Hair Color Chemistry and Techniques
Hair Color Chemistry and Techniques
HAIR STUDY
Before starting hair coloring, it is logical to analyze the nature of the hair, its constitution and the
problems with its manipulation.
HAIR STRUCTURE
The body of the hair is composed of several layers. From outside to inside, three layers are distinguished: cuticle.
cortex and medulla
•Cuticle: it is the outermost layer of the hair that we see and touch. The scales of the cuticle are
formed by flat cells and without pigmentation. The well-attached scales pose an obstacle to the
external agents seeking to infiltrate.
•Cortex: it is the most voluminous and constitutes the body of the hair. In it is found the element
essential in the formation of hair color; the pigments
Molecule: it is the deepest part of the hair and the least important; it is composed of cells without
nucleus
The color of hair is determined by pigmentation, regardless of the hair color, the pigment is the
It presents itself in two forms; one in liquid and the other in granules.
These two pigments come from the same chemical agent, melanin.
MELANIN
It is the pigment that colors the skin, eyes, and hair. It is formed within cells called melanocytes.
through a process called melanogenesis. Melanin is insoluble in water, which is why it can only be
modify by energetic oxidations or alkaline solutions
The color of hair undergoes changes throughout its evolution, meaning the production of melanin is not the same.
Throughout life as there are variations that manifest with changes in pigments.
In childhood, the production of melanin is lower, which is why the skin is more pink and the hair is lighter.
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In old age, the production of melanin is lower; some melanocytes stop producing and begin to
white hair appears due to the absence of pigments
THE PIGMENT
A pigment is a compound with the ability to absorb certain radiations of light and return
others. Those that return or reflect give their color to the object
There are three primary colors of pigment. Red magenta, cadmium yellow, and cyan blue.
The union of the three primary colors gives black.
By combining these three colors, other colors called secondary colors are created.
Red minus yellow equals orange, blue minus red equals violet, blue minus yellow equals green
These new secondary colors have the property of neutralizing the opposite primary color on the color wheel.
chromatic and that has not intervened in its composition.
CHROMATIC CIRCLE
This is because color has three dimensions: hue, intensity, and brightness (reflection).
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color: it is the set of all these qualities
the capacity of the color to reflect light in a more or less luminous way
Reflection: it is a very subtle toner that is added to the color to personalize it.
Direct dyes: those that already contain the pigment and when applied, the only thing they do is
fix it on the hair fiber
•indirect dyes: colorless products formed by precursor molecules. These molecules in
Contact with hair, and after undergoing chemical reactions, they transform into molecules.
colored, that dye the hair.
Before starting a color change process, it is necessary to conduct a study on the physical conditions of the
hair and its properties.
If any symptoms are observed on the skin or scalp such as dermatitis, flaking, inflammations, etc.
staining will not proceed.
Given that not all hair is the same, it is important to know its characteristics as much as possible, it is advisable
mainly pay attention to the following points:
•permeability or porosity: the hair fiber is protected by the cuticle, when it is very closed the
chemical agents cannot penetrate it, so staining with oxidation dyes is more difficult.
force-tension: to know the resistance of keratin fiber, one must take a hair and stretch it.
leaving it free afterwards
•external physical appearance: it is important to note if the hair is straight, curly, or wavy
Previous treatments: if the hair has undergone chemical treatments before, it is usually more
porous as virgin hair
•percentage of gray hair: gray hairs are low in porosity. If there are many gray hairs, a tone should be used.
two darker ones and if they are scarce the opposite
The height of the tone is concentrated in a classification of hair colors that ranges from black to platinum blonde.
SCALE OF TONES
black
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brunette
dark brown
chestnut
light brown
dark blonde
blonde
light brown
very light blonde
platinum blonde
To enrich or illuminate the colors, highlights are usually added; one or two highlights can be added.
REFLECTIONS
ash
violet
golden
coppery
mahogany
reddish
greenish
Artificial coloring is the set of operations that modify the natural or artificial colors of
hair with an aesthetic purpose. For this, all kinds of substances have been used. There are different
classifications:
•Vegetables: colorants that, due to their structure, exhibit some affinity for the proteins in the fiber.
capillary and therefore are able to adhere to it, providing color or tinting the natural color of
hair. The most used are henna, chamomile, and indigo
•Metallic: they are products to change hair color, and their effect is due to the presence of a
metal of its chemical composition. They are mainly composed of lead and silver salts,
Sometimes salts of other metals are added to vary the tones.
They are called that those who remain in the hair until the next wash after their application. The
Molecules that compose these dyes are large organic compounds, they usually contain active components.
that act on the hair fiber to protect and soften it
ACTION MECHANISM: dye molecules penetrate between the scales of the cuticle
getting trapped between them
•PRECAUTIONS AND SAFETY REGULATIONS: first it is necessary to analyze the state of the
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Hair and scalp, in the case of splashes on the skin, rinse with water.
to remove the product, these products should never be used for eyebrow tinting and
tabs
APPLICATION: temporary dyes exist in the market in different forms, they are available in powder, lotion.
Foam, hairspray... the way of application depends on the format in which it is marketed.
• application on wet hair: it will be applied after washing, it is necessary to apply the product beforehand.
remove the excess water, to apply the product you can use a sponge, a brush, or pour it
directly apply the product to the hair, then spread it by massaging it with your fingers and combing it
backwards, it is allowed to act.
•application for dry hair: in this case, the way to apply it is through aerosols and the product is
easily removed with a brush or a wash.
•TEMPORAL COLOR OBJECTIVE: to correct any effect produced by another type of dye, by
example to add more shine to somewhat dull hair, or to correct the color fading
artificial that is produced by the passage of time
SEMIPERMANENT DYES
These dyes remain in the hair for 5 to 10 washes, they are direct colorants and do not contain oxidants.
•MECHANISM OF ACTION: the molecules that make up this type of dye penetrate into the
Hair cortex, the color fades as time goes by.
•PRECAUTIONS AND SAFETY RULES: it is necessary to perform the tolerance test,
protect the hairline with a protective cream and wear gloves while applying it
product
APPLICATION: protect the client's clothing, comb it to remove tangles, section the hair,
apply the product with a special brush, take large sections of hair and distribute it
product, if it stains the skin it can be cleaned with alcohol, carefully monitor the time of
wait, remove the product by rinsing it with plenty of water
•OBJECTIVES OF SEMI-PERMANENT DYEING: to change the image, they last longer, they offer
a greater range of colors, they do not need such a strong application and cover gray hairs, plus they do not
they don't present any allergy problems, these dyes are a solution for people who cannot use
the oxidation dyes
They are organic compounds that act quickly. The molecules that compose them are precursors of
color means, the true dye is formed when it combines with the oxidant.
•COMPONENTS: in an oxidation dye we can distinguish two types of elements: the principles
assets that participate in the reactions that will lead to hair dyeing, and the elements whose
function is accessory, like conditioners.
The active ingredients are always separated and their action is to give a permanent color to the hair fiber, only
It happens when they combine, so the mixture must be made just before application.
Container 1 contains:
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oxidation bases + coupling agents = color precursors
alkaline product
Container 2 contains:
oxidant
Contains:
OXIDATION BASE: they are compounds derived from benzene that oxidize easily and are subject to them.
the intensity of the color and the coverage of the gray hair
COUPLERS: they are precursors that are oxidized with some difficulty and produce weak colorations but
they are used to modify the intensity of the color of oxidation bases
ALKALINE PRODUCT: the alkaline substance is ammonium hydroxide which, when dissolved in water,
breaks down quickly forming ammonia and ions that increase the pH and create an alkaline environment
The mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia is used to increase the porosity of resistant hair.
in this way, while they are provided with oxygen to the compounds that must react, they are facilitated the
entry in the cortex
The most commonly used compound is hydrogen peroxide, which easily decomposes into water and oxygen when it
find in alkaline medium
Immediately before starting the application of these products, the mixture must be prepared. In this
The moment is when the chemical reaction begins that will lead to the permanent dyeing of the hair.
they do and how each of the components are transformed.
•OXIDATION BASE AND COUPLERS: COLOR PRECURSORS: they are components that
they cannot produce color themselves, which is why they are called precursors as they only act when
join with an oxidizing product. Through a chemical reaction called polymerization, these
Molecules transform the natural pigments of the hair, providing a new color.
ALCALI: provides the alkaline medium necessary for the oxidant to act. It will produce a
double effect:
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THE OXIDIZER: the oxidizer must act in an alkaline medium, which is why when using it there is
to add substances that raise the pH above 7 and accelerate decomposition
The function of the oxidant is multiple; its action consists of decomposing chemically, releasing oxygen.
what is it that will oxidize the precursors activating them to form the polymer
it oxidizes the melanic pigments of the hair, lightening them (bleaching effect)
helps to open the scales of the cuticle allowing the entry of molecules into the cortex
bite effect
activates the color precursors to form a large molecule that constitutes the dye
definitive
COSMETIC FORMS: both the coloring product and the oxidizing agent usually come in
more or less gelling liquid or in cream
Oxidation dyes need to provoke chemical reactions to produce the coloring. But these
reactions do not occur only between the components of the dye, but also include the
elements that are part of the hair fiber specifically keratin and melanin:
The alkaline pH can alter the keratin of the hair fiber, and the hair becomes fragile and brittle.
Oxidation produces the lightening of melanotic pigments, either more or less, depending on the
hydrogen peroxide concentrations
The actions on the hair fiber make these dyes not harmless. After a treatment of
dyeing, the hair is more porous and permeable, weaker and less resistant. To keep it in shape, it makes
It needs to be conditioned and treated with special products.
TOLERANCE TEST
It is important that whenever a tolerance test is carried out, it should be done with at least 24.
hours in advance of the application of the dye. This test is done as follows:
Prepare a little mixture of the products that will be used for the staining.
Apply the mixture a little behind the ear and on the inside of the elbow of the opposite arm.
leave the mixture on the skin for 24 hours
if during that time the client has not noticed any discomfort, the product is well tolerated and the
staining can be done without problems
If there is any type of allergic reaction, no matter how small, we will not proceed with the application of the dye.
If the client is allergic to oxidation dyes, advise them to use a semi-permanent dye but check beforehand.
chemical composition of this and ensure that it does not contain derivatives since sometimes small ones are used
concentrations for direct staining with these dyes
In general, dyes come packaged so that the product containing the precursors can be mixed with the
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oxidizer in equal amounts. The oxidizer can be in the form of emulsion or liquid and its concentration
it is specified on the packaging in the following ways:
The volume that indicates the amount of liters of oxygen that is released in 1 liter of that solution EJM:
One liter of 30 volume oxidizer indicates that 30 liters of oxygen are formed.
the percentage of oxidant
to clarify one and a half to two tones above the base color regardless of the hue
CHOICE OF TONE: the tone that the client chooses for their hair can be determined in a table of
tones and shades, and is defined by numbers separated by a slash; the first indicates the
tone height (5/31), and the second and sometimes the third are the shade (5/31)
GRAY HAIR DYEING: dyeing hair presents special difficulties when there is a percentage
important of gray hairs, this is so due to the double characteristic of this type of hair:
On one hand, they are fibers that do not have natural color, so the dye shows on them while
that the rest of the hair blends with the natural pigments modifying the color
The impermeable structure hinders staining.
Warm, reddish tones set more easily than others.
When the percentage of gray hair is low, less than 30%, it will not excessively interfere with the tone.
final. In this case, we ignore the gray hairs.
When the percentage of gray hair is over 50%, the dye applied will be mixed in proportion with
a dye of the same tone height but with the following shade
If the percentage is between 30% and 50%, it will be mixed with a little dye of the same tone level.
but with the natural nuance
When applying a dark color, the gray hairs are dyed first; on the contrary, if we apply a
light color, the gray hairs are left for last
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PRECAUTIONS AND SAFETY RULES:
In hair whose initial state is weak, it is contraindicated to perform treatments with oxidation.
If the hair is very porous and permeable, the entry of reagents into the cortex will be easier.
Curly hair tends to be more fragile, which is why high concentrations of reagents are not used.
highly recommended in these cases
The physical conditions of the hair must always be analyzed.
One should never apply an oxidative dye without having previously performed a tolerance test.
Contact with hydrogen peroxide and alkali should be avoided as it can cause
irritations or wounds
always use gloves for dye application
quickly rinse any spillage that occurs with water
The application will always be done on dirty, dry hair as this protects the scalp more.
the aggressions of these products
Steps to follow:
protect the client with a gown and a towel, apply a protective cream on the hairline
hair
section the hair in the usual way
prepare the dye mixture
start applying it by spreading it evenly
pause time
When the desired color has appeared, rinse with plenty of water and apply a mild acidic shampoo.
the hair is conditioned and styled
IMPORTANT NOTES:
The application at the roots is necessary a few weeks after the first staining, as the
hair grows and the new one comes out with its natural color
The application is similar to the previous one, except for the fact that the dye is only applied to the areas that
they show the natural color