What happens to the hair during coloring. Easy care for hair colored with ammonia
Colorist, founder of Nataliia Yurchak Beauty School Natalia Yurchak tells how to restore hair after lightening, unsuccessful dyeing, dyeing with henna, basma and bright neon colors
Poppy Delevingne
IN Lately the request "how to restore hair" is becoming more and more common. There are several reasons for this. Wanting to save on coloring (quite understandable, by the way, desire), 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 in the process, he constantly monitors the condition of the hair: coloring is total control. It is necessary to be distracted - and the client will lose hair. Well, or, at least, will remain with the spoiled.
For information. The cost of complex coloring materials alone - for example, Air Touch or balayage - is from $50 to $100, depending on the length and thickness of the hair. But there is still the work of the master and related costs. But restoring hair is always more expensive and 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 an injury to the hair). If you start to discolor after keratin, it will end in disaster. We had a case at school when a girl who came as a model for a coloring training did not warn the masters about her experiments with keratin and transitions from blond to dark and back. Her strands began to fall off right in the sink. Fortunately, we took all measures that allowed the girl to keep the length as much as possible. But after that incident, we always invite clients and models to test and color the control strand to see how the hair will behave. The paint test, by the way, is useful in the following cases: if henna staining or keratin treatment of any kind was carried out, when there is a difficult exit from black.
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, prlin, serine, tyrosine, threonine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, cysteine). Outside, the protein cortex of the hair is protected by the cuticle. When hair is exposed to coloring powders, formulations 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 badly damaged by dyeing, then it is impossible to restore their structure by 100%. All you can do is wait until they are long enough to be cut. Today, everyone is looking for a magical remedy that will help cure 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 many funds, including for home use that give blue, green, red. Their chief by-effect- the desire to quickly get rid of this color. But if you give in to the impulse, you can immediately say goodbye to the quality of the hair. It takes time to recover from color experiments - and frequent washing. So if you're already experimenting, be patient. The good news is that direct pigments work quickly: both in and out.
Photo: Patrick Demarchelier
The rate of washout depends on the structure of the hair. On pre-dyed blond, they can be washed out for a long time. On porous, curly - for 3 times. The term of staining in this case is measured not by the calendar, but by the number of "washes". If you want to get rid of the shade faster - wash your hair more often hot water(remember, this is contraindicated for hair, the color of which you want to save as long as possible).
The most dangerous advice on the Internet is to add aspirin to shampoo or water. Just "don't try to see the real life". When a person has a toothache, and he stubbornly sits at home, self-medicating, everything ends badly. About the same with hair.
Today, the segment of skincare bloggers is very developed; a lot of people have appeared who consider themselves skin "tellectualls. With hair and caring for them - some kind of offensive gap. Therefore, in order to raise people's awareness of how to care for their hair, I am preparing an online course. A book comes as a bonus to it" The planet of color and its satellites". The course will be useful not only for specialists, but also for people who want to understand what processes occur with hair during dyeing, and what to do with them after.
How to restore hair after henna
It's funny, but before 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. It must be remembered that when dyeing with henna, the quality of the hair does not suffer - on the contrary, it improves markedly. Problems begin with the removal of color. Henna is a powder from the Lavsonia plant, the dried leaves of which give a coloring effect. Henna gruel stains the surface layers and seals the hair cuticles like tar. From what they become thick, dense, as if a cocoon was put on each hair.
Emily Ratajkowski
Henna has a side effect: it reacts with any oxidants and acquires a green tint in the process. You can’t remove henna on your own, you need to come to the master who did the procedure to remove the pigment from the hair. We work with two approaches: acid washes and peels.
How to restore hair after unsuccessful dyeing
If a person has dyed his hair, but he does not like the color, then it is impossible to return everything to its original state - especially if this is the first coloring 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 colorist. A simple example. The girl dreams of a cold shade. The problem is that it's hard to achieve. Colorists mix from three shades, creating the desired color for a particular client. Previous dyeing, natural hair tone, their structure, porosity and looseness, and many more factors are taken into account. Reach desired color a qualified, experienced master is capable, but not a debutant in any way - 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 anything. Very often, damaged-dry hair is in those who do not modify it with care. Everyone understands that care is needed - and everyone habitually neglects it. You can always see right away by the hair whether they are doing something with them. Therefore, stop endlessly buying care products and stuffing shelves in the bathroom with them. All this must be used. "It stands on the shelf and does not help" is a common story. Until the funds get on the hair, no miracle will happen.
It is important to know that caring for bleached hair requires regular investment. Funds must be selected according to the budget so that you can replenish stocks 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 untangled. System and regularity are important. It's like with sunscreens: the best one is the one that you apply in the right amount and constantly.
If a person understands that he will not meticulously and carefully take care of his hair, he should outsource the care. Do not blame yourself for being disorganized and lazy - today life is too complicated and eventful to manage to control everything. I myself am lazy, but I regularly come to the salon for procedures. The combination of salon care (once a month) and minimal home care gives really good results.
How to restore hair after dyeing black
This is the most difficult story, although real. We always do a test of the control strand in order 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 the following. To get a person out of years of black staining, you need an extremely strong colorist - with qualifications, experience, and a huge arsenal of tools. Many clients try to get out of black with insufficiently competent masters (and sometimes on their own) and get a "leopard" effect. In addition, severe damage. After this unsuccessful attempt, 90% of people capitulate - and again paint themselves black. They will never have normal hair again.
The fight against black is complicated by the fact that girls often paint with it at home: it is believed that dense black lays down without problems, and you should not go to the master for this. We see the truth when we begin to get rid of dark pigment: where it lays down most densely (in front, at the roots, and at the tips), it remains stained. Where the paint was layered with less generosity (on the back of the head, along the length behind), bald spots appear. Their master will have to painstakingly paint over by hand, like a restorer when working on old paintings.
To everyone who wants to bring out black, I explain that the real result after leaving black will come only 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 another direction.
With white, by the way, a similar story. If the blonde wants to switch to another color, then it is imperative to saturate the strands with double pigment - or splice. In any case, I do not advise blondes with porous, curly, loose hair to be radically darkened: after dyeing, they will cause dissonance. All because dark color- always glossy, brilliant - at least, that's how it is perceived subconsciously. Loose dark hair looks weird.
How to get gray hair out
Recently, scalp care products (including very expensive ones) have appeared, the advertising of which hints: they will help restore the natural color of gray hair. Of course, this is a lie. The color of gray hair is not restored. And there are two ways - either accept it, or methodically dye your hair. A great example of acceptance and style is Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada.
Poppy Delevingne
Growing roots can be masked in between staining - there are special crayons, sprays and temporary paints. All of them are washed off with shampoos. By the way, at the next staining, 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 be unpopular. I love dyed hair - it always looks more vibrant, glossy and bouncy than natural hair, even when dyed. tone-on-tone. Plus, in fact, there are really few people in the world who are adorned with their natural color. Here at school, I see as much color as probably no one else, so I consider my stats to be representative.
Now there are so many bloggers who promote healthy lifestyle, fitness, koday care and makeup. For some reason, hair is unfairly forgotten. So, I'm sure that the hair also needs to be treated well. It's nice when your head makes a good impression on you and those around you.
It's no secret that women love to experiment with their appearance, either new makeup or new haircut, then styling. But the most favorite way to change yourself is, of course, to change the color of your hair. After all, coloring is one of the most available ways radically change your image, become more noticeable and attractive. But do not forget that changing yourself in this way, there is a risk of damaging your hair. Whatever this happens, we have selected for you the most relevant tips for the health of your hair.What happens to hair when hair is dyed?
The structure of the hair consists of three layers. The core of the hair - the medulla, is a soft spongy substance that is covered with a hard shell (cortex). The outer part of the hair is the cuticle, it is formed by keratin scales that overlap each other. Good and healthy hair characterized by a dense and even arrangement of these scales to the hair shaft. When using chemical dyes, the outer layer of the hair is damaged - the cuticle is damaged. Chemical components penetrate the hair, destroying the natural pigment and filling the hair with artificial pigment. There is a destruction of the structure of the hair, in addition, chemicals negatively affect the hair follicles and scalp. Hair becomes dehydrated and degreased, becoming brittle and dull. The most traumatic type of coloring is hair bleaching, in which the natural pigment is completely destroyed.
What happens to hair during a perm?
With a perm, there is a very strong effect on the hair, traumatization occurs. Cuticle - the outer layer of the hair, which protects it from various kinds of damage, under the influence of the chemical composition opens, passing chemical composition in the next layer - the cortex (the inner layer of the hair, consisting of keratin fibers). It is in the cortex that the main reactions take place in the process of perm. In general, perm hair products are alkaline. Hair scales under the influence of an alkaline environment are destroyed, which significantly weakens the protection against exposure external environment. Unfavorable factors destroy the biological membrane of the hair, which in turn leads to a violation of its functions. As a result, the hair is damaged, dull and weak. The substances contained in the chemical solution partially break the S-bonds (disulfide bonds that are responsible for the strength of the hair) and, when the curl is fixed, they create these bonds anew. If you perm for many years, the hair becomes dehydrated, becomes hollow, there is almost no keratin protein left in it, which is responsible for the growth, development, elasticity, elasticity of the hair, and cystine bonds are destroyed. Every day the hair becomes even thinner, even more brittle and "lifeless" - apparently it's time to go to the hairdresser and make a short "hedgehog".
Classification of drugs that change hair color?
All professional paints for hair are divided into 4 groups.
1. Lightening and bleaching. Able to lighten hair by 3-7 tones. They are used both to obtain a lighter shade of hair, and to "wash" the previous dye and prepare the hair for subsequent coloring in a lighter tone.
2. Hair dyes acting by oxidation - begin to appear only when interacting with an oxidizing agent, entering into a chemical reaction with it, due to the content of a certain percentage of hydrogen peroxide. These are persistent, indelible paints that can paint over gray hair. Persistent paints You can lighten the natural hair color by 1-3 tones.
3. Tinted hair dyes and tone-on-tone dyes are soft dyes that do not contain ammonia, respectively, they do not have the ability to lighten natural pigment. Such paints help to make the natural hair color more saturated, give an interesting color nuance and shine to the hair. Toning hair dyes penetrate only into the cuticle, and tone-on-tone dyes also envelop the natural pigment of the hair, due to which they are quite resistant. These dyes are washed off after about 20 shampoos, and their advantage is that the problem of regrown roots does not arise in this case: by the time the hair grows back, the color will gradually approach the natural one.
4. Tinted hair dyes. As a rule, they are available on a helium basis, as well as in the form of a foam or shampoo. They envelop the hair without penetrating into its structure, so they are quickly washed off. The advantage of these preparations, firstly, is that they are almost harmless to the hair, since they do not contain either ammonia or peroxide, and secondly, they provide an opportunity to boldly experiment with new shades. Can be used almost immediately after perm.
5. The technology creates a thin breathable film of natural ingredients on each hair, supplementing it with nourishing, moisturizing and protective substances. Doesn't damage hair at all! Creates a deep shade, revitalizes the natural color of the hair, gives a crystal shine. Can be used with contraindications to the use of alkaline dyes. Is the safest and even most beneficial way to change the color of your hair!
What care is needed for colored hair?
To restore a healthy, radiant look to hair damaged by dyeing, it is necessary to restore the protective layer of the hair. It is not difficult - for this you should follow a few special recommendations:
1. Use color-supporting dyed hair. The fact is that after dyeing, the ph of your hair changes and it no longer suits what yesterday made your hair lush and shiny. Choose a series of thermal protective styling products.
Japanese MoltoBene hair delicacies are designed specifically for the care of color-treated hair. When developing them, all the nuances of caring for the damaged hair structure were taken into account. With regular use, our products will help restore your previously healthy look, noble shine and silkiness to your dyed hair.
The decision to become a blonde is often spontaneous. A woman just goes to the store and buys what she likes. white paint. At home, she mixes something in a tube with something in a bottle, puts it on her hair and waits. Not surprisingly, the result differs from expectations.
The creation of a blond always takes place in two stages.
- Lightening (bleaching). This is a process in which the natural or artificial pigment of the hair is destroyed.
- Toning. Giving hair the desired shade.
Clarification is carried out with a special powder or cream and an oxidizing agent of a certain percentage. For example, to dark hair make lighter by 4-5 tones, you need an oxide of at least 6%. If the hair is blond, a 1.5-3% oxidizing agent is usually used. But everything is very individual. Sometimes, in order to achieve the desired result, 6–9 percent oxide is used to lighten blondes.
The result of lightening is always a warm shade. Why this happens, you will find out a little later. In the meantime, remember: between the concepts of "lightening" and "coloring in blond" you can not put an equal sign. After all, you can lighten up to create a nuclear orange or acid green hair.
Lightening is just the first step towards blonde. It sets the substrate on which the color must necessarily lie.
The result of dyeing depends on many factors: the condition of the hair, the initial tone and shade and, of course, the coloring composition and the method of its application.
Vika Glu, hairdresser
Mistake 2. Ignore lightening background and tone level
In everyday life, people are divided into blondes, brown-haired, redheads and brunettes. Everything is more complicated for professional hairdressers and colorists.
Human hair consists of a nourishing rod (medulla), which gives strength and elasticity to the cortex and a protective cuticle (many dense scales on the surface).
The cortex contains melanin, which is responsible for hair color. Melanin is made up of two pigments eumelanin and pheomelanin. The first has 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 prevails in blondes.
The level of tone (or, as they say, the level of depth of tone) depends on the amount of eumelanin.
The tone level (UT or UGT) is the gradation of the natural hair color by lightness.
Vika Glu, hairdresser
Allocate 10 UT, where one is black, and everything above seven is considered blond.
uhairstylist.com When lightening, the level of depth of tone increases and the background of lightening appears. This is the color that is obtained after the partial destruction of the natural or artificial, if the hair was dyed, pigment.
Imagine a flask with red and yellow balls inside. The initial tone level is 6. We lighten up to 9. Only yellow balls remain in the flask. The next step is toning, and you need to understand how much blue and red to add so that the colors mix and from a distance the bulb looks beige.
Before going to blonde, you need to determine the level of tone, the predominant pigment and desired result. It depends on what to lighten (powder or cream), what percentage of the oxidizing agent to use, where to start applying the composition and other nuances. Hairdressers make 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 level of tone and the background of clarification, but also to understand what type the composition belongs to 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 lines do not mix with an oxidizing agent and do not penetrate into the hair. Their molecules settle on the cuticle. Direct dyes are produced mainly in the form of tinted shampoos, balms and mousses. Colored crayons also belong to 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 inside of 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. It is more difficult to work with them (exact proportions are needed).
Indirect dyes also include dyes in which there is no ammonia, but its derivatives are present. They do not have such a pungent smell, 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 him how much it will be possible to rise in terms of the level of depth of tone and how much to keep the composition on the hair.
Many 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 long a particular composition needs to lighten, develop and fix artificial pigment. If the package says "Keep 30 minutes", keep for half an hour. Overdoing the paint, you only dry your hair.
Mistake 4. Not taking care of your hair
To become a luxurious blonde, it is not enough to lighten up. Blond requires constant careful care. Otherwise, the hair that has gone through the lightening reaction will hang like a lifeless tow.
Hair does not have strength and energy, because it is keratinized appendages of the skin. Some restorative cosmetics regenerate disulfide bonds and protein, but most conditioners simply close the cuticle scales tightly to reflect light. As a result, the hair looks good, it is pleasant to touch them.
The internet is full of folk recipes hair lightening. It must be understood that lemon juice, a decoction of chamomile or kefir will never turn you into a platinum blonde. The maximum will do Brown hair half a tone lighter.
But natural ingredients can be used to improve the condition of dyed hair. Here are some good masks.
- Honey. Mix equal proportions of honey, aloe juice and Castor oil. Keep on hair for 30 minutes. Wash off with plenty of warm water.
- Banana. Mix one medium banana, one egg, one teaspoon of honey, a tablespoon and two tablespoons of full-fat yogurt without additives with a blender until completely smooth. Keep 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 to swell the gelatin. 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 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 the hair will never give such an effect as professional cosmetics. From what is unlikely to make it worse - vinegar (an acidic environment will smooth the scales), coconut oil (but it is difficult to wash off).
Vika Glu, hairdresser
In addition, it is necessary to constantly maintain color tinted shampoos and other means, which also often contain care components.
Autumn marathon
Change of seasons - time to experiment! And there are at least two reasons for that. Firstly, since school days, autumn has been associated with us with the beginning of a new year, a new life. Out of habit, we even postpone the change of work until September-October. Well, changes in personal life are most easily indicated by a change in image. Secondly, after a long summer contact with the sun, the hair has lost its former brightness, it urgently needs to breathe life into it, and the easiest way to do this is with a bright new color! Many people think that hair coloring is a simple procedure that can be easily performed, one has only to apply the shade they like to the hair. In practice, everything is different: gray lifeless ends and bright roots golden color, unpainted gray hair, a dull color or an indistinct shade - this is what a frivolous change in hair color can lead to.
Paints have 3 levels of durability
1. Colors without ammonia and without hydrogen peroxide are washed off after a week (6-8 shampoos).
2. Paints without ammonia and with a low content of hydrogen peroxide in the developing emulsion, these are tone-on-tone paints, they are washed off after a month and a half (24-28 uses of shampoo). They are considered semi-permanent and practically harmless to the hair.
3. Paints containing both ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, the color of which is almost not washed off. Only tinting of the roots is required.
Ammonia-free paints: myth or reality
A revolution in dyeing 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 treats the hair more carefully and acts less aggressively. It does not have a pungent odor, it acts gently and delicately and does not damage the hair during dyeing. Ammonia-free paints are also suitable for gray hair, but on condition that their amount is not more than 50%. It should be remembered that hair coloring is a chemical process, therefore, for an excellent result, several factors must be taken into account: the function of the dye, the structure of the hair and the temperature of the room.
Dye Functions
Ammonia (Socolor beauty) persistent dye is intended for coloring hair tone-on-tone, darker, lighter up to 5 tones and staining gray hair. It must be mixed with an activating emulsion or oxidant. This is a permanent dye, so the hair will never get the 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 coloring tone-on-tone and a couple darker. In modern formulas, it also paints over 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.
Structure and color of hair
Imagine that hair is an artist's canvas on which he applies paint. The texture and color of the canvas affect the final result. If it is red, then it will be difficult to apply on it yellow. If the canvas has an uneven surface, then the paint will not fit well, not adhering to the base. This is just an example, but it clearly illustrates that if the hair is damaged, split and broken, then the color will not hold well. That's why damaged hair before staining always need a series of restoration procedures. To work with them, it is necessary to use only ammonia-free dyes. The temperature of staining in the room where it is carried out should be from 21 to 25 degrees. Only in this case can a quality result be guaranteed. And, of course, do not experiment too often with the color of your hair. Do not experiment with shades by choosing products from different brands. Stop the choice on one tone and tint overgrown roots as needed, and go to the salon only for color correction. Professional dyes work more gently with hair. Also, after dyeing in the salon, you can undergo a hair restoration procedure that neutralizes alkaline residues and helps maintain color saturation for a longer time. When choosing the color of a hair dye, a professional takes into account many nuances: the original color, lightening backgrounds, the structure and porosity of the hair. You can also attend gentle ion staining procedures: biolamination or phytolamination. They not only give shade, but are also able to restore hair, give it density, volume and shine. The composition “solders” irregularities, the hair thickens and acquires elasticity.
Extending the life of rich color
Frequent coloring can severely damage the hair. In the process of dyeing, they lose valuable lipids, as a result of which they become more vulnerable, lose their shine, softness and intensity of shade. Care and styling products with hair-related ingredients help replenish lipid loss and restore healthy looking hair. The content of the sunscreen filter in the formula of such products will keep the color bright and saturated. Shampoo, conditioner and mask, choose specifically for colored hair. The pH of such products is chosen in such a way as to balance it as a result of using shampoo and conditioner together and lead to the optimal border for hair: 4.5-5-5. Rinse should be used every time after cleansing the hair, and the mask - depending on the type of hair from two to four times a week. Coloring in general dries hair, so additional moisturizing care should not be neglected. Do not forget about products aimed at preserving hair color and nutrition. In addition to traditional shampoos and masks, get leave-in care products!
We paint over gray hair
Coloring 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 the effect of a “wig”, as well as unnatural color without shine and saturation. You can choose any shade, but you should avoid "cold" tones: they will look unnatural and give glare. Refuse from light tones with yellowness. Your choice is natural light brown, chestnut, wheat tones. The process of dyeing gray hair used to take long hours, because first prepigmentation was carried out (saturation of an empty gray hair with melanin), and then dyeing in the desired color. Today, “smart” dyes have appeared that combine prepigmentation and coloring in one procedure. Styling products should contain, at a minimum, sunscreens, and at a maximum, thermal protection 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 the hair and scalp, while Pro-Vitamin B5 provides the necessary level of hydration, making the hair supple and shiny. Here are some care tips: firstly, do not comb wet hair immediately after dyeing: this will further injure them. Secondly, 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 tongs, and subsequently use products with thermal protection.
As I promised, today we will make 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 coloring mixtures on hair.
As practice shows, the most a large number of errors when using natural dyes occur precisely because of a misunderstanding of the essence of the staining mechanism. Many people incorrectly believe that henna is an ordinary paint, only natural and harmless. This wrong message leads to disappointment.
Henna is a dye with a radically different staining mechanism than the chemical dyes we are used to, which are simple and uncomplicated to use. Its interaction with the hair occurs according to a different principle and requires compliance with certain conditions. How does the dyeing process take place? Let's analyze this issue at the level of hair anatomy.
As you all know, hair is made up of three layers: the cuticle (the outer scaly layer), the cortex (the middle layer of "stiffened" keratin fibers, the "bark" of the hair, which contains our own pigment - melanin) and the medulla (the central layer of living liquid keratin 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 brain core, and the cuticle is tightly soldered 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, prevents 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 density of the integumentary scales adhering to it, the hair is divided into silky (smooth hair surface with a tight fit of scales and tight interlacing of keratin fibers) and porous (rough hair surface with incomplete adhesion of scales and loose interweaving 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 more easily dyed (with any dye). Silky hair, on the contrary, is more resistant and elastic. They are (due to their strength) more difficult to dye, but the dye adheres to them more firmly.
But not only the strength and density of the cuticle affects the ability to stain: the location and size of melanin grains and the predominance of one or another of its types (yellow-red or black-brown) also play an important role - the color obtained as a result of staining depends on this.
When dyeing hair with chemical dyes, there is a complete or partial replacement of the hair's own pigment with an artificial dye pigment. To do this, without exception, all artificial dyes contain aggressive components (such as persulfates, resorcinol, hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, etc.), which loosen the lipid casing between the cuticle and the 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 it loses its integrity and gradually collapses. 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 aggravate the situation and lead to the complete destruction of the hair along the length.
And here the prudent cosmetics industry and enterprising hairdressers do not let our hair die in peace without milking us to the last ruble (or last hair): silicones, keratins, vitamins, petroleum jelly and proteins - everything is used that will allow you to glue the miserable washcloth left over from the hair, at least for a while ... Therefore, we notice the problem too late, most often when it is no longer possible to solve it with anything except for scissors.
Some of my customers after switching to washing their hair natural soap, notice that the hair begins to catastrophically “split” at the ends and believe that this is due to soap. However, soap has nothing to do with it! This is just a vivid demonstration of my words: as soon as we stop “gluing” keratin crumbling into dust with industrial silicones, the hair (or rather, what is left of them) immediately begins to break off right down to the very roots. For the mechanical integrity of the hair is no longer there, we just don’t notice it under a thick layer of “glue”! But if you look at damaged hair under a microscope, the picture will be depressing:
staining mechanism natural dyes quite 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 interlacing 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 achieve a change in hair color? Oh, it's a complex multi-step process!
It begins at the moment of brewing and infusion of dry plant powder: lawson particles are extracted with water to form a colloidal solution. It should be noted that any henna needs extraction (in a simple way - “fermentation”), regardless of whether it is rich in pigment or not (the pigment must be transferred from plant tissue cells into a colloidal solution, otherwise it will not physically be able to get on hair). If the seller tells you that his henna does not need it, since it is “high-quality”, he either does not understand the essence of the process, or lies, or sells henna with a chemical dye mixed in, or tries not to miss his profit by forcing you to spend more vegetable powder than you need for one coloring.
You can not dye your hair without first extracting the pigment! At the same time, 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 “notions”, this is 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 on a simple and visual experience (how does physics and chemistry differ from the humanities? The fact that everything said here is easy to check and distinguish reality from claims of originality: if you say - prove it!). So, I prove: we 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. Only in one glass we pour 200 ml of water, and in the other just enough to dilute the henna to a state of thick creamy consistency, which is usually recommended by henna sellers for application to hair:
We leave the glasses for an hour and a half, so that the extraction is completed as fully as possible and compare the results. To do this, we 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. A small amount of extractant (water) in the second glass was quickly fed up with even a small amount of pigment, diffusion critically slowed down, which did not allow extraction to the end, until the complete depletion of plant materials. In other words, most of the pigment remained as a dead weight in the tissues of plant materials, which means that the amount of dye we used was wasted:
Thus, coloring begins with the correct process of extracting the pigment, thanks to which the colloidal aqueous solution is obtained as saturated as possible.
Further, when a colloidal solution is applied to the hair, 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”, saturating and “cementing” the cuticle deeper and deeper, filling in all the voids, irregularities and roughness, they acquire the desired 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 dyeing process does not take place from the inside of the hair, but from the outside, according to the principle of “cementing”, and not replacing melanin with a colorant. That is why henna cannot be washed off with anything but scissors. However, coloring your hair to the right level of intensity and depth of color is also not easy! To increase 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 that the hair follicles have time to adapt to the increased load. Painting with a natural dye can be compared to finishing work: a contact compound is first 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 the 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 in the case of henna: if you rush and dye too often, exceeding the dye exposure time on your hair, you will damage your hair (dry it, make it hard and naughty), or completely lose it (they will simply fall off with the root under by its overwhelming weight).
Everyone who began to dye their hair with henna in their youth is quite “trained”, therefore certain “discounts” are always provided for them. But those who decide to switch to natural dyes only with the appearance of gray hair should not be in a hurry! With a gradual and unhurried progress towards the goal, in compliance with all the rules of dyeing and precautions, the dye will lie on the hair firmly and without loss, and the hair will acquire the long-awaited volume, density and will grow almost twice as fast.
With this dyeing mechanism, the hair is not only saturated with color and smoothed, but also “sealed” into an additional protective casing, thanks to which it can withstand external aggressive factors and retain moisture inside the living core. The dye layer 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 curious cases when, by the end of the vacation, those around me lost any doubts that this was my “natural” hair color.
Now that the coloring mechanism 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, stiff and sometimes crimped). Difficulties always arise when coloring such hair. The complete absence of its own pigment does not allow one to limit oneself to simple “toning”, therefore, to dye gray hair in the same color as the rest of the hair, a combination of both yellow-red and brown-black pigments (a mixture of dyes) is needed.
For example, if you have blond hair, then you have about the same amount 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 stained with henna (yellow-red pigment), the hair acquires apricot-orange tones (red henna varieties) or pale pink tones (copper henna varieties), since its own black pigment is absent and cannot affect the shade .
The same thing happens with simultaneous staining with a mixture of henna / basma - henna is a stronger pigment (better absorbed by the hair) than basma, and therefore gray hair will have a maximum light chestnut (buffy) shade.
Over time (5-6 colorings) and gray hair will be painted over deeply, reliably and forever - neither henna nor basma give up their positions, including on gray hair (this is the most important plus of natural dyes for gray hair - chemical dyes from them are easily washed out and the process has to be restarted each time).
But even in the case of natural dyes, the owners of gray hair always face the “root problem” - the roots, dyed in orange tones, scream! What to do in this situation?
The solution to the problem is regular (every 8-10 days) tinting of the roots. Hair grows by about 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 a color contrast due to low visibility. And by the time when 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 staining - first henna, then basma. So the dye from the first time lays down more intensively, and the roots immediately get a darker (less contrasting) shade.
This technique is very difficult when dyeing the roots, when dyes must be sequentially applied strictly to a certain length of the hair section adjacent to the roots, but for owners of short and very short hair that apply dye to the entire length, and not just to the roots, this option is ideal!
A similar problem awaits the owners of hair bleached or dyed with a chemical dye - alas, it will not be possible to naturally and smoothly equalize 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 - this is the only way to avoid contrasts.
And now it's time to talk about the cons 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 acids, dries hair. Also, tannins - salts of gallic acid (essentially useful) can cause harm - add stiffness and brittleness to hair, which affects appearance hair (especially if the hair is long). Such consequences when staining 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 - ordinary vegetable oil! It will not only protect the hair from the damaging effects of gallic acid, but also soften the "cement" layer of tannins, ensuring that softness and elasticity remain with regular staining. Add a little vegetable (or special) oil to the coloring mixture and henna will not cause the slightest harm to your hair. And about which oils are best used when staining, I will tell you in detail a little later.
So do not 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 relation to the neutralization of free radicals and radionuclides are known to all. 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, skin proteins are compacted (tanning). The skin becomes denser and better resists infections, chemical and mechanical effects, which contributes to a stronger rooting of hair, reduction of hair loss and rapid growth.
But natural dyes also have a number of features that are classified as “cons”. In my opinion, it is they (and not the mythical "harm" that opponents of henna constantly talk about) that reduce the popularity of using henna and basma.
First of all, it is the complexity and duration of the staining process. Using a chemical dye is much easier and faster, and few people want to burden themselves with unnecessary trouble. Our own laziness is the first enemy of everything natural. Yes, I agree, henna hair coloring is not for the faint of heart. It will require patience, patience, once again patience and the greatest willpower! Usually, it is not difficult to devote half an hour or an hour to your beloved for a pleasant relaxing procedure. But cutting out for an unpleasant hair coloring procedure all day, every two or three weeks, and even month after month, year after year, 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 tangible money!).
How to simplify the procedure and save time? For this, too, there are a number of measures that you can use. Here is a partial list:
- if you have reached the specified color depth and the hair along the entire length (with the exception of 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, it is enough to dye only the roots and the adjacent segment of 5-8 centimeters. After applying the coloring mixture to the roots, collect the rest of the hair in a bun and pin it up at the back of the head. Such “partial” staining will significantly reduce the time of applying and washing off the mixture, as well as significantly reduce the consumption of expensive dye. Among other things, this technique will allow you to maintain a given color depth and protect the ends of the hair from excessive drying (and cementing);
- if it’s not a problem for you to go to bed later, but to get up early, and you use a one-stage staining technique - apply the dye at night, for about 6 hours (as they say, the soldier is sleeping, the service is on). However, in this case, you should use a very liquid coloring mixture, not 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 make oil wraps between dyeings so that the hair does not lose its softness and elasticity;
- if your hair is not too dirty, color without first washing your hair. The coloring mixture in this case should also be quite liquid, but you do not 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;
