Understanding the Different Ways to Color Your Hair

Photo Credit / Charlese Freeman It is important to consider the safety of your hair when you add color.

By Angela Pender

Staff Writer

For years, hair coloring has been a popular trend and fashion statement that continues to grow in sales, help with confidence, and became a statement to a new look.

Since early times hair coloring has been a phenomenon because it was able to hide gray hair and give people a completely different look to enhance their beauty.

Usually, when people think of hair coloring, they associate it with hair dye, but there is another form of hair coloring that does less damage to your hair and still gives you the same results.

Permanent hair dye is just that, it’s permanent. Permanent hair dye uses hydrogen peroxide, also known as the developer or oxidizing agent that helps with the color-forming process to create longer-lasting color. But, according to blackhairinformation.com, “The larger the volume of the developer, the greater the amount of sulfur is removed from the hair. Loss of sulfur causes hair to harden and lose weight.”

Another ingredient used in hair dye is ammonia, which is an alkaline, and allows for lightening by acting as a catalyst when the permanent hair color comes together with the peroxide. “Like all alkaline, ammonia tends to separate the cuticle and allow the hair color to penetrate the cortex of the hair.”

The cortex is the innermost layer of the hair and once the penetrated color has been placed there, that color will remain for a while unless you cut all the dye out of your hair.

Hair dyes have a lot of mixed results because although it gives great long-lasting colors. Dye does damage to your hair if not taken care of properly. Not to worry though, there is another form of hair coloring that does less damage but still gives you great looking colors. Non- permanent hair dye is also called a rinse and they also use hydrogen peroxide and ammonia, but not as heavily.

“The chemicals used to make rinses cause the cuticle of the hair shaft to swell large enough for the color to be deposited deep enough to endure shampooing and conditioning.”

A rinse can be washed out through several washes, but the more you apply a rinse, the greater the chance you will have damaged hair if not treated properly. When using any hair dyes, it’s very important to use oils such as Coconut or Olive Oil to hydrate your hair that way you will prevent hair loss and still have a healthy full set of colored hair.

For permanent hair dyes try Revlon, L’Oréal, Clairol, or Dark & Lovely. For rinses try Adore or Clairol Beautiful Collection Semi-Permanent for great hair color results.

Email Anglea at:

apender1@live.esu.edu