found out everything you need to know before changing your color or covering your grays at home or in the salon.

Masha Vorslav

Why dye your hair

What is the advantage
professional and
ammonia-free paints

Professional dyes usually do not have recommendations for mixing colors, and, in principle, household dyes can be used for neutralization, but there is a risk of getting your finger in the sky. You can't tell from the photo that accompanies them the shade that will ultimately come out - it's like looking at a magazine photo through studio light and . To estimate it, you need to know what each number in the shade number means. I have clients who know what colors to paint them with. Three, for example, denotes a golden shade, so if you want to get ashy, you can’t use it.

There are also ammonia-free and temporary dyes that do not last very long. Ammonia-free dye does not penetrate deep into the hair; it adheres to the surface and does not damage the hair structure, even if it is dyed a lighter color. Another advantage is that if the color doesn’t turn out the way you wanted, you can correct it with the same dye of a different shade. Ammonia dye radically changes hair color.

It is important to understand that coloring with permanent ammonia dyes is a one-way ticket. After them, the hair may remain of excellent quality, but the native pigment will go away and an artificial one will remain, which may change over time (fading, for example). Well, in general, it’s better to start doing your own coloring with semi-permanent things like shampoos, foams, creams and other things - these are also cool things, the effect of which can be easily adjusted.

You can at least consult your hairdresser about paints. He will tell you what will look good with a particular appearance and how the hair will work with the dye. There are hairs that at first glance are very easy to dye (classic light brown, for example), but even a hairdresser cannot dye them cold blonde. It all depends on the characteristics of the hair, which only professionals know about, so when home coloring You can minimize the risks at least with the help of good paint.

What influences the result
staining

Of course there are hair types. It is quite difficult to make Negroid and Oriental hair even three shades lighter without damaging the hair itself. The hair of Asians, for example, is so dense that it is impossible to lighten it white without eating up all the keratin with the dye. Very dark hair is a priori warm in color type, and red or orange pigment will appear in it.

Curly hair is also quite difficult to color because it is naturally fragile and brittle. Ideally, you should work with them using an ammonia-free dye. Wavy hair- it doesn’t matter whether it’s dark or light - you also need careful coloring. Classic Slavic hair, which we call “mouse”, can also present surprises and even after a cold color dye it can give off red hair.

The final coloring result is predicted based on the color type of appearance. A person may be with blue eyes And fair skin, but his color type will be warm. You can determine the type by the color of the veins and the iris of the eye: if the veins are clearly blue, the color type is cold and warm shades of the hair will be easy to neutralize. And if there are a lot of warm brownish inclusions in the eyes, it is better to prepare for the fact that the dye may not interrupt the natural red or orange color of the hair.

How to avoid yellowness
when lightening

It’s generally difficult to lighten at home, because the hair has a limit, beyond which it will not become lighter. After it, you don’t need to lighten it, but to tint it in order to neutralize the yellowness and patch up the hair. Good paint contains keratin, ceramides, oils and other tricky formulas that take the place of native pigments washed out with bleach. And if you continue to be zealous with lightening, you can simply destroy your hair.

The difficulty of lightening depends on the type of hair. For example, a Caucasian girl needs to take a break between lightening treatments for at least two to three weeks so that the keratin layer of her hair has time to recover. To achieve a good clean blonde, ideally you need two sessions. If your hair has already been dyed, it may take more or, conversely, less time. I had a client with natural red hair who dyed her hair red, and in five hours at the salon we gave her a cool, warm blonde (no one expected that). By the way, if your hair has been dyed before natural paints(henna, basma), it is very difficult with them, because such paints do not wash out at all and can become discolored, for example, green. So, if you start dyeing long hair a year after henna professional paint, we must remember that the natural one is still in the middle of the length and has not washed out anywhere.

There is such a color scheme, Oswald's star, that colorists go through during their studies. It makes it clear that everyone’s unloved yellow can be neutralized with the opposite purple, and you can get rid of red in chocolate and coffee shades with the help of special “matting” colors, which are based on green pigment. Colorists use mathematical formulas to determine how much neutralizing tone is needed. So if it is unwise to use a cool tone, you can turn from yellow to purple.

How to care for
dyed hair

After dyeing, hair care, of course, changes. For natural hair you need to use care in accordance with their type (curly, dry, etc.), colored ones can also be classified as types. If discoloration has occurred, you need serious moisturizing and restorative care, for example keratin. Keratin is generally a fashionable word now, but the hair really needs it for protection, and bleaching in most cases washes it out and ruins the hair. If they are completely dry and porous, they cannot be completely restored, but they can be made more shiny and dense. There are a lot of products for this, from gentle shampoo to masks. Plus you need to choose a leave-in care (conditioners, oils).

How to achieve beautiful
unnatural color

In the case of dyeing in unnatural colors, the key to success is a competent foundation: high-quality and evenly (that is, without any stains) bleached hair. You can put any color on a good base. In principle, you don’t even need permanent dyes for this. I don't even recommend the long-lasting ones, because one day you like green and the next you don't. There are a lot of pigments in the form of shampoos, foams, and creams that you can use to dye your hair cool colors yourself. Of course, everything pastel shades quite difficult to obtain. I believe that they need to be mixed, the exposure time must be carefully calculated, and applied carefully. Compared to them, rich, acidic colors are not a problem at all. But we must not forget that with them you need to build on the original hair color. I would recommend doing colored strands yourself, but it’s better to have your whole head dyed by a professional. You also need to know that different brands have different color intensities: one blue may be flat and dull, while another may be deep. It’s impossible to name just one coolest company, because there are a lot of them.

Autumn marathon

The change of seasons is the time for experimentation! And there are at least two reasons for this. Firstly, since school days we have associated autumn with the beginning of a new year, a new life. Out of habit, we even postpone changing jobs until September-October. Well, the easiest way to describe changes in your personal life is by changing your image. Secondly, after long-term summer contact with the sun, the hair has lost its former brightness, it urgently needs to be breathed into life, and the easiest way to do this is with a bright new color! Many people believe that hair coloring is a simple procedure that can be easily performed, you just need to apply the shade you like to your hair. In practice, everything is different: gray lifeless ends and bright roots golden color, unpainted gray hair, dull color or an indistinct shade - this is what a frivolous change of hair color can lead to.

Paints have 3 levels of durability

1. Paints without ammonia and without hydrogen peroxide are washed off after a week (6-8 uses of shampoo).

2. Paints without ammonia and with a low content of hydrogen peroxide in the developing emulsion, these are tone-on-tone paints, washed off after a month and a half (24-28 uses of shampoo). They are considered semi-permanent and virtually harmless to hair.

3. Paints containing both ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, the color of which is almost permanent. Only touching up the roots is required.

Ammonia-free paints: myth or reality

The revolution in coloring occurred at the moment when the ethanolamine component was developed, which also opens the way to the heart of the hair for the dye, but is more gentle on the hair and is less aggressive. It does not have a strong odor, has a gentle and delicate effect and does not damage the hair during coloring. Ammonia-free dyes are also suitable for gray hair, but provided that their amount is no more than 50%. It should be remembered that hair coloring is a chemical process, so for an excellent result you must take into account several factors: the functions of the dye, the structure of the hair and the temperature of the room.

Functions of the dye

Ammonia (Socolor beauty) permanent dye is intended for coloring hair tone-on-tone, darker, lighter up to 5 tones and coloring gray hair. It must be mixed with an activating emulsion or oxidant. This is a permanent dye, so your hair will never return to its original color. With proper care, the durability of ammonia dye can last up to 6 weeks. Ammonia-free (Color Sync) semi-permanent dye is designed for tone-on-tone coloring and a couple darker. In modern formulas, it also covers gray hair. This dye does not change the natural pigment of the hair and lasts up to 4 weeks. It is the most gentle, it contains a ceramide regenerating complex.

Hair structure and color

Imagine that hair is an artist’s canvas onto which he applies paint. The texture and color of the canvas affect the final result. If it is red, it will be difficult to apply yellow color to it. If the canvas has an uneven surface, the paint will not adhere well and will not adhere to the base. This is just an example, but it clearly illustrates that if the hair is damaged, split and broken, then it will not hold color well. That's why damaged hair Before coloring, they always require a series of restoration procedures. To work with them, you must use only ammonia-free dyes. The temperature of painting in the room where it is carried out should be from 21 to 25 degrees. Only in this case can a high-quality result be guaranteed. And, of course, you shouldn’t experiment too often with the color of your hair. Do not experiment with shades by choosing products from different brands. Stop choosing one tone and touch up the regrown roots as needed, and only go to the salon for color correction. Professional dyes work more gently on hair. Also, after dyeing in the salon, you can undergo a hair restoration procedure, which neutralizes alkaline residues and helps maintain color saturation for longer. for a long time. When choosing a hair dye color, a professional takes into account many nuances: the original color, lightening backgrounds, hair structure and porosity. You can also attend gentle ion coloring procedures: biolamination or phytolamination. They not only add color, but are also able to restore hair, give it density, volume and shine. The composition “seals” unevenness, the hair thickens and gains elasticity.

Extending the life of rich color

Frequent coloring can severely damage your hair. During the dyeing process, they lose valuable lipids, as a result of which they become more vulnerable, lose their shine, softness and shade intensity. Care and styling products with hair-related ingredients help replenish lipid loss and restore healthy hair. appearance. The content of a sun protection filter in the formula of such products will keep the color bright and rich. Choose shampoo, conditioner and mask specifically for colored hair. The pH of such products is selected in such a way as to balance it as a result of using shampoo and rinse together and lead to the optimal limit for hair: 4.5-5-5. The rinse should be used every time after cleansing the hair, and the mask should be used, depending on the hair type, two to four times a week. Coloring generally dries out hair, so additional moisturizing care should not be neglected. Don't forget about products aimed at preserving hair color and nutrition. In addition to traditional shampoos and masks, purchase leave-in care products!

Painting over gray hair

Dyeing gray hair primarily depends on the quality of the dye used. By choosing a low-quality product, you risk not only not covering your gray hair, but also getting a “wig” effect, as well as an unnatural color without shine and richness. You can choose any shade, but you should avoid “cold” tones: they will look unnatural and give glare. Avoid light colors with yellowness. Your choice is natural light brown, chestnut, wheat tones. The process of dyeing gray hair used to take long hours, because first pre-pigmentation was carried out (saturation of empty gray hair with melanin), and then dyeing in the desired color. Today, “smart” dyes have appeared that combine pre-pigmentation and coloring in one procedure. Styling products should contain, at a minimum, sunscreen filters, and at a maximum, heat-protective components. When exposed to heat, the amount of vitamins increases significantly. The hot air of the hair dryer promotes the penetration of vitamin B3 and provitamin B5 into the hair structure, which provides active care from the inside. Vitamin B3 improves the health of hair and scalp, and provitamin B5 provides the necessary level of moisture, making hair elastic and shiny. Here are some care tips: First, don't scratch wet hair immediately after dyeing: this will further injure them. Secondly, for the first week after dyeing, wash your hair with boiled or filtered water. Thirdly, after dyeing, it is advisable not to style your hair with curling irons, and subsequently use products with thermal protection.