Lavish draperies, Louis XIV French settees and marble floors do nothing more than set the stage in my salon or any other. It is achieving that gorgeous blonde bob or ravishing head of red hair that is paramount. Last week, while lecturing in my Millsaps College workshop, I gave a handful of lovely ladies “Hair Color 101,” if you will, and today I offer it to you.
There are several roads one might take to reach hair color heaven. Sadly, the same roads sometimes lead in the other direction, so the right road map or tour guide is essential. Permanent color is, by far, the most popular and has the strongest ingredients to stick around for four to five weeks until the natural hair color peeks through. Professionals might call this intruder the “new growth” or “the line of demarcation,” but most just label it “roots.” It just means it”s time to schedule an appointment in the salon for fresh color to be applied.
The next color type is becoming more and more popular by the minute and is semi-permanent or demi-permanent color, which basically means it”s not quite as strong as the permanent option. The coloring agents are gentler and healthier for the hair and fade away gracefully. In four weeks or so, the natural hair begins to shine through all over, not just at the roots. It”s a great way to try a color with less commitment.
Next, we have lighteners that come in a bouquet of forms. Powder, liquid or crème, they all do the same thing — remove the natural pigment of the hair until the desired results are achieved. Lighteners can even be intertwined with permanent or semi-permanent colors to achieve the most sophisticated and subtle hues or most fashionable trends.
All colors can be applied to the hair in a variety of ways, from old-school weaving to balayage French painting. I have witnessed everything from plastic frosting caps years ago in my Aunt Trucene”s beauty shop in rural Mississippi to fiber optic foil that lights up when the hair is finished processing.
The reason ladies remark, “Color gives my hair incredible fullness,” is because natural, uncolored hair strands should be thought of as shingles on a roof. When the top layer of the hair strand, the cuticle layer, gets colored, those shingles stand up as if a hurricane force wind had blown them, thus creating a rough, more noticeable texture. We embrace this as “fullness,” “body” and “volume.” Keep in mind that if you color your hair, it makes sense to guarantee the investment with a shampoo designed especially for color-treated hair. These shampoos have lower pH values and will help to preserve that beautiful hue.
The next time you are in the color chair of some grand salon, sipping a cappuccino, you will know what is going on and how to ask the questions that will lead to your desired results. For those few moments, it should be all about you!
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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