4 Types of Hair Color: Why You Should Visit a Professional

 

How many times have you seen pictures of women with amazing colored natural hair and you suddenly feel the urge to color your hair? But after the rush you begin to wonder if color is right for you. Coloring your natural hair can be a tough decision but it’s not something that you should be afraid of. But you must understand that color can change the strength and texture of your hair.

Note: If the hair is lifted too much this could damage the hair by losing the curl pattern and the hair would appear straight as if you had gotten a relaxer.

At the end she provided two options – wait until the color completely grows out which would take about a year or cut the color off. Neither option was appealing, so I decided that a professional color was not in my favor. If my hair was virgin, meaning hair that has never had color then applying permanent color would be a breeze.

When considering changing the color of your hair it is best to visit a stylist that specializes in hair color known as a “colorist” or a “color technician”. But if you must have color there are 4 different types of color to choose from.

Permanent Color

Permanent coloring involves using a hydrogen peroxide and or ammonia-based product. These ingredients lift the cuticle layers to allow for color deposition. This process strips away some of the protein deep within the hair strands and makes the hair weaker. To help keep your colored hair healthy and strong deep conditioning and protein treatments are recommended.

Semi-permanent Coloring

Semi-permanent colors usually last 3 to 6 months. Your hairs porosity level will determine how well the color penetrates. For example, the more porous the hair, the deeper the color will be.

Deposit-Only Semi-permanent Colors

Henna, a plant-based deposit only color is very popular for women with natural textured hair. Henna pigments bind to the hairs protein structure which creates a protective layering effect on the hair. Don’t expect henna to change your hair color like permanent or semi-permanent color. The pigments only stain the hair fiber red but with regular use of henna the color becomes deeper, long lasting and more vibrant over time.

Temporary Color Rinse

A temporary color rinse is a safe hair color for textured hair types. A rinse simply coats the outside cuticle layer and washes out within 10 to 15 days. Because the rinse coats the hair and cannot lift color, rinses will only enhance your current natural color by making it darker and richer.