SMOKE and MIRRORS Hair Color Magic ...

How exactly does the "Lift & Deposit" chemical reaction in permanent hair color work?

A question was posed on the previous Post about this, which I felt warranted its own POST. Good question =(equals) Post is kind of how it works here in the Killer Strands Land of Hair Care.

All permanent hair coloring works the same. Which I would like you all to understand, especially in the ongoing debate of "Professional Hair Color versus 'Public' Hair Color" and the difference between them. Some of the licensed Hair Stylists want you to believe there is a huge difference in the products you can purchase at Sally's and the ones "we" licensed ... Board certified Professionals purchase. Now, available in the Killer Strands Store. Just so you know, as I was readying to launch the new Killer Strands store, the Publicity Release went out announcing that Wella would be soon selling their professional color to the public, the same way they do in every other country in the world.

They like you to believe that, you ...the public, don't have the talent or education to use Professional hair color, that it takes a year of schooling to be able to use it properly.

Well, you should know me by now... and I, of course, would like to blow the top off of that stupid theory. . . I would make a 'conservative' guess that 80 %-90% of all Cosmetology students are not even taught practical hair color education when they go to school ... you know what they teach them? How to pass the State Board Tests, in order to get your license. Which to me and to the Vidal Sassoon Academy's --> is TOTALLY ridiculous. State Board Tests are so antiquated, they test for your ability to perform finger waving 'speed' and roller setting swiftness as if that is how we all wear our hair on a daily basis. I am not kidding, it is completely and utterly ridiculous the testing they put you through to have a license here in the state of California, and am told California is the hardest 'Board' test in the union {and you wonder why the last cut/color you got was horrific}.

Vidal Sassoon where I attended, did not teach passing the state board Test (you were left to your own devices to figure that out) they taught Hair Color Theory ...Hair color application, Hair Color Formulation, Hair cutting theory & Hair cutting practice....there is a reason it is referred to as the "Harvard of Hair Schools" -- it truly deserves it. But...such a very small percentage of the millions of Hair Stylists out there have attended either of the 2 schools (1 in LA & 1 in London - period)- - it leaves the majority of Cosmetologists ; untrained and left to their own devices to learn on poor unsuspecting clients. Yes, that is where they learn - - - on YOU. When I finally figured that out, I was terrified for the 'client'. What the solution to this is - - - is finally surfacing, various Hair Color Companies are starting their own "specialty" Hair Academy's. I have heard Aveda, Paul Mitchell & now Redken are the first with sporadic academies popping up around the country. The smart companies are hiring 'ex' Sassoon-heads to build their schools around and to know "how" - "what" and "where" to do this successfully. No one will ever have the brilliance and finesse of a Sassoon Academy....until you have been engrossed in one - - you won't know what you are missing. It was one of the smarter moves I've ever made...it truly has stayed ingrained in me for the last 16 years.

Since viewing the problems of unqualified Stylists, from different angles, I try to remain semi - compassionate to all sides of the story -- but its hard. I'm so driven, that I will go to any lengths to get the proper training I need for a certain purpose, I don't understand why everyone can't be that way. Alas, it just is not always possible for everyone to have the fortunate situation I had, in growing up 30 miles from the 1 Vidal Sassoon Academy in America.

But, there are books, there are tapes, there are DVD's - Videos, U-TUBE - - there are always, some form of advanced hair education going on all over the country. . . ALWAYS. Use it, invest in yourself & your talent, it will pay you back, I promise...having a full book of clients is a wonderful thing.

The difference between Professional Hair Color & "public" Hair Color (for lack of a better word) ......is ......"quality" yep, that's it. Which is why when you get your hair done by a professional - - you wonder...." why, does it not look this good when I do it myself" ? ? Its the quality of pigments in that tube of color,the quality of ingredients that provide both SHINE & Vivid color, its the quality of Developer - that I even call "premium" Developer that is different. Remember there is no other time that the hair cuticle is open; allowing lipids, and conditioners of all types to get into the strand of hair, than with the Permanent Hair Color process. But, the actual "process of how" they both work ("professional" and "public" hair color) is exactly the same.

There is no reason on this planet that if you understand both the:

• Level System of Hair Color and
• Color Theory (related to Hair)

you cannot color your hair with professional hair color - at home - successfully. There is no secret, there is no trick, no talent we learn as Licensed hair Stylists that you don't have access to. I just want that to be CRYSTAL CLEAR to everyone, because it is not fair that the people at home are not allowed to have access to better quality hair color. So many of the stories I hear are " I have tried every hair stylist in my town and every single one has destroyed my hair" - I want to take back control of my own hair color and learn how to do it myself.

You know what my argument is when a licensed hair stylist starts to get in my face about this? I say: at least I teach the Level System and Color Theory - in going to Sally's they can buy anything without teaching them a thing, and 9 times out of 10 point them in the wrong direction. Hundreds of millions of women/men go to Sally's Beauty Supply every single week and they are mis-guided by uneducated, uncaring individuals that CAUSE most of the Color Correction cases we Colorists see on a weekly basis. Both, Sally's & Boxed Hair Color Kits are the 2 main "causes" of most Hair Color Disasters across the USA. Its an eye opening experience to have a hair Blog and Group such that I have, the privilege of owning these has opened my eyes to what is going on nationwide ... not just here in my little corner of the country. Once people started writing in to me from every state, I realized the problem was a whole Helluva lot bigger than I ever realized. Someone needs to help all these people have some decent education on how to properly care for their hairs health and their hair color.

Its not a matter of the education not being there, its a matter of the 'wall' put up between Hair Stylist and Hair Client. With the Stylist acting like they have some "other worldly" powers over hair, that they are keeping secret...and will disperse a little bit at a time, but only if you keep coming back to them as a good client should... I cannot say it loud enough: R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S .

Of course, I don't mean every Stylist...but just today on one of the most recent "comments" a new reader left, here is the Comment:

Hi! My hairstylist uses low "natural enzymes" in the place of developer, but she refuses to tell me anything more about it, or where to find it. Go figure... She also says that she uses color with low ammonia to color my hair.
My hair is super-soft and almost damage free and I was wondering if you know anything about these enzymes?

here is my answer:

anonymous,
Nope, have no idea what she is referring to. I can honestly say out of 10,000 Heads of Hair I have worked on ... 95% of them had super-soft and damage-free hair.
Hair Color (done correctly) can be a wonderful thing and creates absolutely NO damage to hair. I have said over and over that the way hair color works in todays upper echelon is to:
>> strengthen
>> add body
and the best trait of all:
>> it adds tons of shine
I don't believe she used any special "enzymes" to color your hair, I believe it is one more hair stylist perpetuating the unnecessary wall & shut down of communication that has gone up between hair stylist and client, that besides being absolutely ridiculous is just one more show of the paranoid insecurities that most hair stylists possess. You most likely have great hair to begin with...
& she enriches it with a top hair color.... that is not a tough task.
In my world that is the "norm", not the rarity that many of you think.
I have been working on a post trying to explain to people if a color "claims" it has no ammonia, then it uses a substitute ingredient that does the exact same thing as ammonia.
So why does that make it a better hair color to you?
When it still does the exact same thing?
MAKES ZERO SENSE.
All permanent hair color uses the exact SAME TECHNOLOGY....there is no NEW technology for COLORING HAIR.
When there is, I promise I will announce it here.

KC

Now, the shine, the vividness, the pigment are all better with professional hair color. The technology is absolutely NO DIFFERENT. There is not one thing different we do as professional's. What we have is more experience on working on all types of hair....you - - you have experience with your own head of hair and maybe your sisters or best friends. But not on all types and textures of hair...which still doesn't make us an expert. I never feel like I have learned everything about hair color, nor will I ever. The best part about doing your own hair color is just that....its your own, you are experienced with all of its little traits, and flaws. I can ask hair color clients if their hair -- "takes" color well or not. 8 out 10 will know the answer to that question, which tells a colorist a LOT about your hair. That is the porosity of your hair and that little piece of information can save you from having a color disaster, if you are new to learning hair color.

Now the way permanent hair color works. Permanent hair color has 2 aspects:

• lightening/lifting and
• penetrating/depositing

Lightening comes from 2 key ingredients:

• ammonia ( or other catalyst) : in the cream
• hydrogen peroxide: in the developer

Ammonia is a critical ingredient in permanent hair color. Permanent Hair Color ALWAYS contains ammonia (or another catalyst that does the exact same thing) {remember this point}. The issue with 'ammonia' is the same issue as 'preservatives'... too much of it is unnecessarily damaging, but without ammonia, penetration, lightening and dye development would not occur. It, or something like it, is essential. Manufacturers of professional products strive to put just enough--- and not too much---ammonia-- in their permanent hair color.

Now if a hair color says its "ammonia-free" then it will have an ammonia substitute. Therefore, if it has an ammonia substitute, which does the exact same thing, then all it is doing is tricking the consumer. Get it? Its still doing the exact same thing only with a different ingredient ( MEA; monoethanolamine is the one I know of, there are others).

Ammonia is an alkali: it swells the hair shaft, promoting penetration. It is also a catalyst and its primary purpose: to facilitate lightening by releasing oxygen, supplied by the developer, to OXIDIZE natural pigment. Ammonia, creates the necessary alkalinity for the development of permanent dyes; permanent haircoloring is always alkaline in pH.

Ammonia is not in the developer which so many people think, it is in the tube of hair color with the dyes. Lighter levels contain more ammonia than darker levels, in order to provide more lightening capability. Many of you have only dealt with 1 color range, but as a professional we deal with every range....clients range from level 1 to 12, which we may be dealing with in the same hour as clients come in all sizes and colors.

The higher the level , the more ammonia (lift) and the less pigment (deposit). The lower the level, the less lift and the greater the deposit. That's why a medium blond will cover gray better than a very light blond. It is also why a medium brown will not lift as many levels as a high-lift tint.

High-Lift colors contain the most ammonia, to have the most aggressive and extended lift cycles. That much ammonia in darker levels , however would be overkill. Ammonia is calibrated by levels in all professional products.

Another critical component of permanent hair coloring is hydrogen peroxide. The developers for permanent hair coloring products, (whether clear or cream) are hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen Peroxide is the oxidizer of permanent hair coloring, providing the oxygen for lightening of natural pigment, and for the development of artificial pigment. Permanent hair coloring is sometimes referred to as oxidative haircoloring. It is the hydrogen peroxide

in permanent hair coloring -- not

the ammonia -- that causes

oxidative hair damage. Top Colorists are

aware of the damage created by excessively high developer volumes and use only that which is necessary.

The chemical shorthand for hydrogen peroxide is H2 O2 meaning 2 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms. Higher volumes of hydrogen peroxide provide more oxygen for more extended lightening. Higher volumes create more lift and less deposit; lower volumes create less lift and greater deposit. This is why better gray coverage is achieved with 20 Volume rather than 40 volume.

Some strength of hydrogen peroxide has to be used in order to develop the dyes of permanent haircoloring. Just to get the 'dyes' to color the hair, an oxidizer has to be present. ( and peroxide all by itself won't lighten the hair, either - sometimes an email comes in with someone trying this....and I want to cringe...it needs to react with ammonia in order for efficient oxidation to occur.) peroxide,ammonia and the dyes all need each other to get the hair coloring to work properly and to its fullest.

When people start quoting these silly sayings like " no ammonia" or "low ammonia" hair color... I just quietly look at them and think......" you will be right back in to see me fix the mess you are going to make of your hair". Because they have no idea what "low ammonia" means ... I will ask them , " what does ammonia do to hair color ??? " Not one of them ever knows, in 16 years I have never once run into a 1 person that can answer that question. I just completely explained what ammonia does in the hair color process, just a few paragraphs up. . . and I bet 50% of you still can't tell me what it does . .? ? ? ? So if you don't know what ammonia does, why are you trying to eliminate it ? ? ? How do you know its bad? Personally if a hair color says anything about having "Low ammonia or No ammonia in it. . . I just turn and walk away, why? ? ? because I know how necessary it is for a perfect....beautiful ....head of hair color.

In order for permanent hair color to work properly, it is a chemical reaction and ammonia is needed for the chemical reaction to take place properly. I have found that every single person that sits in my chair does not really care how it gets there . . . but what they want is a rich - - - gorgeous - - - vivid - - - - shiny - - - properly toned KNOCKOUT head of hair with Hair Color to match. As long as their hair is as healthy and as luxurious as I can possibly make it . . the ingredients I use to get it there are going to be the Top-of-the-Line for what I need to make that process take place. I doubt there is a person on the planet that wants orange or yellow hair, because their hair color says "no ammonia" on the box or tube. When hair reaches the proper color, the most beautiful wheat blond or the most yummy Matt (non-brassy) blond you have ever see then NO REPAIR has to take place - which adds to the processes the hair has to endure. Think about everything you are saying or thinking before pronouncing the big plans you may have for your hair. . .

Sit back and relax, I care for my clients hair as if it were my own or my childrens . . I now give all of that to you - - - as a gift.

KillerStrands the Group,

http://groups.google.com/group/killerstrands

KillerStrands the Blog ...........you are here

KillerStrands the Store

http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/

Killer Chemist

Becoming a Blond Bombshell Lives On . . .

 Wella's Koleston Perfect Line of Permanent Hair Color has gone through an entire revamp of the line....new pretty Peacock feather boxes, and a new science they refer to as:  TRILUXIV TECHNOLOGY, which separates the hair color process into 3 stages of the way the color works and imparts 69% MORE shine than hair without Wella hair color. Something I have been trying to impress on you all from Day 1 of the Blog. Wella reigns for imparting shine into the strands of many a bombshell . . .

What’s new?

• Koleston Perfect's new and improved formula for even more expressive color result
• More intensive, vibrant colors, with now even better color balance!
• The big selection of color with exciting new nuances, where you surely can find the exact right nuance to fit you.
• Long-lasting. Especially in the reds range. Koleston Perfect Vibrant Reds now last even longer – up to 15%!
• Remarkable shine! What would you say to up to 69% more shine when compared with untreated hair?
• Unbelievably! Not just better, but also more gentle! New Koleston Perfect is now even more gentle for a worry-free color with no regrets

Also there are 2 completely new Tonal Categories :  /17  and   /38. 
The following Testimonial is the third positive response + PLUS my own,  I have had to this new tone line by Wella in their brand new /38 Line of Permanent Hair Color :

"Just wanted to thank you for the /38 series color suggestion.  I get more compliments on my hair color now.  The guy that just cut my hair even said he liked it and I did a great job.  Thanks again.  Heidi  "

The 2 new Tonal Categories are /38 - Gold Pearl  and  /17-Ash Brown
Hopefully we will be able to get our newly MIA; IT guy Andre to "bring-in" Color Samplers for you...they both are nothing short of scrumptious - in my humble opinion....I love them both and they are what the line was missing.

In /17 Ash Brown
there are only two:

9/17
7/17

which means for most Colorists they are trying to save money & space for us. Why...You ask?
Because if you mix 1 ounce of 9/17 with 1 ounce of 7/17 you have created 2 ounces of 8/17.
Much easier than carrying 3 Colors in the cupboard, takes up less space to carry 2 colors than it does 3.
This way we have access to all 3 Colors now, don't we?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Now we have in the brand new /38 Tonal Family called: Gold Pearl, a beautiful color - although normally I would stay very far away from anything with the word "gold" in it. Hair already has too much brass and gold undertones in it, we do not need to be adding more. Although this is an exception, I can see some sort of violet undertone in this color although they have not stated anywhere what the undertones are.. I mean a /3 is a Neutral Gold and an /8 is a Pearl...yet I still can see a very mild violet undertone which is the undertone you want. All 4 colors are beautiful I hope they add them to Color Touch, what a nice present that would be.

 I spent an hour trying to find a photo of a hair color that was EXACTLY depicting the /38 Tonal Family and finally found the perfect one - to me its a beigey-pearl . . . . which is a very hard color to find and an even harder color to achieve with hair color. Remember a lot of it (unfortunately) has to do with the existing pigment in your hair as to whether you will achieve the proper color.

As Hair Color technology improves with each and every new year, they will come closer and closer to matching the beautiful shades, no matter what your existing pigment is. I sure hope to be around for those days.....

 How Totally Unique are these Drips of Copper at the ends of Platinum - H..E..A..V..E..N..L..Y

Only You Can Prevent Gray Hair - Part 3

Hey, Gray and the saga continues

There are many qualifications about gray in the hair and how much gray does the person actually have? Less than 30%, more than 30% but less than 60%, or 60% to 100%? This can make a big difference in your color selection as well as in the formula you will use.

If it looks more natural than gray, there is less than 30%; if it appears even (salt and pepper), it is 30% to 60 %; if it looks more gray than natural, it is more than 60%.

If you have more than 60% gray, do not tint your hair to the color it used to be.... why? You are very used to looking at "lighter" hair <> Granted it was 'white/gray' hair but the overall look to you is lighter than what you used to be, so 9 times out of 10 the shock will not be good. Its much more appealing and effective to start off two to 3 levels lighter than the natural (original) color. The look will be more attractive and personally I feel too dark of hair on a mature person can be harsh, unattractive and basically unnatural. If you are dealing with gray you will have deal with roots anyway, so to deal with them and the lighter color of your hair can all be taken care of at the same time. Its no extra effort, it truly isn't. The lighter color will actually be so much more flattering to your skin, and complexion. Just because she has been promoting her book lately, I have seen Barbara Walters everywhere this week, now she has beautiful hair color for an elderly lady, she has a talented colorist with a great eye. I'm sure no one here is anywhere close to her age, but you get the idea, hopefully.

Gray, or white hair occurs when the hair bulb stops producing melanin. Gray hair is basically un-pigmented: it contains little underlying pigment, or none at all. Its white hair that appears gray by the reflection of darker hairs.

The concept of dominant underlying color helps to explain the way gray hair accepts artificial coloring. Cool colors do not cover gray as well as warm colors, because they do not contain what gray hair lacks, warmth. Warm hair coloring replaces the warm undertones, in effect filling (prepigmenting) the hair.

Manufacturers come up with formulation recommendations based on just average, normal hair in mind - - and its plain nuts. Who has average normal hair? No one in my 10,000 heads has ever had it, so somewhere they are hiding and I realize there has to be a base to go off of, but the case needs to be made super clear to you the public, which is why I am here. To try to help teach you all that buying one box will not color your hair properly, there are simply too many variables in hair texture, porosity, etc.. for one little box to have gorgeous color for you. Once you learn about your hairs particulars plus figure out your formula, then the magic can begin . . . at your hands!

RESISTANT HAIR Resistant and tenacious mean the exact same thing. A tenacious or resistant head of hair has a compact, unlifted cuticle which will RESIST absorption. Remember the cuticle, is like scales on a fish -- now think about those scales... laying down flat and not flexing. That is what a resistant hair is like and with that structure it will not accept hair color very easy, it resists the new color. The surface of the hair is slick, smooth and shiny. Resistant hair is sometimes said to have poor porosity, which is a very common trait of gray hair. It makes for a very difficult go of it, to color, although I have always found ways around the bugger problem.

One of the best tricks on the planet is to simply 'begin' using the best color for cuticle penetration, which is Renbow and that is one of many reason's I use it. Renbow is made by a famous Italian Colorist and is huge in Europe. The Line is so famous for its color penetration and quality that Paul Mitchell's entire new line of professional hair color is made by RENBOW, they call it PRIVATE LABEL. That is the only one I know for sure, I don't want to guess at it, but am fairly certain they make a couple others...they use a BEESWAX base, so its pretty easy to pick out, for those of you that have purchased it, once you get past the "mixing' (its a bit harder to mix) part, the colors are stupendous. You can do things with it like apply from the root to the ends without build-up! The absolute best mix for the most resistant gray hair on the planet is to mix Renbow's permanent Colorissimo Plus Renbow's RenColor!

'Tube' (in a tube) colors are the best for penetration and color and 'bottle' colors are the best for color and shine, add the 2 together and B I N G O, you have the Crème de la Crème . This is one of my deep secrets I've been holding back, remember I was going to write a book, so for those of you with a fanatic hair addiction - an ultimate trick - especially with resistant and gray hair.

Resistant/gray hair takes longer than average to soften and penetrate, therefore I leave it on not only to the maximum time but often 10-15 minutes longer. (The color doesn't go "past" the color you picked). Use very low developer volumes but sometimes even that isn't enough, Resistant gray hair some times requires pre-softening or pre-pigmentation.

Pre- softening the hair : to pre-soften those tough wiry gray hairs, apply a 20% peroxide to pop open the hair cuticle and soften the hair so that it will easily accept any color that is applied. Apply the peroxide, comb it through the hair, leave it on for 5-10 minutes, depending on your hair, and then rinse off. Then apply the desired color.

Personally I have never had to do this procedure, I have found with Renbow I never needed to, this was written for those that for one reason or another need it.

If you are interested in Renbow's products, > send email to Killerstrands@gmail.com -- the color charts are posted in the FILES section of our GOOGLE GROUP: http://groups.google.com/group/killerstrands

and for new members your first couple Posts are moderated, hang in there everything is fine.

A couple more Posts on Gray hair and the journey will be complete {for now} ;-) Killer Chemist

Democrat & Republican of Hair Color: Permanent Hair Color > Holds Down 2 Opposing Jobs

Lift & Deposit ; 2 Jobs of Permanent Hair Color

Must Work Together For Good of Hair,

Come From Completely Different Camps

Permanent hair color, or single-process hair color is designed to permanently alter the natural pigment of hair. Oxidative color, henna, metallic, compound dyes and bleach are all considered permanent tints.











Today we are talking about permanent hair color. The only category of all the hair colors that performs 2 actions - while its on the hair - at the same time! With Semi & Demi Permanent hair color they have one job only and that is to "deposit" color onto the hair strand, which is why they do not lighten the hair.
There are 2 'jobs' that PERMANENT hair color is capable of performing

• lifting &
• depositing

It is also called subtraction of the hairs natural pigment and addition of synthetic pigment.

Permanent color is exactly as it sounds - it penetrates into the cortex of the hair and becomes "locked" in through a process called oxidation. Permanent color forever alters the texture of the hair, causing it to swell ( giving it body!)- which is why if you have thin hair, coloring it with permanent color makes you feel like you have a whole new head of hair. This is the #1 reason I color my own, and many like me do - I color mine the same color it is, I have no gray, I color it for the body... I have always felt my hair is in better condition since it has been colored with the top of the line professional hair colors, which is why I have made them available to you. If you are a fanatic about your hair, this is your web site.



The difference in quality between some of the professional lines even is tremendous, let alone coloring your hair with what you find in Sallys. I would never color my own hair with Matrix colors even, I value my hair, its condition and how it looks. So if you are a fanatic like me, I would suggest using Wella's Koleston Perfect, the ColorTouch line or any of Renbow's colors - all of them are made available to you through Killerstrands - join the Google Group http://groups.google.com/group/killerstrands/topics to view the color charts up close, drop me an email with PRODUCT ORDER in the subject line at: Killerstrands@gmail.com - for more info.
Permanent color means the color lasts until it grows out or is cut off. Once hair is permanently tinted is cannot be made "untinted". (unless of course you go through the Decolorization method http://killerstrands.blogspot.com/search/label/decolorization%20of%20hair )
Keep in mind if you are lightening, you are subtracting (-) or lifting color.
Lifting: Removing, subtracting, or lightening color from the hair. The lightening ability of hair color .... or the amount a certain volume of developer will oxidize

Depositing: adding color to the hair. the portion of single process oxidation when the color enters the cortex of the hair.
However in permanent hair coloring (not using bleach), there is also a stage that deposits color pigment into the hair. If you are depositing , you are adding(+), therefore, when you both lighten and deposit color, you are doing both subtraction and addition! This tint service is the highest in demand, BUT . . . it is the most difficult one to do correctly. Still, it is so much easier using the LEVEL SYSTEM which is why I have been trying to cram that into your head...the Level system will conquer so many issues for so many of you, just trust me and keep going over it , it took me over a year to thoroughly understand it. Just keep reading and using it - even if it seems foreign to you, I promise one day it will 'click' but you MUST keep reviewing it.

I realize we don't want to get too technical, nor into too much chemistry-head mumbo jumbo - but . . . in order to understand this we have to graze across those subjects for a bit, bear with me.

Permanent haircoloring products are designed to permanently alter the natural pigmentation of the hair. That line of demarcation appears when using this category of hair color,  demi's also produce this line, semis don't. The most distinctive point to permanent hair color is that it has the ability to "lighten" your natural hair because it is lifting the natural pigment out of the hair strand when applied. Ammonia (in the tube) combines with hydrogen peroxide in the developer to lighten the natural pigment, therefore making the change Permanent. With this technology you are able to go from a Level 7 to a Level 10 with a tube of color, NOT BLEACH. Many people like this idea, although this is where one will run into the "yellows" many times, if not performed correctly.







Permanent hair color has 2 tricks...2 jobs....2 missions : Lightening and permanent depositing, all permanent hair coloring products work about the same. The lift comes from the combination of the ammonia (or other catalyst) in the tube of color and the hydrogen peroxide in the developer that creates the lift.

Ammonia is a critical ingredient in permanent hair color and it must contain ammonia or an ingredient that does the exact same thing, or what we are trying to do with it, will not happen, and that is cosmetic chemistry ladies and gents. The problem comes from ammonia when too much ammonia is used, it can be damaging, at the same time...without ammonia -- deposit and lifting would not occur. Ammonia, or another product that is just like it - is essential.

"Ammonia" is picked on as the bad-guy in hair damage, which I can only deduct comes from its offensive 'odor' and again from its "name".

That is just not the case, almost every cosmetic chemist would agree with me I'm certain. Yes, unfortunately when breaks in some of the disulfide cross-links cause oxidative hair damage (damage from any permanent hair color), Stylists get the 'cause' mixed-up and think it comes from the ammonia, because that is what they smell as does the client....contrary to that misconception, the damage comes from the peroxide.

The problem being, in order to get that gorgeous beautiful "un-yellow" blond, you need all three components. As I have said before the best answer to this problem? . . . having a highly trained Stylist that knows the precise amount of the 3 ingredients ... not too much of one or too little of the other.. which takes years of experience.

When some say they don't want "ammonia" in their hair color, I scratch my head.... Its the exact same problem I find with the public and preservatives. People say they don't want preservatives in their products, but if they really understood the chemistry of it all, I am sure they would not say that. Preservatives keep your cosmetics, safe. Same with Ammonia in this respect, permanent hair color must have it - and it must be added in a precise amount. Manufacturers strive to put just enough and not too much ammonia in their hair color - I feel that is the key to which hair color works the best opposed to the slackers.

Alkaline substance: an ingredient hair color that has a pH greater than 7, causing the cuticle to open and permanent color to enter the cortex

Ammonia is an alkali; is SWELLS the hair shaft which helps with deposit/penetration. It is also a catalyst who's primary purpose is to facilitate the lightening by releasing oxygen -- supplied by the developer, to oxidize the (virgin) natural pigment. Ammonia, lastly creates the necessary alkalinity for the development of permanent color.

Permanent haircoloring is always alkaline in pH.

Alkaline substance is usually, but not always, ammonia. It causes the cuticle to swell, allowing for deposit of the color pigment molecules & promoting lightening action. You need ammonia to swell the hair shaft.

The refined color products available today use lower amounts of ammonia, making for little or no damage and less fading. They also enable the cuticle to close completely after the color process. The ammonia is not a free ammonia; its a derivative. You absolutely need it to open the cuticle. Most of the color products today have a very refined ammonia content that will readily wash from the hair with water, so the next time you hear 'ammonia' - I would suggest not making a "name" judgement {based purely on the name}. Its a much more complicated procedure than just the name.

The ammonia of a haircoloring product is not in the developer; it is in the tube with the dyes.

Lighter levels contain more ammonia than lower levels in order to provide more lightening capability. All Colorists know that distinctive WHIFF after opening a Level 12 Ash in the color room.

The higher the Level of color, the more LIFT and the less DEPOSIT. the Lower the Level, the less the lift and the Greater the deposit.

I'd like you all to be thinking about the following:

Most of you have seen Peroxide, or Developer, as I like to call it.

10 Volume, 20 Volume, 30 Volume & 40 Volume - are the 4 main 'boys'

6 Volume 17 Volume 25 Volume and on and on have been tacked on lately. The Volume of peroxide does not determine how strong it is, what the volume signifies is: "How Long It Will Lift" . Another point where I get frustrated is when people say to me they don't want to use 40 Volume, only 20. Well, its (virtually) the same liquid only one "lifts longer" than the other.
The higher the Volume the longer and more the Lift! So using 40 volume many times will help prevent the dreaded "yellows" or "brassiness" you see so much, again it is an art. Buy a doll's head with your hair color to practice on or I can sell you hair swatches of your own hair color to test with. Again make it a hobby, as soon as you get down, you will be doing your hair like the pros! Being sure to put in the proper amount of "practice time".

From just our Google Group and the comments posted in there, it seems to be the single most common problem for Crib Colorists the 'too yellow' problem . Lightening is the most common form of hair color we have so far, and why would there be too many yellows or problems with yellow?
4 answers:

#1.) Not leaving the color on long enough (or needing a 2nd application)

#2.) Using too low volume peroxide

#3.) Using the wrong tool for the job....Using high lift blond tint when bleach (lightener) was needed.

#4.) Not using a light enough tint/color/dye



Hate to say this but I have always felt the manufacturers are off about 1 level....they're never quite as light as you want, very very rarely will it be 'too light', that is a very hard problem to have and a super easy problem to fix.

Keep this list of 4 solutions to "yellow" hair.



To try when this problem lands on your head.

More on permanent color coming.

The White Stuff - is - The Right Stuff ~ Permanent Haircolor ~ the Conclusion

H2 O2 Hydrogen Peroxide's effect on Permanent Hair Color

+ Deposit and Lift = exactly what that means

OK with every boxed hair color kit, with every hair color you have ever performed there has been this white stuff you mix with. People have talked about it for years: peroxide. . ."peroxide blonds" like peroxide is a "big-bad-meean" liquid. Again we are back to one of those word phobias. People hear a word like 'preservatives' like 'bleach', 'ammonia' and now 'peroxide' and through a process similar to that game Telephone when one person hears one word promptly gets discombobulated through the process of time, laziness, misinterpretation. The original story gets twisted & completely out of whack and the truth is the farthest thing from what is popularly known about the original word. That is what happens to these technical terms and they never get cleared up.

I feel the big hair product manufacturers like to keep you (the public) in the dark, fear keeps you in line. You listen to their commercials & ads if you don't know the truth, and buy what they tell you to. Many don't understand the hair color process so the only way to safely go about it is by either purchasing those Boxed Kits with "everything-you-need" in them (including directions) or go to the Salon, 'they' have to know what they are doing they have a license. From the emails and polls I have taken the percentage of quality hairstylists out there does not even sit at 50% which adds to my reasons to clarify the Home Hair coloring process for you.

A developer is an oxidizing agent that when mixed with an oxidative haircolor, supplies the necessary oxygen gas to develop color molecules and create a change in hair color. Developers, also called oxidizing agents or catalysts have a pH between 2.5 and 4.5. Hydrogen peroxide is the one used in haircolor.

Hydrogen Peroxide is the oxidizer of permanent haircolor, providing the oxygen for lightening of natural pigment and for the development of artificial pigment. It is the hydrogen peroxide in permanent hair coloring -- not the ammonia that causes the oxidative hair damage, although with the new ammonias and how they rinse thoroughly out of the hair, even that has been kept to a minimum.

The chemical "shorthand" for hydrogen peroxide, H2O2 means "2 Hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms. Remember H2 O is water, so there is just 1 more molecule of O Oxygen in Peroxide - think about that. Look how close it is to water, how could it really be that bad? Its not, I don't want to take the time here, for any doubters Google: hydrogen peroxide, put your mind at ease. On the contrary, wait till you see all the wonderful uses for hydrogen peroxide, it will blow your socks off.

Higher volumes of hydrogen peroxide provide more oxygen for more extended lightening

.

Higher volumes: create more lift & less deposit

Lower volumes: less lift and greater deposit

Any where from 15 - 20 Volume will get you the best gray coverage, one of the trickier formula's to come up with. Remember gray hair is hair with no pigment, so you are not trying to "Lift" any color out, are you? There isn't any color to lift. What you are trying to do is to deposit color to cover that pigment-free (gray) hair. One of the tricks of covering Gray is using the proper developer, many stylists don't know the 15-20 V > Gray coverage trick, I want all of you to be able to figure out how to cover gray hair...its not that hard but its one of the arrows in my quiver... a very tight-kept secret, that I look forward to sharing with you.

The higher the percentage of oxygen in peroxide, the more lift you can achieve. Why would lift be important? The more of the virgin color "lifted" out of the hair shaft the more the new color can be deposited. One color must be removed (lifted) in order for there to be room for the "new" color. As Oxidation occurs, LIFT begins, which is removal of the natural pigment (melanin) in the hair. DEPOSIT ALSO BEGINS. ***at the same time**** - a point I feel needs to be fully understood about permanent hair color, no other color works this way, this distinguishes this particular segment of haircolor from every other. If you can grasp this concept it 'should' make the theory of permanent hair color sink in and hopefully you will have one of those 'a ha' moments. If you don't I honestly want to hear from you at the bottom of this post. PLEASE! I want you all,every last one of you to understand this, leave me a little note in the comments section with a question. There is no 'dumb' question............NONE - ZIP - ZERO

Deposit is a process in which the color molecules lock together to form new color pigment combinations in the hair. The tiny size of the dye precursors before oxidation enables them to pass easily into the cortex of the hair, penetrating it fully. As the color processes, the tiny dye molecules change structure, coupling up to form big, colored molecules. These newly created dye molecules, now too big to leave the way they came in, affix themselves to the keratin chains in the hair. POOF - your hair has become colored just because the little buggers could not escape~!

The LIFT and DEPOSIT occur at the same time in this "permanent" Haircolor procedure. That is a point I have needed to make for several months now in writing some of my posts. Its a bit difficult to fully swallow at first, but such is the magic of chemistry I have come to find out.

Shortly after the cream which holds the dye is combined with the peroxide .....dye molecules begin developing - - - rearranging into bigger, complex, colored molecules. Which leads me to a point that I want you all to understand.The "lifetime" of hair color is narrow, or at least where the hair color's "sweet spot" is, which begins ticking away about 10 minutes after the colorant is mixed with the developer. You want to apply that formula just as fast and efficiently as possible to get the best use of it. Be all ready to go, no dawdling. Seriously

Many stylists mistakenly think it is the peroxide that causes the cuticle to open...which would be wrong...the peroxide acts as a buffer for the ammonia in color. Its pH is actually 2.5 to 4.5 . Only when it is released through oxidation does it begin to eliminate pigment.

Peroxide + Ammonia = Lift & Development of Color

In Permanent haircolor the substances you mix together will not "look" like the color you hope to achieve. This is the only category, because of the "oxidation".

During Coloring, the peroxide is converted to water and oxygen

• Water drives the pigment into the hair




• Oxygen develops pigments

Once they're developed, the pigments enlarge and become trapped inside the hair shaft. Compare it to a mini hydrogen bomb going off in each reaction, causing the intermediates to fuse together. THAT equals permanent hair color

It is the oxidation process that removes( lifts) melanin. it also DEPOSITS color. The colorless intermediates combine to form a compound, which makes the color.

Lift and Deposit Occur at the same time. Lift occurs at a more accelerated pace immediately after application, whereas deposit accelerates toward the end

The timing of the process is essential with the LEVEL SYSTEM.

If the product is removed too early, there will not be enough deposit. If the application is slow, the effectiveness of the lift is impaired, so be prepared and work quickly.

The final result of single-process tint is the total of the hair's natural pigment combined with the products color molecules. With the LEVEL SYSTEM use of refined pigments and base ingredients,the result is shiny healthy looking hair.

Developer <> Hydrogen Peroxide It Speaks Volume's

Hydrogen Peroxide / Developers

{Let me bring the concepts down … to the planet, a lot of this may seem unnecessary and strange sounding but everything needs to be taught and understood for those of you wanting to professional hair color at home front. All of the info talked about, needs to be said ...so I can refer to it as I head deeper into teaching hair coloring at home, be patient. If you want to learn information that would cost a tremendous amount of $$ plus years of experience, just read and re-read every post. I am teaching all our secrets - I don’t know a soul that would do that.}

Getting down to the nitty-gritty > to make a batch of haircolor to put on hair, this is the picture: You have a bowl…a tint brush …on one side of the bowl is some color ….squeezed out of a tube…on the other side of the bowl…..Is the “white stuff”…..which has no smell until the 2 substances are combined…then POW- mix the 2 things together and it explodes in aroma and changes hair color .

That white stuff is the Developer …or Hydrogen Peroxide. I snicker when I hear that some new hair color is great & wonderful because it doesn’t use peroxide. To me….as a chemist….as a Colorist…the last thing on the planet I would want would be a hair color that does NOT have hydrogen peroxide in it ! Which of course depends on what you want to do ( lighten or darken). Things like “henna” were used by the Egyptians and are still available today….with absolutely NO facts or guide as to how it works or what it will turn out like. It’s all a crap shoot. When doing hair color I want the results to be “PREDICTABLE” so I can tell you and I can know in my head what it will look like when we are completed.

A developer is an oxidizing agent that, when mixed with an oxidative hair color, supplies the necessary oxygen gas to develop color molecules and create a change in hair color. Developers, also called oxidizing agents or catalysts, having a pH between 2.5 and 4.5 . Although there are a number of developers on the market, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is the one most commonly used in hair color.

VOLUME is the measure of the potential oxidation of varying strengths of hydrogen peroxide. The lower the volume, the less lift is achieved; the higher the volume, the greater the lifting action. The majority of permanent hair color products use 10 ,20,30,40 Volume hydrogen peroxide for proper color development.

TYPES OF HAIRCOLOR - 4

1} Temporary Hair Color

Temporary color is what many of you use at Halloween, it can be sprayed in and shampooed out. The pigment molecules in temporary color are large and therefore don't penetrate the cuticle layer, allowing only a 'coating action' ... that may be removed by shampooing

This type of hair color only makes a physical change not a chemical change in the hair shaft.

Temporary haircolors are available in a variety of colors & products, such as:

• color rinses applied weekly to add color
• colored mousses & gels used for slight color/dramatic effects
• hair mascara
• special effects
• color-enhancing shampoos/conditioners : the red/brunette/blond boosters so prevalent right now

2} Semi Permanent Hair color

Semi - Perm is color formulated to last through several shampoos, depending on the hairs porosity. The pigment molecules are small enough to partially penetrate the hair shaft and stain the cuticle layer, but they are also small enough to diffuse out of the hair during shampooing and thus fade with each shampoo. It lasts only 6 - 8 shampoos. It cannot lighten hair, so the change is minor and it does not require the maintenance of "new growth". It is formulated without AMMONIA and is generally as gentle to the hair as shampoo.

Many Semi-Perm colors can be used straight out of the bottle, some require an activator - which bothers me as I feel it should stay on the side of Semi-Perm.....or not. The activator develops the color pigments within the formula and helps to swell the cortex and open the cuticle for color penetration, which begins the difference between semi and demi permanent colors.

In order to understand why the BOXED HAIR COLOR Kits do not work, it is necessary to thoroughly understand 'what' : Semi....Demi....and Permanent Hair color is. So many of you will purchase one of the boxes that claims to "shampoo out in 8-10 washes and find out it doesn't. you wonder 'why'.... so many of you figure you must have done something wrong when you applied it, when in fact you are "set up to fail" to begin with by companies that truly do not give a damn by turning out a product that does not and could not work in a million years.

3} Demi Permanent Hair Color

The newest classification Demi perm is also called deposit only and referred to as 'semi' permanent by some manufacturers, it is similar to semi, but more long lasting. Some of the European companies have chosen to use super low volume peroxides to differentiate the semi from the demi lines. Honestly, it depends on the manufacturer, the Colorist or the school as to how it is defined. My education is Vidal Sassoon based which is known as the "Harvard of Hair Schools" so I think you'll be safe using my criteria.

I like to think of Demi Perm Colors as any color line that uses above 7 Volume and below 19 Volume Developer, which makes this the perfect category to be used on men's and any hair that needs to be strengthened. With those numbers , the only action that will happen is Deposit of color - no lift <> no lightening.

I am of the belief that depositing color in the hair strands of either gray, white, or simply middle-aged (weak) hair can add:

• strength
• shine
• illusion of thickness
• reduce frizz & tangles

This formula generally imparts vivid color results, and are ideal for covering un-pigmented hair,refreshing faded permanent color, depositing tonal changes without lift, corrective coloring and low-lighting.

By their very nature, demi's or deposit-only hair colors darken the natural hair color when applied. They cause little or no damage to the hair and are generally positioned as gentle and mild due to their low ammonia or no ammonia content. In recent years, many top colorists will apply demi to the 'lengths' of the hair while permanent is applied to the roots. This fights the build-up effect that can occur on previously colored hair and is also less aggressive, resulting in less damage.

The single best line in this category is WELLA's Color Touch Line, to date I have tested most every line and am still headstrong about that brand: its results & quality.

4} Permanent Hair Color

Permanent hair color is mixed with developer ( hydrogen peroxide) @ 20 Volume and above and remains in the hair shaft until the new growth of hair occurs. It is used to match,lighten and cover gray hair. Permanent hair color products generally contain ammonia, oxidative tints and peroxide.

The tint formula contains uncolored dye precursors, which are very small compounds that can diffuse into the hair shaft. These dye precursors also referred to as aniline derivatives, combine with hydrogen peroxide to form larger, permanent tint molecules . These molecules are trapped within the cortex of the hair and cannot be shampooed out and why this is considered Permanent color. As a side note: to me permanent means : just that, and truthfully there is no such thing in hair color, not yet anyway. Shampoo fades the hair color as does the sun, heat, flat Irons, blow dryers...well you get the idea.

{ I look at the opposite and I truly feel there is no 'permanent' color yet, there should be color that stays the absolute TRUE color that came out of the tube that first day. I feel it is on its way and not too far off.}

OXIDATION , Hydrogen Peroxide & everything White

Oxidation: 1.The reaction of dye intermediates found in hair coloring developers with hydrogen peroxide 2. The interaction of hydrogen peroxide on the natural pigment.

Deposit: describes the color product in terms of its ability to add color pigment to the hair. Color added equals DEPOSIT.

Lift: The lightening action of a hair color or lightening product on the hair's natural pigment

Hydrogen Peroxide: An Oxidizing chemical made up of 2 parts hydrogen & 2 parts oxygen (H2O2) used to aid the processing of permanent hair color and lighteners. Also referred to as a developer by Stylists/Colorists; available in liquid or cream.


Now we move to the Hydrogen Peroxide ,the "white creme" in the other bottle! Within the BOXED KITS OF COLOR (I'm on the war path against) there are 2 items enclosed, one is a bottle of color the other a bottle of peroxide.

The percentage of LIFT in any color is directly related to its AMMONIA content. At times you will hear Color lines boasting of "no ammonia" which would only be in color the manufacturer does not 'want' to lift... for exam: in many of the "men's" color lines promising to cover grey and not change anything else. The only disadvantage to ammonia in hair color: if you are allergic to it, which is rare, but does happen, it is necessary for light blonding.

The percentage of dye content in the bottle is also known as pigment weight. The more dye molecules in the bottle, the more depositing capabilities the color has. The action of depositing dye or color molecules into the cortex of the hair shaft is partly triggered by OXIDATION, which is achieved by adding hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to the color.


The dye molecule in any permanent color is too large to penetrate the cuticle of the hair shaft without first altering its structure with hydrogen peroxide. Since without hydrogen peroxide the dye will only stain the cuticle layer,understanding what happens when you add hydrogen peroxide to color is essential. That is also where the difference between Permanent,Semi-permanent, and Temporary color rests.

After the Hydrogen peroxide is added to the color, it begins to oxidize,or lose an oxygen molecule. This creates heat in and on the hair shaft, which expands the cuticle layer so that the color or dye molecules can penetrate.

Once the hydrogen peroxide is completely oxidized, it turns into water (H2O), and its chemical action stops. The color molecules return to their original structure and become part of the structure of the cortex. The cuticle closes, trapping the dye or color molecules inside. the color process is complete.

Don't let me lose you here, this may seem boring/confusing>or BOTH!! but... it will all make sense and come FULL CIRCLE here real soon, promise.
If it doesn't, then ask me questions LOTS of them, I want you to get it...I truly do, because if you do... then you will have knowledge that some of the top Colorists in the country possess & that is what ROCKS about the INTERNET, that high dollar information like that can be had for FREE ;-)...hee hee hee!