Monday, November 26, 2007

Clarity in Hair Colour

Today I will bring clarity and basic understanding of hair colour. There are different ways to deposit hair color professionally, and then there is the process of professional hair lightening.

Depositing hair color is the process of adding pigment to your own hair color to cause a visual change in color. The types of deposit color are respectfully: rinse, temporary, semi-permanent, and permanent.

A rinse is the mildest color you can get, it gives the lowest level of deposit, durability, and strength. It is a liquid form that is applied after shampooing and conditioning, it is not rinsed out, it is then styled as desired.

A temporary color is the next level of deposit which requires a 10- 20 minute processing time. It is applied after shampooing, rinsed, then the hair is conditioned then styled.

A semi- permanent color process actually requires heat in most cases to swell the outer layer (cuticle layer) of the hair shaft for a deeper deposit and longevity of color. It is applied just like the temporary color, the semi-permanent color processing time of 20 -30 minutes is done mostly with heat then a cooling down period is allowed.

A permanent color is the most penetrating because its formula is a chemical that swells and expands the hair shaft for deeper penetration of the cuticle layer and allows color molecules to deposit in the middle layer (cortex) of the hair shaft as well. It is applied prior to shampooing and conditioning, and requires a 30-45 minute processing time without heat most of the time. A permanent color can also lighten the hair up to 3-4 levels.

Hair lightener, commonly refferred to as hair bleach, is the process of stripping the hair of its natural pigment producing lightening stages from natural black to pale blond. I don’t like to use the word hair bleach because it makes it sound so harsh, bleach is a chemical used for clothes, I prefer the word lightener. Bleach has a bad reputation of damaging your hair, mainly when done without adequate knowlege and experience. Lighteners are done by professionals producing professional results.

Remember hair coloring is a process that requires knowlege of hair chemistry, and experience. It is the service that produces optimal effects when done properly.

Please feel free to leave a comment, I would like to know what you think, and what you would like to hear about.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Who is the Hair Addiction Blogger

Hair Addiction LLC is one of the quality beauty voices of the world, with answers to common misconceptions of health and beauty. Hair Addiction is here to educate the common person without the professional knowlege of the industry. I will answer all your questions in depth from a professional point of view, all the "Why's..... How's,.. and What's you have. Add me to your blogroll to stay updated on your hair, health and beauty in 2008 and on. Post any questions you may have as a comment and it will be answered.

Love your hair, acknowlege your beauty and understand it!!

Common Misconceptions "Perm vs Relaxer"

I am here to clear up the common misconceptions in the beauty and hair industry, and to inform people about things they should know about their hair.

Lets begin with the proper terminology for common services. The top 2 words we tend to use incorrectly: Perm & Rinse.

A Perm, a service normally geared to caucasians or people with straight hair wanting to go curly. A the perming process includes roding the hair with perm rods, and applying a perm solution(not pleasently scented), which softens and swells the hair shaft. That sits and processes for about 20 min (time may vary per individual),then the rods are thoroughly rinsed and patted dry. Then the neutralizing solution, which contracts the hair shaft to lock in the curl in to permanently mimic the shape of the rod that it is wrapped around, is applied and allowed about 5-10 min to process. The rods are removed and rinsed and you are left with a beautiful curly hair pattern. That is a perm.

A Relaxer is the correct term for chemically straightening the hair. This is the process of applying a creme based chemical (the relaxer) to the hair roots (if retouch) or entire shaft of hair (virgin relaxer). As the relaxer is being worked through (smoothed) the chemical begins to break down the textured structure of the hair, similar to a perm by softening and swelling the hair shaft, straightening the hair. When it is thoroughly rinsed it is then shampood with a neutralizing shampoo which contracts the hair to maintain the staightness, as well as seize the processing of the relaxer.
So when you go to recieve services from your hair care professional, you know the difference between a Perm and a Relaxer and the basics of the procedure. Remember these are chemical services that should be done by a professional. I just feel like clients should know what to expect from a beauty professional, how to ask for it properly and know what it is doing to their hair.

I will talk next time about the difference between a rinse, temporary, semi-permanant, demi-permanant, and permanant colors.

If there is a particular topic you would like me to address just leave a comment.

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