The decision to become a blonde is often spontaneous. A woman simply goes to the store and buys the white paint she likes. At home, she mixes something in a tube with something in a bottle, applies it to her hair and waits. It is not surprising that the result differs from expectations.
Creating blonde always occurs in two stages.
- Lightening (bleaching). This is a process by which natural or artificial hair pigment is destroyed.
- Toning. Giving hair the desired shade.
Lightening is done with a special powder or cream and an oxidizing agent of a certain percentage. For example, to dark hair make it 4-5 tones lighter, you need an oxide of at least 6%. If the hair is light, a 1.5–3 percent oxidizing agent is usually used. But everything is very individual. Sometimes, to achieve the desired result, 6–9 percent oxide is used to lighten blondes.
The result of lightening is always a warm shade. You will find out why this happens a little later. For now, remember: you cannot put an equal sign between the concepts of “lightening” and “blond dyeing”. After all, you can lighten your hair to create nuclear orange or acid green hair.
Lightening is just the first step towards blonde. It specifies the substrate on which the color must lie.
The coloring result depends on many factors: the condition of the hair, the original tone and shade and, of course, the coloring composition and method of application.
Vika Glu, hairdresser
Mistake 2. Not taking into account the background lightening and tone level
In everyday life, people are divided into blondes, brown-haired, red-haired and brunettes. For professional hairdressers and colorists, everything is more complicated.
Human hair consists of a nourishing rod (medula), which gives strength and elasticity to the cortex and protective cuticle (many dense scales on the surface).
The cortex contains melanin, which is responsible for hair color. Melanin consists of two pigments, eumelanin and pheomelanin. The first has a dark shade (from brown to blue-black) and the shape of elongated granules. The second is round molecules of yellow and red colors.
Natural hair color depends on the ratio of melanin pigments. The more eumelanin, the darker the hair, and vice versa: pheomelanin predominates in blondes.
The level of tone (or, as they also say, the level of tone depth) depends on the amount of eumelanin.
Tone level (UT or UGT) is a gradation of natural hair color by lightness.
Vika Glu, hairdresser
There are 10 UT, where one is black, and everything above seven is considered blonde.
uhairstylist.com When lightening, the level of tone depth increases and the lightening background appears. This is the color that is obtained after partial destruction of natural or artificial, if the hair has been dyed, pigment.
Imagine a flask with red and yellow balls inside. The initial tone level is 6. We lighten it to 9. Only yellow balls. The next step is tinting, and you need to figure out how much blue and red to add so that the colors mix and the flask looks beige from a distance.
Before going blonde, you need to determine the tone level, the predominant pigment and the desired result. It depends on what to lighten with (powder or cream), what percentage of oxidizing agent to use, where to start applying the composition and other nuances. Hairdressers create special formulas to calculate how many grams to squeeze out of which tube to tint specific hair.
Vika Glu, hairdresser
Mistake 3: Not following instructions
It is important to take into account not only the tone level and background lightening, but also to understand what type of composition it is and how to use it correctly. Lightening and dyeing hair are chemical reactions, the course of which depends on the dye used.
All dyes can be divided into direct and indirect.
Straight hair does not mix with the oxidizing agent and does not penetrate the hair. Their molecules settle on the cuticle. Direct dyes are produced mainly in the form of tinted shampoos, balms and mousses. Colored crayons are also classified as direct dyes. They are easy to use at home (no need to mix anything) to maintain or refresh color.
Indirect dyes open the cuticle, penetrate the hair and destroy the natural pigment to make room for the artificial one. Such dyes are always mixed with an oxidizing agent - hydrogen peroxide with various additives. They are usually produced in the form of creams. Working with them is more difficult (exact proportions are needed).
Indirect dyes also include dyes that do not contain ammonia, but contain its derivatives. They do not have such a pungent odor, but the principle of action is the same as that of ammonia dyes.
When working with indirect dyes, it is very important to choose the right percentage of oxidizing agent. It depends on how much you can increase the level of tone depth and how long you can keep the composition on your hair.
Many people mistakenly think that the longer they keep the dye on their hair, the better the effect will be. In fact, manufacturers conduct more than one clinical study to calculate how much time a particular composition needs to lighten, develop and fix the artificial pigment. If the package says “Keep for 30 minutes,” keep for half an hour. By overexposing the dye, you only dry out your hair.
Mistake 4. Not taking care of your hair
To become a luxurious blonde, it is not enough to lighten your hair. Blonde requires constant careful care. Otherwise, the hair that has gone through the lightening reaction will hang like a lifeless tow.
Hair has no strength and energy because it is a keratinized appendage of the skin. Some conditioning cosmetics regenerate disulfide bonds and proteins, but most conditioners simply seal the cuticle scales tightly so they reflect light. As a result, the hair looks good and is pleasant to touch.
There's a lot on the Internet folk recipes hair lightening. It is necessary to understand that lemon juice, chamomile decoction or kefir will never turn you into a platinum blonde. will do the maximum brown hair half a tone lighter.
But natural ingredients can be used to improve the condition of colored hair. Here are some good masks.
- Honey. Mix honey, aloe juice and castor oil. Leave on hair for 30 minutes. Rinse off with plenty of warm water.
- Banana. Mix in a blender until completely smooth one medium banana, one egg, one teaspoon of honey, a tablespoon and two tablespoons of full-fat yogurt without additives. Leave for about an hour, then rinse and wash your hair with shampoo.
- Egg. Pour two tablespoons of gelatin with warm water and leave for 10–15 minutes for the gelatin to swell. Then melt it in a water bath, add the yolk of one egg and a tablespoon of your hair balm. Apply the resulting mixture to your hair, put on a plastic cap and wrap your head with a towel. Keep for 40–60 minutes. After the procedure, rinse your hair with warm water.
Be careful with folk remedies. They can ruin even the most beautiful cold blonde. “Food” on your hair will never give the same effect as professional cosmetics. Among the things that are unlikely to make things worse are vinegar (the acidic environment will smooth out the scales), coconut oil (but it is difficult to wash off).
Vika Glu, hairdresser
In addition, it is necessary to constantly maintain color with tinted shampoos and other products, which also often contain care components.
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 unclear 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 acts less aggressively. 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. The durability of ammonia dye with proper care 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 components help replenish lipid loss and restore a healthy 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 - 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.
Myth No. 1: Dyeing ruins and burns your hair.
Since childhood, many girls have been taught that dyes are very harmful, after which their hair will begin to break and fall out in clumps. Today you can dye your hair without harm using ammonia-free dye. It is more gentle, since ammonia is replaced with oil components that do not penetrate deep into the hair cuticle and do not destroy the hair shaft from the inside. But you need to remember that it is better to entrust the coloring to a professional. In order not to spoil your hair, it is important to strictly observe the proportions when diluting the dye and the technique for applying it. Coloring must be accompanied by care procedures that will restore damaged structure hair
At home, it is difficult to fully comply with the dyeing technology; there is a high risk of drying out your hair.
When dyeing at home, there is not only the risk of getting uneven hair color, but also much more unpleasant consequences. They may become brittle and lose healthy looking. As a result, most women still go to the salon to save their hair. As a result, you have to spend money on care, restoration and re-coloring.
Myth #2: Gray hair cannot be covered with ammonia-free hair dye.
Many women are sure that only a powerful chemical-based dye can combat gray hair. In fact, hair stylists can easily deal with gray hair using ammonia-free hair dye. Although the active elements do not penetrate inside the hairs, they calmly cover gray hair on the surface. How often can you dye your hair with ammonia-free products? According to beauty experts, this can be done without harm at least every month. Hair stylists advise choosing professional product lines from Kydra and Redken for this purpose.
Myth #3: If a brunette dyes her hair blonde, yellow tint can't be avoided
Just 10 years ago, brunettes could only dream of platinum hair. Hairdressers were unable to turn dark hair into white using outdated dyes. The pigment was burned out gradually: the hair first became red and then yellow. Now they have appeared professional products, capable of lightening hair by eight tones at once. At the same time, they contain a huge number of caring components that help reduce damage to a minimum. Now there are even ways to lighten hair without using dye, as well as care lines for blonde-dyed hair that remove yellowness.
Today, brunettes can become blondes. But this is not an easy process.
Maxim Sharifullin Stylist, Mille Fey salon
First, the color is removed, then gommage and prepigmentation are carried out, and only after that the color is applied. I recommend making it a must salon care, aimed at deep hydration, and it is also worth choosing high-quality home care from professional lines. After two weeks, it is advisable to repeat the hair tinting.
Myth #4: Ombre and balayage are only suitable for those with long hair.
Today, complex dyeing techniques are most often done on long curls. It is clear that the longer the hair, the more noticeable the effect of multi-layer trendy coloring. But stylists unanimously insist that ombre and balayage look great on short hair Oh. The techniques will not only refresh their look, but will also be an ideal option for growing hair. The techniques are considered gentle, since the paint is not applied to the roots. How to do balayage yourself?
Myth #5: Masks wash out color.
Many women, after dyeing their hair, deliberately refuse to use nourishing and moisturizing masks. They are believed to speed up the color fading process. But stylists strongly recommend giving up this misconception and continuing to take care of your hair. The pigment is washed out only by special masks for blondes, which simultaneously moisturize the hair due to fermented milk components and lighten it. If you properly care for colored hair using masks, its color will last longer.
As I promised, today we will take an excursion into anatomy and physics: we will study the theoretical foundations of 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 most large number mistakes when using natural dyes occur 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 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 the adhesion of the integumentary scales to it, the hair is divided into silky (smooth surface of the hair with a tight fit of the scales and a tight interweaving of keratin fibers) and porous (rough surface of the hair with incomplete adhesion of the scales and loose interlacing of keratin fibers with a large number of voids). Porous hair is more susceptible to aggressive environments, loses elasticity more easily, dries out, breaks, fades faster (loses melanin), but is easier to dye (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 of its types (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. For 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 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 few 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 with a mixture of chemical dye, or is trying not to miss his profit 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 is (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 process coloring is underway not 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 makes it heavier! 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. All these effects have been repeatedly tested by me 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 length (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 consistently applied 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 hair (especially if your 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 properties- 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 out for the unpleasant hair coloring procedure, every two to three weeks, and even month after month, year after year, is 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 section. 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;
Natural hair color does not always bring joy, and the desire to experiment with appearance has not been canceled. According to experts, hair coloring should not be included in the list of taboos. The main thing is to learn how to properly care for colored hair.
Let's approach the issue comprehensively: to understand what happens to hair when dyeing, let's consider the structure of the hair shaft of an adult. It is this visible part of the hair that is dyed and then participates in the formation of the hairstyle.
Coloring: a look from the inside
To illustrate the process, let’s imagine hair in the form of a wire, inside of which there are a lot of fibrous structures, twisted in a spiral, which contain amino acids (this is almost 85% of the hair volume). These bonds are not very strong and are susceptible to destruction upon contact with water - by the way, this is why the hairstyle falls apart in humid air. In addition, the physical properties of the hair, its density and thickness, as well as color depend on this layer. It is in the cells of the hair shaft that the pigment is contained, which determines the natural shade.
On top of this layer is a shell of 6-10 layers of dense keratin protein, the cells of which are transparent and completely devoid of pigment. They are arranged like tiles, one above the other, and thus perform a protective function, preventing penetration harmful substances into the inner layer of the hair and reducing friction between the hairs. By the way, the condition of the cells in this shell directly affects the shine and silkiness of the hair. “The keratin shell serves as a kind of shock absorber that protects the hair from mechanical damage and retains moisture and lipids for the elasticity of the inner layer,” explains Elena Flegontova, Ph.D., trichologist at the Tori Cosmetology Center. “This layer also holds the hair in the follicle.”
Hit the color
If there was an ideal hair dye, it would have to meet the following criteria:
Do not damage the hair shaft and dye your hair without disturbing its natural structure and shine;
Avoid irritation and do not affect sensitive skin;
Give hair a color that will not change from exposure to air, ultraviolet radiation or salt water, and will not react to other cosmetics used for hair care.
However, the paints used today are far from ideal in many respects, and in most cases give side effects, which you should know about. So, when the pigment oxidizes, it loses its natural color. A similar process occurs when ultraviolet radiation affects skin pigment. Unfortunately, it is impossible to oxidize melanin without also oxidizing some portion of the basic amino acid cystine (an amino acid that supports the structure of peptides and proteins in the human body) to cysteic acid, and it is estimated that during the normal bleaching process approximately 20% of cystine converted to cysteic acid. The subsequent breakdown of disulfide bonds noticeably weakens the hair, which is why bleaching is considered one of the most damaging hair treatments.
Caring for colored hair: 5 life hacks
To maintain long-term hair health after coloring, you must follow the following recommendations.
Lifehack No. 1: Pay attention to the scalp
With frequent dyeing, it is necessary to moisturize and nourish the scalp, since the process of hair formation occurs in the scalp. To do this, your home care should include nourishing and moisturizing or medicinal (depending on the problem) lotions, ampoules and gels. It should be remembered that lotions can dry out the skin, so sometimes it is better to change them to gels or foams for the scalp.
Lifehack No. 2: Focus on cleansing
To cleanse the scalp, you need to use special shampoos for colored hair or select mild medicated shampoos based on the existing problem.
Lifehack #3: Provide protection
Colored hair should always be protected from both active UV rays and low temperatures.
Lifehack #4: More moisture
One of the required items home care for frequent hair coloring - moisturizing and nourishing masks. It is recommended to carry out this procedure at least once a week (applying the mask to the hair shaft), and keep the product on the hair for at least 30-40 minutes.
Lifehack No. 5: Varied menu
To maintain healthy hair, your diet must contain sufficient amounts of amino acids and trace elements. It is also important to comply drinking regime. A vitamin preparation, selected depending on the problem on the recommendation of a doctor, will also be a plus.
Expert opinion
Elena Flegontova, Ph.D., trichologist at Tori Cosmetology Center
“When dyeing, a new pigment is introduced into the hair shaft, while the scales remain open, which gives the hair a dull, lifeless appearance. One way to “close” these scales is to apply keratin to your hair. Do not confuse this manipulation with keratin hair straightening or hair Botox procedures. IN in this case We are talking about hair masks containing keratin. Life hack: masks with keratin should be kept on your hair not for 15 minutes, but for several hours (in some cases, I recommend leaving the mask on for the whole night). The next point is moisturizing the hair. Various moisturizing sprays do an excellent job of this task. A mandatory requirement for the summer is the presence of SPF in the product. It is also important to ensure that the scalp is protected from exposure to UV rays.”