Rules of Hair Coloring

Whether you are a hairdresser yourself or putting your locks into the hands of one, it is best to know or at least be aware of the rules of hair coloring to avoid disaster and an afternoon of tears. Arm yourself with knowledge of a few basics to keep your hair looking healthy and you feeling happy.

Look to the color wheel

Remember the color wheel from art class? This tool is handy in many cases, including hair color problems. Is your hair too orange? Blue can fix it because orange and blue are complementary, or opposite, on the wheel. If your hair is too gold or yellow, look for a more violet shade to tone it down.

Formulate enough colors

Unless you are coloring virgin hair or going from light to dark, you need various colors to treat various sections of the hair. New growth in the root area may be a different color than the main length of hair, and hair ends may be yet another color. As a result, you need to carefully blend three colors or shades of one color.

Time it well

Even with the right colors and formulations, knowledge of pigment levels and peroxide strength greatly affects results. Lightening hair removes pigment; blue comes off first, red comes off second, and you are left with yellow, which can come off in varying shades from dark gold to almost white. Peroxide strength adds to the speed of color change, so complete knowledge combined with correct timing leads to the desired results.

Achieving desired hair color is not as easy as opening and mixing a box of color from the shelf. Understand complementary colors, pigments, timing and formulation to avoid uneven results and hair breakage. It is not always as easy as the hairdresser makes it appear, owing to their understanding and experience.