The "color wheel"

If you know the color wheel color becomes easy...

It may sound a bit odd but your hair is a mixture of 3 colors; red yellow, and blue. These are the primary colors. Secondary colors are orange, green, and violet. If you look at the "wheel" a color opposite (directly across) will "negate" that color. This means if your hair is a orange color - green will make it a brown color. If you hair has a yellow tone, violet will cancel it out.

One of the most important elements of haircoloring is determining the hairs' "underlying pigmet." When you chose a color in a swatch book, your hair may not come out that color because of the underlying pigment in your hair.
Underlying color + Artifcial color = Final result
I will explain more about that later.

First things first...
Tone: refers to whether a color is warm or cool. The warm colors(highlighting) are red, orange and yellow. The cool(ash) colors are blue, green, and violet.
Level: indicates the degree of lightnessor dakness of a color. Every color can be made either lighter or darker, thus changing the level, by the addition of white or black. Hair colors, both natural and color-treated , are classified by level from 1 to 10. 1 indicates black, and 10 indicates the lightest blonde.
Saturation: refers to the degree of concentration or amount of pigment in the color.

Hair Pigment
A pigment called melanin is responsible for hair color. There are 2 types of melanin found in the hair. Eumelanin, is the most common type, it gives the hair shades from brown to black. Phaeomelanin, gives the hair yellowish-blond tones and ginger and red colors. Total absence of pigment produces white (grey) hair.

Levels of Hair Color
1=Black
2=Very Dark Brown
3=Dark Brown
4=Brown
5=Medium Brown
6=Light Brown
7=Dark Blonde
8=Light Blonde
9=Very Light Blonde
10=Light Platium Blonde

THE CORTEX
About 80% of the hair consists of elongated cells (corticle cells) of a fibroid structure (macro-fibrils, micro fibrils). The cortex determines the THICKNESS, ELASTICITY and STRENGTH of the hair. It is also responsible for housing all of the hairs' natural COLOR PIGMENTS.
COLOR PIGMENTS found in the cortical layer are in the form of minute melanin granules. These granulized color pigments are stored in tiny sacks called ALVEOLUS (ALVEOLI). In healthy hair, light reflected from the cuticle surface produces a soft sheen This sheen is referred to as "the transparency of a hair color." At the same time, the pigments gleam through the cuticle. This is what makes up the unmistakable shades of color in the hair. The cortex can be damages by:
1. TOO STRONG DEVELOPER (OXIDIZERS)
2. BRUSHING AND DRYING
3. PERMS AND NON-SUITABLE SHAMPOOS
This means that the haircolor does not last as long and that the hair becomes brittle, dry, dull and not easy to comb.
FINE HAIR Fine hair can be damaged easily as compared to thicker or coarser hair. Penetration of chemicals and products occurs faster on fine hair due to the fact that fine hair has less cuticle layers, and sometimes the layers themselves are thinner. The Haircolorist needs to keep this in mind when working with fine textured hair.
COARSE HAIR
Coarse hair is larger in diameter. Coarse hair will have more cuticle layers, and sometimes the layers themselves can be thicker. This type of hair is sometimes more resistant to haircolor and decolorization products.

HOW AMMONIA. DEVELOPERS AND HEAT AFFECT THE HAIR
STRUCTURE
1. AMMONIA
Ammonia is used in permanent (oxidative) haircolor. When the permanent haircolor and the developers come together, the action of ammonia begins.
Like all alkaline, the ammonia has the tendency to separate the cuticle and allows the permanent haircolor to penetrate the cortex of the hair. The ammonia has an effect on the sulfur bonds of the hair. If the ammonia is too harsh, the hair will lose more of the sulfur bonds than necessary. It will cause the hair to harden, lose weight and diameter.
2. DEVELOPERS
The higher the volume of the developer, the greater the amount of sulfur is removed from the hair structure. This is one of the reasons why the limitations of the developers be maintained at 30 volume or less for the majority of haircoloring. When we lighten natural hair, the oxidation of the melanin will give a reduction of the natural pigments. Decoloration will have an effect on the natural pigments. They will act especially on the granular pigments and will act progressively as the action of the decoloration takes place. The granular pigments will transform into diffused pigments which explains the apparitions of the reflect more or less intense as the decoloration processes.
3. HEAT
High heat and the length of time high heat is used on the hair will also reduce the structure of the hair. The hair will lose its elasticity. Damage to the cuticle of the hair will make it more breakable. Steam will form inside the hair shaft which in turn will burst hair by breaking it. This is why we need to limit the amount of heat as well as the length of time you dry the hair.

Problems and suggestions (a guide only)

When coloring virgin or natural color hair

start where the color is the darkest, This is usually the nape of the neck or at the crown

When the ends are faded

use your regular formula except where the hair is too porous to hold color. Apply one level darker to the ends with a small amount of gold or yellow accent to provide warmth and highlights

The ends will not color (hold color)

usually because the they are too porous and need to be filled before appplication of the tint formula. Use the color selected or 1/2 to 1 shade darker, with no developer added then apply. Then dry into the effected area of the hair. Apply your formula as usual and the color should hold.

Summer hair will not hold color

because of the damaging effects of the sun, heat, or water. Increase conditioning repair to correct the porosity. Do this on a continueing basis.

When blonde hair becomes greenish because of chemical in swimming pools

This can be corrected by using a warm (red or gold) accent. Also be sure to recommend a good clarifier (or clarifying shampoo)

A greenish cast

will result when a blue based color is applied to yellow or gold hair. Substituting a violet based color will result in a more natural color.

When pre-lightening for red hair

never process above the orange stage

When light reddish blondes turn orange as the color fades

add a small amount of red-gold for highlights

Pink hairlines on gray hair tinted red

require a small amount of natural brown the same level or darker to add depth. Apply color starting at the back of the head and add the additional brown for the hairline only.

When current color is darker than a new shade selected

a color remover must be used to remove the old tint up to a level equal to the new desired shade

Color removers

are designed to remove artificial color. They will not be effective for lightening virgin hair

"Washing out" and "removing" a tint

are not the same. "Washing out" the tint is done at the end of the color process to remove what has not been absorbed into the hair. "Removing" the tint is taking the color out of the hair, usually in preparation for apllication of a lighter color

If hair is too red after using a color remover

ash or violet accents may be added to neutralize unwanted warm tones

When hair is predominately gray

start application where hair is the grayest. Use one shade darker than the target color.In the absence of any color in the hair, the shade will appear lighter

Very pale or processed hair

has little or no red or gold pigment. Remember, highlights come from warm tones. It may be necessary to add warm accents (with no additional developer) to prevent colors from appearing too violet, too blue, or green; esp. where the hair is most resistant;ie. the hairline

On hair going increasingly gray

a ligher color may be more desirable as the outgrowth is less noticeable

Pre-softening gray hair

may be necessary if the hair is very resistant and coarse. Follow manufacturer's directionsand alway dry hair before applying the tint.Color applied to damp or wet hair will become diluted and the result will be unsatisfactory.

A resistant gray hairline

should have the color applied firstand then again after the rest of the hair has been done. Consider increasing the process time within the limits of the directions. Possibily one shade darker could be applied to the hairline only.

To cover natural gray streak

use one shade darker than the natural color. You may have to increase the process time.

A green cast on gray or pre-lightened pale yellow hair

Adding a small amount of red or gold as an accent will cut the green.

Yellow bleed through on pre-lighten hair

More to come...

The Mordancage Technique
(For grey hair which is very resistant or 80%-100% grey)
(This technique was provided by Perma of Paris® Hair Color)
1) Apply 20 vol. or 30 vol. straight on the hair.
2) Place client under a hot dryer for 5-7 minutes.
3) Rinse out and towel blot any excess peroxide.
4) Proceed with color application and processing.
This technique allows the hair to be more receptive to accepting color by softening the cuticle layers. It is NOT designed to lighten the hair. If left on for 10 minutes or longer the hair will begin to lighten.
DO NOT USE THIS TECHNIQUE:
- For hair which is natural at the roots but lightened by the sun on the lengths and points. This is an indication that the hair is not resistant.