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Hair coloring (including gray hair) is a complex process, the quality of which is subject only to the hand of a professional hairdresser-colorist. This aspect is associated with the structure and structure of gray hair, which practically do not contain a natural pigment called melanin, and, accordingly, do not perceive coloring compositions properly. As a result, gray hair again appears on the hair, giving the image a far from attractive look. MedAboutMe will tell you about the features of coloring gray hair in a beauty salon and at home, as well as the intricacies of care for maintaining a rich shade for a longer period!
Features of the structure of gray hair
To understand the reason for the poor perception of dye by gray hair, you should understand their structure. As you know, the hair consists of three layers — the core, the cortex (it contains color pigments and is responsible for elasticity) and the cuticle (a protective layer, like a mirror, repelling the negative impact of environmental factors). The cuticle, in turn, consists of scales, which are slightly raised in gray hair, which leads to a poor perception of paint, even despite the small size of the molecules. As a result, the dye is washed out from under the raised scales in a short time, again staining the curls with a silvery veil.
Things are more complicated with the so-called vitreous gray hair, the upper layer of which literally opposes the introduction of a pigment of artificial origin. It’s like glass does not perceive the dye, and in this case, dyeing hair at home is not possible. Only special techniques can change the shade, for example, mordansage (in other words, “etching”). This technique preliminarily “looses” the strands, which makes them a little porous and susceptible to dye. Mordansage involves the use of an oxidizing agent, the percentage of which is individual for different hair. So, for hard gray hair, a 6% oxidizing agent is used, for soft gray hair, the value changes down.
Causes of gray hair
The reality is that the owners of gray hair are not only the elderly. This problem also applies to young people who have not crossed the 30-year milestone. And this is not surprising, because hair turns gray not only due to age-related changes in the body, when melanocytes, the substances responsible for the formation of color pigment, stop forming in the follicles, but also for other reasons. One of the most common is considered to be a lack of vitamins and minerals, which are of great responsibility for the condition of the hair, skin and body as a whole. Their absence in the diet promises a lot of problems, including premature graying.
Equally relevant causes of the early appearance of gray hair are excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and smoking. These bad habits disrupt the work of the vascular, respiratory and other vital systems and organs. While diseases related to the vascular system lead to insufficient blood supply and nutrition to the hair follicles, and hence to oxygen starvation, which, in turn, is considered the cause of graying and increased hair loss. Some drugs that can disrupt the hormonal balance have a similar effect.
Also, hair turns gray from excess ultraviolet radiation, frequent dyeing with dyes containing ammonia, abuse of hats, stress and depression, which, as a rule, lead to nervous exhaustion and problems with curls. And if the listed reasons are easy to eliminate, then it is most difficult for those who turn gray due to a hereditary predisposition. So, if a parent’s first gray hair appeared at the age of 25, then their child should expect this unpleasant misfortune around the same years — a little earlier or later. In this case, hair coloring will be the only salvation for the pleasant appearance of the hair.
Subtleties of hair coloring
Hair coloring, as already mentioned, is a rather laborious process than, for example, care. Naturally, it is better to entrust your curls to professionals. However, if only 20-30% of gray hair is on the head of hair, you can carry out the dyeing process at home, the main thing is to choose a high-quality and safer paint, and act subject to strict rules, otherwise the likelihood of turning your curls into a canvas, decorated with different colors, exceeds 99%. Therefore, before rushing into battle with gray hair, it is important to soberly assess the situation.
What should be remembered when coloring at home? First, you should dye your hair a couple of tones darker than your natural shade. Secondly, when choosing a shade, it is important to take into account skin tone and eye color, otherwise the resulting image will not please you with harmony. Thirdly, in the presence of sparse and thin hair, you need to abandon bright and saturated shades like burgundy, wine, eggplant, indigo, fiery red and red. Black, too, will not add charm to the appearance, on the contrary, it will highlight the existing wrinkles and folds, especially when it comes to old age. Young ladies belonging to the “Winter” color type and faced with gray hair are not forbidden to dye their curls black.
Why is it worth abandoning home coloring in favor of a salon? Everything is simple! The colorist will not only select the optimal shade, which will hide significant appearance flaws, but will also study the hair structure in detail, determine the reason for the disappearance of the pigment, and, finally, color the strands evenly without pronounced transitions and spots. Depending on the indicators, the specialist will select the formula for compiling the coloring composition and decide how much the hair needs preliminary procedures. We are talking about the previously mentioned «etching», as well as prepigmentation — a procedure required for uneven distribution of gray hair, and which consists in pre-coloring areas of gray hair, followed by processing the entire head of hair.
Colored hair care
Caring for hair dyed to hide gray hair has some subtleties, non-compliance with which promises a quick washout of the dye. So, for washing your hair, it is better to use shampoos from lines designed for colored hair. The situation is similar with conditioner or balm. For care, it is preferable to purchase cosmetics with the most natural composition, including herbal extracts, vitamins and vegetable oils.
Washing should be done no more than 2 times a week, and when styling, do not use a huge amount of aggressive styling products, it is advisable to limit yourself to a comb and a hairdryer in cold air mode. Important for curls and moisturizing masks, they will keep them supple, soft and shiny. In order to avoid too frequent staining with persistent dyes, tint shampoos should be used from time to time, the color of which is selected depending on the shade of the hair. They will not allow unpleasant green and yellowness.
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