Whether you’re a long-time hair dyer or someone who’s just now considering changing their hair color, you probably have some questions about how exactly the process works. After all, changing the color of your hair through hair treatment in Greensboro, NC, is a lengthy and intricate process, and once it’s over, your new hair color is there to stay for at least a few weeks, and usually longer.
How and why hair coloring treatment works is actually a fascinating process, and understanding it will give you important insight into what’s happening as you sit and wait in the salon. Read on to learn more about what happens when you update your hair color.
Getting into your hair shaft
When you go to a salon for hair treatment in Greensboro, NC, a lot has to happen before your stylist can apply your new hair color. First, your hair cuticles need to be penetrated so that the stylist can get rid of your current color and apply the new color directly to the base of your hair, otherwise knows as your hair shaft.
To achieve this, a colorist will usually use a safe amount of ammonia to “lift up” your hair cuticles. Ammonia will cause the pH levels in your hair to rise, which causes your scalp and hair cuticles to become looser and rise so that hair dye can go underneath them. Once your cuticles rise up enough, the hair stylist can move on to the next step.
Erasing your current color
Now that your scalp is nice and relaxed, it’s almost time for your new color to come into the picture. But first, your natural hair color needs to be tamed so that it doesn’t overtake the new dye. This is especially true if you are trying to go from a dark shade, like brown or black, to a lighter shade, like blonde.
Stylists usually use safe levels of peroxide to mellow out your current hair color (this is where the phrase “peroxide blonde” comes from). Peroxide will break down your natural hair pigment, essentially transforming your hair shaft into a blank slate that can then be altered into any color you want. The longer the peroxide is applied, the weaker your natural hair color becomes.
Permanent or semi-permanent?
When dyeing your hair, most stylists will have to choose between semi-permanent or permanent hair dye, and they might ask which one you want to go with. Obviously, no hair color treatment will last forever, but permanent dye will last significantly longer than semi-permanent dye, which tends to fade after about 25 washes. If you just want to try out a new shade without committing too heavily, semi-permanent might be the right choice for you.
However, permanent hair dye might be necessary if you’re going from black or dark brown to blonde, as you will need to establish a firm coat of the color on your hair shafts.
Whatever color or type of hair dye you choose, we hope this overview of the process has proven to be enlightening. Good luck with your next dye job!