On the spectrum of colours, the most effective category for covering white hair and for changing the natural hair colour is Permanent Hair Colour. In my first blog on colouring grey/white hair I looked at one of the mildest; semi-permanent hair colour that sits on and slightly within the hair washing out completely after several shampoos. In my second blog on grey/white hair I delved into demi-permanent hair colour which is a mild oxidising colour that penetrates somewhat into the hair while having a slight effect on the natural hair. Here I will look into Permanent Hair Colour, this category of colouring has been around for over 100 years and fortunately has evolved into the sophisticated products we have today.
When my Mum worked as Stylist in the 60’s the choice of shades was very limited, when I started my hairdressing career in the 80’s there were around 50 shades available whereas today some ranges are in excess of 160 shades, catering for different markets and tastes.
What is a Permanent Hair Colour?
A Permanent Hair Colour is an oxidising colour, they are available in many forms from gels, creams, mousse, liquids and even powders. There are normally two components the colour product; and the hydrogen peroxide developer (H202) which are mixed to initiate the chemistry. There are a few exceptions; powders are generally mixed with water which then generates the H2O2 needed to activate the colour or in the case of ‘air’ oxidising Permanent Hair Colour these slow developing colours use the oxygen in the air and the water during the rinsing to create just enough H202 to form the dyes.
There is a third vital element the alkalizer. Permanent Hair Colours are alkaline in order to 1) create the right environment on the hair to allow the dyestuff to pass through the cuticle layers penetrating deep into the cortex and 2) further create the right environment within the hair to allow the dyestuff to form the dyes within the cortex. May sound similar to demi-permanent colours and yes in principal Permanent Hair Colours work the same way. The main differences are
- Permanent Hair Colours have a strong pH to allow the product to penetrate further into the hair
- Normally, use higher developers (H202) to activate more of the lightening of the natural hair colour.
- Tend to have higher concentrations and combinations of dyestuff for greater intensity/vibrance
- Longer development times to allow more of the chemistry to work on the hair for longer.
What does a Permanent Hair Colour do?
Permanent Hair Colour can create may different effects on the hair:
- Subtly or dramatically change to the natural colour permanently
- Maximum coverage on white hair.
- Lift the natural hair colour up to 3 levels of lift or up to 5 levels of lift if working with special blondes.
- Create stunning intensive rich tones and vibrant bold shades
- Long lasting result
- Grow out, the regrowth will need to be toped up every 5-6weeks depending on the speed of hair growth.
How it is used?
A Permanent Hair Colour is applied onto dry hair, it is recommended you do not wash your hair for 48 hours before an application. This is because the skin has natural barrier that will help reduce discomfort or irritation that some individuals can experience with permanent colour.
Permanent Hair Colours are applied using a bowl and brush for thicker mixtures and with bottle for more liquid mixes. Irrespective of the application method it is very important for an effective delivery of the dyestuff into the hair that there is sufficient product on the hair and that it is left on undisturbed for the recommended development time.
Development times will vary depending on the action of the Permanent Hair Colour and can be anywhere between 30-60 minutes; commonly, the longer the development time the further you are going away from the natural hair colour. Softer tonal changes and darker colours need around 30 minutes, white hair coverage and bolder shades need around 40 minutes and resistant or lightest blondes need the full 60 minutes. Don’t worry all of the recommended times are clearly advised on the product so do check.
There are some occasions were the development times are either very short or long especially in the Professional Salon. Colourists/Stylists are trained by manufactures to create a wide range of different effects on different kinds of hair and each of those different effects will have a different development time.
Once the Permanent Hair Colour has reached its required length of time on the hair, it is time to remove the colour. The colour is emulsified to loosen it from the hair and scalp, this emulsification also helps to remove any scalp staining which is quite common with intense shades. The colour is then rinsed off and a light shampoo with a colour safe shampoo. A post-colour-treatment/conditioning is applied for about 3-5 minutes to fully shut down any residual chemistry and return the hair and scalp back to it normal pH, as well as adding a lot of nice benefits such as shine and combability. Don’t forget this final step, as it genuinely helps to prolong the colour.
Prolonging your hair colour:
Once you have gone to all that trouble of colouring your hair there are quite a few tips and tricks for prolonging the colour. OK, I know it is a Permanent Hair Colour and like your natural hair it is still susceptible to influencing factors and will change over time.
Colours fade; UV light will react with the moisture in your hair causing UV damage, this happens to naturally grey/white hair (turning yellow), natural brown hair (turning orange), naturally blonde hair (getting blonder) and your coloured hair getting lighter and less lustrous.
CARE: Use a colour safe shampoo and conditioner designed for coloured hair. It can be confusing as you will come across many different claims about different free-from (this that and the other) being better for you and your hair. Don’t get dragged into the hype and choose a brand you feel works for your hair and lifestyle. Personally (this is where I get subjective) I choose a product by the same manufacturer of the colour as they have an invested interesting in keeping their colouring products looking good on your hair.
WATER: Minimise how often you wash your hair (says someone who washes their hair everyday) or get your hair wet. Yes, water will have an effect on your colour. Water causes the hair to swell and leaves an opportunity for some of those dyes unintentionally to fall out.
SUN: OK, a bit obvious I know, but if you are out and about and want to protect your colour you should wear a hat or at the very least invest in a leave-on hair product that has an SPF. There is a good selection of Hair Sun Care products available don’t wait for a holiday to use them.
HEAT: Little less obvious, heated appliances, saunas, steam rooms, hot yoga etc. extreme heat will cause the hair to swell as the moisture in the hair expands causing some of those dyes again to fall out.
What to do about colour fade:
Tonal refreshing; is a technique to refresh the tone in the middle lengths and ends while you are doing your root touch-up. You apply your roots as normal and develop for the full development time undisturbed. Only then add water (a water spray is handy here) and emulsify the colour into a nice creamy mass. Then comb it through the rest of your hair with a wide tooth comb. Develop for a further 5-10 minutes.
Colour refreshing; is a technique that uses semi-permanent or demi-permanent colour to add missing depth and tone into the previously coloured hair. Once the hair has been treated with a Permanent Hair Colour it needs a milder, softer approach to restabilising missing colour in the older more porous lengths and ends.
Colour Glossing; is a professional technique that uses a specially proportioned mix of colour, developer and conditioning to create a healthy colour gloss on the faded hair. This does wonders for both multi-dimensional and solid colours.
Permanent Hair Colour is truly expansive in what it can achieve, the science is beautiful and evolving, with safer dyes, clever combination for natural results, and new technology that protects the hair from damage. If your aim is to truly colour your grey hair, then there is no other colour category that can match a Permanent Hair Colour.
Next time I will look at the science behind oxidative colour.
Caroline
