Crib Colorists Consider Crazy (Hair) Color Categories

Takes More Than a few Words to Clarify Haircolor Categories 

 Categories of hair color: what would you guess is the primary defining characteristic of categories of Hair Color?

 How Long the Color Lasts  -  is the answer............sounds simple, huh? That is where the simplicity ends.

There are 5 main categories of hair color: Temporary, Semi- Permanent, Demi-Permanent, Permanent and Bleaches / Lighteners. We will review the first 2 today. There is such horrible misrepresentations out there in the aisles of Sally's, Target, Walmart and every other place that sell the inexpensive "crap-in-a-box" Haircolor Kits. If I could choose how to best help the public in home hair coloring it would be to teach them what each of these hair color categories are, so they know how to avoid them and learn not to support these companies that are leading you down these paths of hair destruction. So many women contact me with horrific stories of hair destruction, so please if you don't understand, ask questions in the comments section so this can be solved and for all to see. 

I understand how thousands - no millions of people every single day - look at a box of haircolor that has "Semi Permanent" printed on the box, and purchase it with the thought that it will NOT be permanent, that it will NOT make a demarcation line, that it will gradually and thoroughly shampoo out and then it doesn't do any of those things. This problem is not the consumers, it is NOT YOUR mistake . . .it is the mistake of the company that sells these products. Maybe some people shrug me off  . . . and say " there are so many more serious problems out there"....but I know from up front experience that these problems lead you... the consumer...to 1) depression 2) anger 3) insecurity... and that is only the top 3 issues.

So many times it happens to teenagers, who many times purchase their 1st box behind the parents back, and we all know how fragile a teens emotions are. We've all done things like that with our hair......but the point is, what is printed on the outside of that box, NEEDS TO BE EXACTLY WHAT IS "INSIDE" of IT -- PERIOD.  I am taking a huge risk here as the large shampoo manufacturers actually advertise on my Blogs here which you will see all around this page here. . . . they may pull their ads with this article.... I wish I was wealthy enough to, not care. . . . but I'm not. We will see, I am not against these companies. . .  I just want them to treat the consumer fairly. I have dozens of people all the time in total tears and breaking down because of the mess the "Crap-in-a-Box" Kits and cheap hair color purchased at Sally's are used. 
I want to start by teaching as clearly as I can "what" each category of hair color means. Maybe the large manufacturers will read this, you just never know nowadays whose reading your words  ;-)

It wasn't until very recently, when they came up with a new line of hair color that actually has permanent Krazy Kolors, did I decide that I don't really want any hair color to be truly, totally, permanent. A company name PRAVANA was born, by a man who worked for about 20 huge hair company's over his career, he invented a true permanent  > Krazy Kolor palette. From all accounts given to me by others - these Crazy Colors were coming in with reports from everywhere that they were rock solid> Permanent. Maybe this sounds good to some, as it first did to me, mainly because Krazy Kolors are the first colors to fade, no one has ever been able to get them to last bold and vivid as first applied.. . but think about it, HOT PINK > screaming YELLOW in your hair forever -- until you cut it out ??!?  The concept started to bother me, I put a lot of thought into a totally permanent hair color & if I really would want one, the decision was a resounding NO. 



Truthfully, most people only want bright colors in their hair for brief periods of time, and it wasn't until this new hair color revelation that I started picturing a fully permanent hair color and the disadvantages - of. Its fun, its unique

Having used one of my KC quotes for years on this topic" there is no such thing as permanent hair color - even permanent fades"-- permanent hair color  -- shampoo-fades, sun-fades, hot tool-fades,  on & on, therefore, it is not truly permanent in my book, nor should it be in yours. Don't ever think it will be so permanent nothing can be done to change it.  If you haven't heard of VANISH yet, please look in the LABELS on the right-hand Sidebar, under Decolorize. Read the posts, which is how Celebs change hair color safely and frequently - its is very expensive - but at least it exists.

It reminds me precisely of the problems that go hand in hand with the Crap-In-A-Box (boxed hair color) Kits, the way the hair color seems pasted or GLUED in the hair - it doesn't budge at all. For those of you that I have gone through the long - Rejuvenate &  Decolorize Your Hair -trek with ( years of Dark Boxed hair color stuck on your hair ) - some have needed up to 10 boxes of VANISH to get it all out.  

We expect hair color to fade somewhat, otherwise how would you go lighter in the Spring and Darker in the Fall, if it didn't fade somewhat ? You wouldn't. How would you get that wonderful refreshment that comes with that Touch-up every 6 weeks ? You wouldn't.....not if Permanent Hair Color didn't fade a tiny bit. Think about that the next time you choose the category of hair color you choose. Most of us really do like to change our hair color a little bit within a single year....for that we should use Demi permanent + Permanent Hair Colors, not any of these new weird strains of hair color that are popping up. Here is a chart from Sassoon and therefore from England where Advanced/Master hair cutting,styling and hair coloring got its roots and which most countries recognize as the leader in hair - all facets. 

5 Categories of HAIR  COLOR ,

Temporary Hair Color .- Water-based, coats the hair shaft, becomes longer lasting with heat.  Includes: Rinses, Colored Tinted Shampoos & Conditioners, Colored Styling Products.  .......Deposits Color ONLY, coats the hair strand temporarily. Does not  Lighten or Lift,  uses No Developer, No Activator as long as it is 1 bottle, you are safe. 
Semi-Permanent Hair Color .....Deposit-Only hair color - designed to last Haircut to Haircut, originally. No Developer, No Catalyst, No Activator - again - no nothing - that's how you can tell if it is a true Semi Permanent or not. Semi Permanent  color is more penetrating than temporary but should not leave a L/D (Line of Demarcation). On normal healthy hair semi-permanent colors should eventually fade with shampooing.
Demi Permanent Hair Color......All Developer/Activator/Catalyst under 20 Volume, so 19 Volume and below. The common versions are 10 & 15 Volume + in the Color Touch Line : 6 & 13 Volume are the 2 EMULSIONS supplied with that line. If you take a tube of Koleston Perfect ( which is permanent hair color) and use it with 10 Volume developer, that turns it into Demi Permanent Hair Color.
Permanent Hair Color.....All Developer 20 Volume and above. 20 Volume Lifts 1-2 Levels and Deposits. 30Volume Developer Lifts 2-3 Levels and Deposits
Lighteners/Bleaches -  lightening the hair

1} Temporary Hair Color
Temporary haircoloring products are designed to last shampoo to shampoo. Temporary color is what many of us 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. We use these haircolors in the movie business frequently, when a Stunt man or woman doubles an actor, you are chosen by your height,weight & talent. Wardrobe and hair can be altered very easily which makes for an almost perfect visual double, the last act is either wearing a wig ( no one can stand) or tinting our hair with a temporary hair color, at all times I kept 5-10 temp. "ROUX" colors on hand.
READ the label - remember how important your hair is to you.  Lasts only until you shampoo out, it rains, swim. Do not get too careless with this category....or it can stain very porous hair. May be called a "rinse".    Temporary products color the surface of the hair, superficially. They are formulated to prohibit penetration of the cuticle; high-weight tint molecules that cannot pass into the cortex are used. The labels of temporary hair color may list acid dyes, basic dyes, FD&C & D & C dyes. Because the molecules are so large - if overused - they reduce natural shine. When I was using these a few times a week in the Stunt business - my hair felt like straw....so be very careful. There is NOTHING like a HEALTHY HEAD of HAIR.
This type of hair color only makes a physical change not a chemical change in the hair shaft. Not very many people lay claim to using this type of hair color, but I have and I can say when used frequently they don't damage the hair but they do dry it out... I wonder how it would work for victims of oily hair....?
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-permanent haircoloring was first conceived to blend gray, and to give those hesitant to color their hair the first time a sample go-round. It evolved into a great haircolor for men, same day color for Relaxer'ed ethnic hair + perfect color for damaged hair. Semi-permanents are ideally suited to these tasks because they only DEPOSIT , there is NO lifting - NO Lightening in a true S/P. I still can remember to this day, that our very first attempt at real hair color in Hair Academy was Semi-Permanent which we performed on each other. It was such a cool feeling to change hair color for the first time and with a true semi-permanent it gives the most dynamic shine I had ever seen..it was mind-blowing. Semi Permanents typically blend low percentages of gray while demi-permanents blend or cover more gray.
What becomes a huge problem for everyone and most specifically the consumer - YOU - is there is no rules or laws to protect you from buying the correct product. As I tell my clients constantly, "there could be battery acid in that color you bought and it would not be against the law" !! That is very true, and very scary.
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. If it is truly a semi-permanent it will last 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.
True Semi-Perm haircolor is used straight out of the bottle, if the color requires an activator-developer-processor-peroxide ---> "of any sort at all"  that moves it to a different classification (demi-permanent). The reason they use the term "activator" instead of "developer"  is to confuse the consumer, most will not know that a true semi-permanent should not be mixed with  A N Y T H I N G!   Check whatever you are purchasing, if it says "SEMI-PERMANENT" it should have a tube or bottle of hair color and NOTHING else - PERIOD! That way you can be assured of no, line-of-demarcation, once it begins washing out of your hair.
If they want the color to do something else, change categories - re-name it and follow the "unwritten & written laws" about it, so no one gets hurt. The problem here is the improper use affects millions of people not just a couple dozen.
The activator develops the color pigments within the formula and helps to swell the cortex and open the cuticle for color penetration
Semi Permanents are completely incapable of LIGHTENING, I have seen a number of kits that claim they are semi permanent blonding kits. That is an oxy moron there is no such thing as a semi-permanent that lightens hair, to lighten you would need a "bottle of peroxide" I hope this is becoming crystal clear to many of you.
Clairol has at least 10 infringements on this term . . . . I cannot even stand to read them,  they are so far from the truth. It is downright blatant FALSE advertising of a chemical  procedure a person applies to their own body, I feel just horrible that it is done to people every single day. The only way I can see to help is by educating the people that read this BLOG. There is no way I can go to a magazine, a TV show, even a newspaper with this info. Not one of them will print it. WzZhy? The company that owns Clairol is the number 1 advertiser in the entire USA, no one in their right mind would jeopardize how they bring in the most revenue. PLEASE do your own policing .The funny part of this is.......they also are the only ones to have the best Semi Permanent on the planet (the BEAUTIFUL Collection) . . .we use it at Vidal Sassoon Academy, I still use it today - I wouldn't use any other brand.! ? ! ? ! ? !

Demi's and Permanents are next. Hold on.
 For those new to Killer Strands . . . my number 1 recommendation for everyone is to go back to the beginning of the Posts . . Skim through them - read the ones pertaining to you. There is a lot of information here in no particular order, I have been telling new readers this for a year........every person I relay this too. . . Thanks me.    It will be the truth in Hair Care wide open for all to see. Enjoy.

Killer Chemist

What Secret, Master Colorists Bring To The Set: When Call For Mega-Watt Shine Comes In

Wella's "Color Touch" Line of demi permanent hair color

This is hard for me, I will say this is the first 'reveal' from my arsenal of secret weapons. I have not quite stressed the importance & significance of my personal Arsenal of Secret Weapons of Hair, the group I have not had the backbone to crack open yet. Within my arsenal , as with all top Stylists, I have absolute ... undeniable ... solutions to these problems:

• Gray coverage - 100% {hair color formula}


• growth spurt for hair


• off the chart SHINE


• solution for damaged strands


• Recipe for hair conditioner


• Solution to thinning hair for women (just the beginning)

I have a couple dozen of these that I have held back on, waiting for just the right moment to "reveal" to Killerstranders. Its hard...you keep these secrets for an entire career - become known for the dynamic results ... and then ... to do a complete 180 and reveal . . all those treasures. Most of us at this level plan on writing a book, I did. I would still like to. I can see that the level of my tricks are a bit over everyone's head - but I think as soon as you begin to use them and get more comfortable with the vocabulary and techniques you will realize & appreciate them, I hope you listen and learn and realize what a wonderful little treasure most of you have stumbled upon. I still feel this site is one of those rare reasons you THANK THE LORD for the Internet! If you follow my guidance you will have truly learned the upper elite method of tackling hair - hair color and hair health issues - the professional way. I've flipped through some of the other hair books on the market, and either I have done a lot more research than the other colorists/stylists or they are just not doing the "big reveal" as I have always hoped to do. I'm still reeling from just the trauma of writing this reveal, on the flip side I can't wait for you all to try them.

When I wrote the 1st page of this series, I had decided not to tell Killerstranders about the true wonders of Color Touch, so I went off on the Color Charm Demi Line, which is a decent line and have heard nothing but positive results in regards to it. Today, it just seemed ridiculous to keep something like that a secret...what for? Who for? Why not? Its an inner battle I have with myself, I thought I would share, so you see that I am not just rambling off brands and pointless recommendations. That was not, nor is not...the point of this site.

This question has plagued me so, that some mornings I wake up and just think, I am going to list every single secret and get it over with. . . which is equally as idiotic.

All top Colorists/Stylists in the USA, Canada & UK are like that, every last one. We have spent a long time perfecting different formula's - different tricks so when we get that call to color hair for that hair color commercial, print ad, photo shoot or editorial - the hair we color will be the shiniest hair on the planet, or that will be your last call. That is how utterly important it is to have these type of tricks in the arsenal. Wella's Color Touch Line is the line I know dozens of top Colorists (besides me) use, as that one secret hair color weapon that can be surpassed by no other.

We use Color Touch "under" the final color, one way around > "did you use the 'actual' product" you are selling - problem.. We will use it 'over' the final color and call it a "rinse"(hee hee) There have been times I have used just "Color Touch" and the shoot was for a completely different product. That's just Hollywood, boys and girls. I'm not here to blow whistles, photo shoots are not a court of law, there is nothing more phoney than a photo shoot or the production of a commercial.

That being said, let me finish my schpeel on Semi & Demi-Permanent Color.

As I was trying to stress a true semi permanent color is one with NO developer or "activator" they are a DIRECT DYE or PREFORMED DYE...because they color the hair directly 'without' developer. That is how the category needs to stay. Never purchase a semi permanent color that has a second bottle of "whatever liquid" to mix into it...this is one of the single most abused categories by the big hair color companies. Misleading the public by stating their product is a "semi-permanent", because they know full well there is no laws they are technically breaking. But, come on...with the hundreds of dis-satisfied customers I met over the years, you know they had to hear about it over and over at corporate headquarters. Many modern semi's are really oxidation products, Oxidation hair coloring oxidizes. or combines with oxygen, as it processes.

Semi Permanent products color the hair without an oxidation process,they simply stain the cuticle and to some degree the cortex. Being a direct dye they are small enough to penetrate the cuticle, but are much larger than the indirect dyes of permanent hair coloring. It is self penetrating, relying on plain ole absorption to enter the hair. Where the hair is more porous, it becomes more stained. These products are usually alkaline, which increases absorption by softening and swelling the hair somewhat. Heat processing in combination with the use of foils is a terrific tool as well it helps penetration therefore lengthening the staying power.

Demi permanents are basically a hybrid. Part Semi - - - part permanent. A semi permanent with a developer, a no lift (no lighten) permanent hair color.

Advantages of DEMI-PERMANENT color over Semi-permanent hair color:

• greater penetration


• more deposit


• incredible Shine


• better coverage on gray


• natural appearance


• lasts longer


• more intensity


• better overall coverage

Some demi's, depending on porosity may lighten the natural pigment...if that does happen , in my opinion it has reached into the "permanent" line of color.

Use the Figures of Hair to notice the difference in the Cuticle, the Cortex, and the Medulla. . . . and where the color molecules go to on each one. Its easy to see the hybrid of the Demi permanent hair colors.

The primary defining characteristic of the hair coloring categories is duration....how long the color change lasts.

The Demi's are really designed for almost everyone that enters the Salon - deposit-only hair color is a wonderful thing. Demi's and especially Color Touch have a conditioning effect, they shine and bulk up the hair...so just tell me which one of you doesn't want shinier, fuller, more lustrous hair?

This is the secret, we have used for the past 10 years, I am making the entire line of Wella's Color touch available to you. That's how much I believe in it and want you to experience its wonders. If you need a toner, because you're a yellow blond, you want to add some low lights in mink beige, or you want the exact toner that Pink & Gwen use you now have access to them all. Color Touch even has a "SILVER" (another of my secret weapons).... leave this Silver on in foils for 30 minutes with heat, cover with Clairol's Glorious Grey's and this Silver can and will last for 10-14 days! That's HUGE.

Here's a link to one of the 4 online color charts of Color touch.http://www.wellausa.com/consumer/products_consumer/international_line_consumer/color_touch/swatch_charts/classic.jsp Which in no way comes close to doing Color Touch justice.

What I will do........ for $19.00 :

• 1 tube of Color Touch
• plus developer to go along with it
• 1 pair of Gloves -
• 1 Tail Comb to part hair with
• 1 sample of "IN DEPTH" After-Color Treatment

There are 2 choices of developer,

1. "Gentle" for "toning"(7 Volume) or more conservative methods....or
2. "Intensive" (16 Volume) used for gray coverage, coverage, and most other instances.

1 Tube of color should be enough to do 2 heads of hair unless you have very long - thick hair. 1 Color Touch Kit will be $19.00 plus shipping.

I am working on way to better display the colors to you - please send me an email if you are interested Killerstrands@gmail.com

the Autopsy of 1 line of Hair Color (#1)

Wella's 'Color Touch' Demi Permanent Line of Hair Color
# 2 : Wella's Color Touch Demi Perm Haircolor

Demi permanent Hair color is a wonderful little secret, the public doesn't seem to quite understand its advantages, so I'm here to spill the beans, or blow the top off . Education, what a wonderful thing.

I make Wella's Color Touch available to you by just sending an email and putting "Order" in the subject line Killerstrands@gmail.com

This will actually be on the subject of both Semi & Demi permanent colors, there is no way to correctly define Demi color without completely understanding Semi. They are like twins...identical twins. Came from the same egg, look exactly alike on the outside but on the inside are completely different. UNIQUE and beautiful.

Semi Permanent Hair color: no-lift hair color that lasts approximately haircut to hair cut which partially penetrates the hair shaft, is not mixed with a developer and is incapable of lightening the natural pigment. Which means this can only be used to color the same or 'darken' hair. Basically it 'coats' the hair shaft. Excellent toner + adds tons of shine. Adding Semi permanent to your hair is a very long time celeb secret, it is a messy endeavor and a time consuming one but it honestly does add shine-luster-thickness and strength to hair - it really does. It does only work on one color, if you have multiple colors - nope!

ITS SUPER EASY TO DO TO ONESELF and I would highly suggest it for you first timers.An excellent choice for a 'first' color service for many reasons

• no maintenance of 'new' growth



• fades with each shampoo



• no ammonia



• does not lighten



• gentle as shampoo to the hair



• used right out of the bottle

As much as I love Semi-permanent color, I'd like to warn you about the many variations. As usual do NOT purchase a boxed kit claiming to be a semi-permanent color for 3 main reasons:

1. 
   If the box has you "mix" 2 bottles together: its NOT a true semi-permanent (most do)



2. USA has no universal guideline defining "semi permanent" = leeway can be enormous (& dangerous)



3. Lastly, from my own (in salon) experience: the most harmful of categories of boxed hair color, most people came in for repairs. From Clients comments I learned they were "misled".

If you mix any hair color with developer ANY....it will create a line of demarcation and will not simply shampoo out easily, so to me and most colorists that would not be under the category of semi perm. That is why they came out with this new category called "DEMI" Permanent. For the 'next step' up. That way we all know what we are buying and applying!

Again, there are no rules nor laws as to what exactly 'is' a semi permanent and if it can or cannot have a developer. Which is the basis of the problem. The company is not doing anything wrong, we as a country are...
by not having any type of guidelines.

I'm not one of those that tries to fix "global problems" truthfully I never even like to mention crap like this. But, in my eyes its the basis of the problem. I could try really hard to "blaim" the big hair color manufacturers, but that's like shooting myself in the foot, when in fact, its not even true! Truth - Reality - Honesty... I strive to live my life by these words.

The FDA needs to create a lot bigger Cosmetic and Hair Division and within that... both divisions need to come up with a simple doctrine that states what a 'temporary' - 'semi-permanent' - 'demi-permanent' - and 'permanent' hair color is. Define, explain and clarify each one and hand it out to the 2 billion dollar a year hair color business.

That just seems like a very large sector to let run rampant on the American people, without some structure, guidelines and at the bare minimum a piece of paper that defines the cosmetic chemicals that are allowed to be applied to the human body - - - - - safely. My Lord its something a decent small business class could put together from a local junior college.

Enough said.

Thing is . . . using developer means you are opening the cuticle and letting the color into the shaft of the hair... and that (by old school definitions) is not semi permanent, in any decent Colorists book. Again - no laws / no standards/ no guidelines to go by. Therefore using any of the variations on the theme of semi-perm on the market can be dangerous and disappointing to those of you trying out hair color for the first time. I'm not trying to complain, what I'm trying to do is educate to prevent heartache and disappointment, something I see in this business way more than I ever expected to.
There are 2 main types of semi permanent colors:
Aniline Derivative semi permanent hair color : which partially penetrate, partially coat
Polymer Semi permanent: dye that coats : not penetrates (Crazy Colors) to me the true semi's.
Neither of these will lighten the hair and are also know as direct dyes.

A common misconception of semi's is that they will always fade out after 4-6 shampoos. Not True. Many different factors apply: porosity of hair, texture, if its the 1st application or the 4th makes a huge difference.

Many of the hair color companies are eliminating semi-permanent hair color (huge mistake in my eyes) - except for what most of us refer to as "crazy colors" you know those bright punky wild colors. Those come directly out of a jar/tube and are true semi-permanent colors. Sadly, Wella does not make a semi permanent color and I will take an entire post to go into the advantages and the wide range of Semi's - but for now this is for the Demi's.

Wella's Demi Permanent Hair Color - Color TOUCH:
is similar in nature to semi-perm but it is longer lasting. It is formulated to deposit but not lift (lighten)color. It has a smaller tint molecule & therefore is able to penetrate the hair shaft. this formula generally imparts vivid color results...the unknown secret to the public. I feel if the public knew how wonderful this category of hair color is that it would eliminate a whole lot of Salon visits.

Yes, its THAT GREAT!

Demi-permanent hair colors are ideal for covering un-pigmented hair, refreshing faded permanent color, depositing tonal changes without lift, corrective coloring, low-lighting, ribbons, drips, filling, this is the single handiest category of hair color >in my humble opinion.
Demi Permanents are excellent for covering gray under 30% and especially for covering gray on men!

What I am going to do now is make that available to you through Killerstrands and PAY PAL.
Color Touch is THE premier line of Hair Color
It is my favorite line, the most handy - with the widest range....this line produces SHINE like you see in those damn commmercials - "why" & "how" you ask?
Because this is the line we use to shoot the commericals and have used for years

Here is what Wella says about its demi perm line:
Demi-Permanent Hair color
Long-lasting, deposit-only hair color Colour Touch Demi-Permanent Hair color is designed for use immediately after a chemical service or by itself. Formulated for application to pre-shampooed, towel-dried hair.
Hair color That is:
• Ammonia-free.
• Deposit only, no lift.
• Long-lasting
Ideal For:
• First-time color users
• Matching client's existing color to blend gray without noticeable outgrowth
• Adding new richness or fashion tones to client's existing hair color
• Refreshing faded hair color
• Immediate use after lightener or permanent wave services
• Coloring relaxed hair (Wait 2 weeks after relaxer service.)
• Blending up to 50% gray
• Quick color service Processes in 30 minutes or less

Hair color That Offers:
• 25 inter-mixable, fashionable shades to create a wide range of colors plus Clear for additional shine, be sure to take advantage of this
• Economical 1:2 mixing ratio. Up to two applications per tube
• Optimal results when mixed with Color Charm Activating LotionI will say I truly think this line is not marketed very well because of how great, handy and easy it is to work with. This is just the most perfect first color for covering gray....If it fits your needs, you will not be disappointed.


If you are sensitive at all , be sure and do a strand test (mix up a small amount of the product, apply with a Q-tip behind your ear - overnight with a band-aid)....and follow directions on the box
Read them twice and make notes for yourself - PLEASE
Remember to get WELLA'S IN DEPTH, one of the single greatest finds on the planet, to follow up even this color service.

Stay tuned for part 2

Bleach For The Stars

Both - were bleached to a pale yellow stage

> a Soft Blue and a Vivid Blue semi permanent color - put on top - for 30 minutes

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.}