Camouflage those gray hairs
Deep shiny hair with a sparkling color, that’s what you want! Then it is useful to know everything about hair coloring. The tips & tricks!
If you want to color your hair for the first time, you naturally want to know exactly which shade looks best on you. A good hairdresser will be happy to give advice – without obligation. No idea which hairdresser is really good? Ask that friend or neighbor with that beautifully colored or well-cut hair.
Rule number one with hair colors: choose a hair color that matches your skin tone and that enhances the color of your eyes. If you are a bit older, light shades often look better than dark ones; they often give the face a somewhat hard look. You may have to try out different shades first, but once you know which color looks good on you, you can give your hair that shade yourself at home. Keep in mind that the colors you find in the store are often darker than indicated on the packaging.
To try out
There are countless ways to color the hair and the big question is: do you choose a temporary or a permanent color? Roughly, a distinction is made between two types of coloring: a semi-permanent coloring or a permanent coloring. The semi-permanent coloring has disappeared from the hair after about 25 to 30 washes.
A semi-permanent color contains an oxidizing agent instead of ammonia, so that only the outer layer of the hair is colored. So you can’t lighten your hair much with it (a shade or two at most). A darker shade is possible or you can boost your natural color with it. The semi-permanent coloring camouflages about 70 percent of gray hairs.
Camouflage those gray hairs
The permanent coloring covers gray hair well and you can get all colors with it. The color pigments penetrate deep into the hair fiber. Permanent hair colors are slightly more harmful to the hair than the semi-permanent, but not as harmful as before, because nowadays ingredients have been added that protect the hair against, for example, hydrogen peroxide. With a permanent coloring, the color has to grow out and so your own hair color becomes visible after four weeks. Would you rather not color the hair every month? Then choose a shade that is close to your natural hair color: then the outgrowth is less noticeable. With a permanent coloring you can make the hair lighter, almost all colors are possible. If you want a large color transition, for example from light blond to dark brown, it is advisable to have this done by the hairdresser. If you want to make the hair much lighter, you will first have to decolorize the hair. Unfortunately, bleaching agents do damage the hair.
Shampoo or mousse?
For home use, the semi-permanent colorings usually come in the form of a color shampoo. A fairly ‘new’ form is the mousse: easy to apply and therefore very suitable for quickly giving the hair color a boost. A mousse coloring is less suitable for touching up the outgrowth because it is very difficult to work with accurately; you will soon color your forehead, ears and neck. If you only want to touch up the roots, it is better to take a color shampoo, separate the hair and brush the color emulsion very precisely over the roots with a special brush.
Natural blonde or brown
If you are not a fan of chemical products for the hair, you can also opt for a natural hair dye. You may automatically think of the specific red color of henna, but nowadays, in addition to the well-known red, there are also blond and brown shades and even deep dark brown. These stains pack just as well as the chemical stains. Unfortunately, organic or 100 percent natural colorings are not automatically suitable for allergy sufferers or those with sensitive scalps. If you quickly suffer from itching, it is best to choose a semi-permanent hair color without ammonia. Even if you have a skin disease such as eczema or psoriasis, or if your hair is getting very thin, you can basically color your hair with such a product.
Because hair coloring can still sting here and there even without ammonia, it is better to apply a soothing cream to the affected skin spots before coloring. And if you have an irritated scalp, it’s best to choose a conditioning product that picks up your hair color, such as a coloring hair mask. The color disappears after a few washes because they are formulas without oxidants, often with pure natural pigments.
Color retention
It is essential to take good care of colored hair: colored hair is more fragile and becomes dull more quickly. Therefore, use a shampoo especially for colored hair to preserve the color pigments. Always apply a conditioner after washing, and a nourishing hair mask once a week. Hair oil is also a great product to maintain the condition of the hair and to make the hair shine beautifully.
Color advice
- If you think your hair looks dull, have it colored in two shades at the hairdresser. Nothing better to give your hair a boost. But don’t try this kind of treatment at home, it’s far too risky.
- Copper accents pick up the color of the eyes.
- Russets and reds are flattering, but tend to fade quickly and turn orange. Avoid this by choosing quality products with subtle shades.
- Baby blond and light blond yellow easily. Therefore, such colorings today contain iridescent and ash-colored reflections. Has the hair color turned out too yellow? This is easily remedied with a silver shampoo.
- If you are switching to a different hair color, do not forget to also color the eyebrows.
- Color the hair if it has not been washed. Washing removes the natural sebum layer that protects the scalp from the chemicals.
- Sunlight is one of the biggest enemies of colored hair, the color lights up and fades. Use a spray with a sun protection factor, even in winter.
- Don’t wash your hair too fast! Especially if you have colored your hair red or dark: wait as long as possible before washing to prevent the color from fading quickly. And even after that, the less often you wash your hair, the longer you keep a beautiful color.
Sources):
- Plus Magazine