Hair colouring,all you need to know.

There is pressure on all of us to remain youthful in our looks. A youthful appearance implies vigour, stamina, sex appeal and even optimism.
Ageing is something most of us try to hide. Colouring your hair can give you a psychological boost.
A sense of being a new and younger, more vital person. It is an easy way to change your personality or to discard part of an old life for a new one.
When deciding to colour your hair, whether professionally or at home, you need to take precautions, as all colouring processes are potentially harmful if the instructions are not followed.

Colouring methods.
There are many ways to colour hair and the choice of products is better now than before. The improved formulas give superior shades and their safety is constantly monitored.

Natural Colours.
Henna, Camomile, indigo and various other herbs have been in use for hundreds of years.
In the early eighties there was a great popularity for Henna. It gives unnatural shades of Red or black that fade quickly, resulting in having to do multitude applications to build up enough residue to give the desired effect. Unfortunately, it is also very difficult to remove from the hair, which makes it difficult for people wanting to change their hair colour easily.

Colour rinses or Temporary colouring.
These colours rest on the hairs surface, are applied after each shampoo and last until the next shampoo. They were very popular during the 50s through to the 70s, often referred to as the blue rinse brigade.
They still have their uses particularly as a temporary method of covering grey hair between permanent colouring, or to enhance existing colours from fading.

Semi-permanent colour
As the name suggests, these are longer lasting: up to about six weeks. They penetrate the outer cuticle of the hair, so resisting removal. The colours produced are more natural than the colour rinses described above, and Semi-permanent colourants are also easier to use. Unlike permanent colours, they do not need pre-mixing but are used straight from the applicator. Unlike permanent dyes, they are applied to wet hair and are developed for around 20 minutes only. They cannot offer any lift of shade, and are used mainly to cover grey hair, temporarily darken lighter shades, or enhance an existing shade to give more depth and shine. This method of colouring usually washes off, without leaving a re-growth.
Some of the ingredients found in most methods of colouring are potentially sensitizing, so it is always advisable to do a patch test first, to avoid any allergic reaction.

Permanent dyes
These are often known as Oxidation dyes because an oxidizer [ Hydrogen Peroxide] and Ammonia are mixed with the colouring agent prior to application. The specific shade required is formed by mixing both the desired shade of colouring agent and Hydrogen Peroxide.
The formulation of permanent dyes is extremely complicated, and manufacturers go to great lengths to attain colour fastness and minimum disruption of the hair’s strength and elasticity.
Permanent dyes fade minimally and can offer both lighter or darker shades of your own hair colour, in addition it is also possible to change the tone [colour shade] to create a different colour scheme. Added to all this, safety in use is a prime factor.

Bleaching and highlighting.
Bleaching does not add colour but removes it. The oxidizing effect decolorizes the pigment in the hair shaft and lightens the colour. If bleach is left long enough it will turn the hair almost white. All bleaches will have a damaging effect on the hairs protein structure. Making the hair dry, brittle and inelastic, which leads t breakage. The hair also becomes more porous and more vulnerable to other chemical processes.
Bleaching is rarely used on its own because it does nit give a natural shade. It results in a rather brassy looking straw like colour, so various colour agents are added to reduce brassiness and give the required shade.
Of all the colouring methods, bleach is potentially the most damaging, and therefore should ideally be left to professionals.

Highlighting is a very effective way of blending grey hair, giving your hair a sun streaked effect or giving texture and movement by adding different colours to compliment a haircut or skin tones.
Nowadays, individually wrapping small sections of hair in foil is the most popular method for highlighting.
This gives the hairdresser greater creativity in choosing different colour themes from natural to dramatic.

Taking care of coloured hair.
Having our hair coloured in a salon will certainly involve some conditioning treatment. Any hair that has undergone dyeing is vulnerable to damage: the degree depends on the amount of colour change. For instance, going from dark to light is the most damaging because the bleaching agent is stronger and left on for longer. Also the frequency with which the hair is dyed is a major factor in the amount of damage sustained. Any chemical service reduces the elasticity and increases the prospect of hair breakage.
Apart from doing an after colouring conditioning, use a protein mask and deep conditioning treatment regularly before and after colouring.
It is also similarly important to condition the hair after each shampoo to eliminate tangles and smooth the hair cuticles. The heavier, more moisturizing types should be used, irrespective of the possibility of causing fine hair go limp; Any limpness can be counteracted by using styling products.