Hair coloring preparations

Hair coloring preparations
The level system of haircolor, which is a 1-10 scale used to measure darkness (level 1 is black, level 10 is light blonde), was originally developed by law enforcement officials as a means to identify suspected criminals. It was quickly adapted by the cosmetics companies. Today you can find many shades of hair dye on the shelf in the average pharmacy. There are 6 major type of hair coloring preparations: 1) Permanent oxidation dyes and toners. 2) Semi permanent dyes. 3) temporary colors and acid rinses. 4) metallic dyes. 5) vegetable dyes, 6) bleaches. Which one you choose to use depends on the result required and personal preference.

Permanent oxidation dyes
In the professional hair salon, and increasingly at home, hair coloring is done with permanent or oxidation dyes. This approach colors hair quickly, relatively easily, and the result is permanent reducing the frequency of repeated applications required with other dying techniques. These days there are a wide range of permanent dyes to chose from produced by many companies. Whatever shade you want, you can get it.

With oxidation dyes, the actual dye or colorant itself has to be mixed with with a developer solution (usually peroxide) immediately before use. The dye solution on its own usually contains intermediate chemical components that must undergo a chemical reaction with the peroxide (oxidation) to make the resulting permanent dye. The dye intermediates and the peroxide must be mixed just before use so that the chemical reaction takes place after application in the hair and deposits the permanent dye product inside the hair fiber. Because of this, the dye is fixed in the hair fiber and the result is fairly permanent.

There are many methods of applying permanent dyes. In the hair salon they might be applied with a brush, swab or an applicator by parting and sectioning the hair, gradually working through the entire hair volume. For home use the dye is usually in the form of a shampoo. A shampoo in hair dye is simpler to apply, but usually the professional salon method of application can get a better result. In the salon the dye chemical reaction may be accelerated by putting the individual under a heat lamp for a short time.

Oxidation dyes will lighten the hair somewhat, but unless the hair is prebleached, the degree of lightening is modest and limited to no more than three shades. The product packaging often gives an indication of how much change in color you can expect based on what your natural color is. When home dying using a particular product for the first time it is a good idea to to do a color test first, using a lock of hair, to make sure you are happy with the result.

Aerosol and foam dyes with permanent color
Oxidative dyes need to be mixed with a developer (peroxide) to ensure a chemical reaction occurs that forms the final dye produce and fixes it in the hair. In the salon and with many home products the dye and developer is mixed manually. However, some products come in the form of an aerosol or foam in a pressurized can and there is no apparent mixing step required. In fact there is mixing of the dye and developer, but it occurs inside the can as the product is dispensed. In these aerosol products the dye and mixer are kept separate inside the can in two individual plastic containers. When you press the valve construction on top, both the dye and the developer are dispensed together in equal volumes and the construction of the nozzle is such that it mixes the two together as they come out of the can. The advantages of these pressurized dispensers for permanent dyes are that the individual does not have to worry about mixing the dye and developer and getting the right amounts mixed together plus there is no wasted dye. The product remaining in the can may be saved for use later.

Source: http://www.keratin.com/ai/ai016.shtml