Should You Color Your Natural Hair? All You Need to Know...

Hey Curls,

I usually provide this to my clients that are debating if they want color or not but I will lay this out there for any Naturalista debating or deciding if she wants to color her natural tresses.

Please know that color is a chemical process and I will try to explain it in as few words as possible in my own words. There is a science behind the coloring process and an understanding of the law of color (primary, secondary, tertiary colors, undertones, tones, etc.)

There are various techniques as far as the application of color but what is important is that you understand how the color gets there. Color can be temporary, demi- or semi-permanent, or permanent. Color products contain little tiny grains of pigment that must enter the hair shaft in the case of permanent hair color. These molecules stay in the hair shaft. Temporary color products contain larger pigments of color that sit on the outside of the hair shaft and can be rinsed out after so many washes>>>i.e. temporary hair color such as hair shadows, sprays, etc. Semi-permanents last several washes or so and Demi-permanents fade.
Even though I tried to put a years worth of knowledge in one paragraph, please know that there is a lot to the hair coloring process not even listed here. This is also why I recommend you always consult with a licensed professional when deciding on hair color because a lot of the hair colors at the stores are "one size fit all" and do not take into account what level or tone your hair color is or the underlying undertone. This is why you will see some folks walking around with green hair when they were trying to dye their hair blonde.

Lastly when you go for that color, you need to begin a new regimen which includes a sulfate free color shampoo to retain your hair color. I will do another post on a regimen for colored natural hair. I'll also touch on bond rebuilding treatments such as Olaplex, etc.

...Below is what I provide my clients!

IF ANY OF THE REASONS BELOW APPLY TO YOU THEN YOU MAY CONSIDER GETTING YOUR HAIR COLORED:

• Adds shine
• Covers gray
• Lightens or darkens natural color
• Gives more depth
• Provides more youthful appearance
• Gives texture
• Makes a bold statement
• Enhances natural hair
• Adds brightness
• Disguises Identity

BELOW IS SOME INFORMATION THAT MAY HELP YOU WHEN DECIDING ON HAIR COLOR!

TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED BY STYLIST

• VIRGIN COLOR or RETOUCH (A single color is applied all over)
• HIGHLIGHTS (Creates natural looking multi-dimensional hair color and can be bold or subtle)
• LOWLIGHTS (Involves coloring hair darker than its natural color)
• BALAYAGE (Only the surface of the hair is painted by free-hand in abstract arrangement to enhance) - TYPES: OMBRE, COLOR MELT, SOMBRE, ETC.

TYPES OF COLOR:
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Temporary ​(Stains; Lasts 1-2 Shampoos)

• Masks gray hair
• Subtly or richly enhances color
• Darkens color
• Doesn’t change natural color
• Contains no peroxide
• Washes out in 1 shampoo 
• Shows no root line

​
Semi-Permanent (No Lift Deposit Only; Lasts 2-4 weeks)

• Blends or covers gray
• Subtly enhances color
• Darkens color
• Doesn’t change natural color
• Contains no peroxide
• Washes out in about 12 shampoos
• Shows no root line
• NOT RECOMMENDED FOR SOMEONE WITH 50% MORE OF GRAY

Demi-Permanent (No Lift Deposit Only; Lasts 6-12 weeks)

• Refreshes faded color
• Helps with color corrections
• Blends and covers gray
• Introducing client to new color
• Restoring natural hair color
• Create change in tone of hair
  

Permanent  (Lifts and Deposits)

• Covers gray 100%
• Lightens hair
• Darkens hair
• Changes hair
• Can achieve subtle or dramatic color changes
• Contains peroxide 
• Doesn’t wash out 
• Root line shows

*NOTE – We only offer semi-permanent, demi-permanent, and permanent colors. We recommend demi-permanents and permanents for gray hair coverage! Blonde colors involve lightening darker hair and then depositing color which will be a permanent color.

WHAT NEXT?

• WE WILL DETERMINE IF YOUR HAIR CAN BE COLORED
• WE WILL EXAMINE YOUR HAIR AND DETERMINE ITS 1) DENSITY, 2) TEXTURE, 3) CURL PATTERN, 4) % OF GRAY, 5) NATURAL HAIR COLOR, 6) YOUR HAIR COLOR TONE (WARM, COOL, NUETRAL, ETC.), 5) POROSITY
• WE WILL ALSO EXAMINE YOUR 1) SKIN TONE, 2) EYE COLOR, 3) FACE SHAPE, ETC
• WE WILL FORMULATE A COLOR FOR YOU BASED ON THE VARIOUS FACTORS MENTIONED ABOVE!
• WE WILL INFORM YOU OF THE COLOR CARE MAINTENANCE THAT YOU CAN PERFORM AT HOME!

WHAT CAN YOU DO:

• BRING PICTURES OF STYLES WITH COLOR THAT YOU LIKE!
• TELL US WHAT YOU LIKE: DO YOU LIKE VIBRANT, SUBTLE, OR NATURAL COLORS?

 ...
Hope this helps a Curl out! Good luck on deciding whether or not it is something you may want to do.

Genevieve Anyiah
Licensed Cosmetologist + Embrace Hair Art Salon Owner

~Embrace the Natural You~