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Hair coloring products generally fall into four categories: temporary, semipermanent, deposit only/demi, and permanent. All these hair color products, except for temporary color, suggest a patch test before application to determine if the client is allergic to the product. "Hair lightening," referred to as "bleaching" or "decolorizing," is a chemical process involving the diffusion of the natural color pigment or artificial color from the hair. This process is central to both permanent hair color and hair lighteners. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Hair color is the result of pigmentation due to the presence of the chemicals of melanin and phaeomelanin. ... For the musical, see Hair (musical). ...

All "permanent" haircolor products and lighteners contain both a developer, or oxidizing agent, and an alkalizing ingredient as part of their ammonia or an ammonia substitute. The purpose of this is to: For other uses, see Ammonia (disambiguation). ...

• raise the cuticle of the hair fibre so the tint can penetrate,
• facilitate the formation of tints within the hair fibre,
• bring about the lightening action of peroxide.

When the tint containing the alkalizing ingredient is combined with the developer (usually hydrogen peroxide), the peroxide becomes alkaline and diffuses through the hair fibre, entering the cortex, where the melanin is located. The lightening occurs when the alkaline peroxide breaks up the melanin and replaces it with new color. Eponychium is the anatomical term for the human cuticle In biology, the term cuticle or cuticula is given to to a variety of tough but flexible, non-mineral outer coverings of an organism, or part of an organism, that provide prtoection. ... A peroxide is a compound containing an oxygen-oxygen single bond. ... Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a very pale blue liquid which appears colourless in a dilute solution, slightly more viscous than water. ... The common (Arrhenius) definition of a base is a chemical compound that either donates hydroxide ions or absorbs hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. ... Broadly, melanin is any of the polyacetylene, polyaniline, and polypyrrole blacks and browns or their mixed copolymers. ...

Temporary hair color

The pigment molecules in temporary hair color are large and, therefore, do not penetrate the cuticle layer, allowing only a coating action that may be removed by shampooing.

Acid dyes are used to coat on the surface of hair, since acid dyes have a low affinity to hair, thus can be removed after a shampoo.

Temporary hair color is available in various product forms including rinses, shampoos, gels, sprays, and others. This type of hair color is typically used to give brighter, more vibrant shades or colors such as orange or red, that may be difficult to achieve with semi-permanent and permanent hair color. This phenomenon is due to the fact that temporary hair colorants do not penetrate the hair shaft itself. Instead, these dyes remain adsorbed (closely adherent) to the follicle and can be easily removed with a single shampooing. However, even temporary hair coloring agents can persist if the user's hair is excessively dry or damaged, conditions that allow for migration of the dye from the exterior to the interior of the follicle. While temporary hair color products hold a lesser market than semi-permanent and permanent agents, they have value in that they can be easily and quickly removed without bleaching or application of a different dye.

Semipermanent

Formulated to deposit color on the hair shaft without lightening it. This formula has smaller molecules than those of temporary tinting formulas, and is therefore able to penetrate the hair shaft. Has no developer, may be used with heat for penetration. It also lasts longer than temporary hair color, keeping intact up to 8-14 shampoos.

Problems related to coloring hair

When coloring one's hair, it is always advisable to visit a professional hair colorist as there are many mistakes a person could make, as well as some serious consequences.

The following are some of the problems that may occur as a result of applying hair color:

• Different color outcome compared to what was expected
• Breakage of hair strands
• Loss of hair
• Development of some forms of cancer (including leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, bladder cancer, blood cancer, and multiple myeloma)^[1][2][3] (although it all depends on the brand of dye you use and how you use it.)
• Dry scalp
• Stain on skin from hair dye
• Lead acetate as a potential toxin.^[4] (Lead acetate is the active ingredient in gradual darkening products such as Grecian formula^[5])
• Idiosyncrasy or development of allergic reactions due to the analine derivative found in permanent hair color.

Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ... Leukemia or leukaemia (see spelling differences) is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow and is characterized by an abnormal proliferation (production by multiplication) of blood cells, usually white blood cells (leukocytes). ... Grecian Formula ® is a popular mens hair coloring product in the United States. ...

Alternatives to Chemical Based Dyes

It has been recorded historically that ancient civilizations dyed their hair using plants. Ones of the most well known are henna, indigo, cassia, senna, turmeric and amla. Others include katam, black walnut hulls, and leeks ^[6]. Look up henna in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Binomial name Indigofera tinctoria L. Indigofera tinctoria bears the common name true indigo. ... Selected species See text Senna is a large genus of about 250–260 species of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae. ... Senna is the common name for many species in the genera Senna and Cassia, both in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae. ... Binomial name Linnaeus Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae which is native to tropical South Asia. ... Binomial name Phyllanthus emblica Gaertn. ... Binomial name L. The Black Walnut or American Walnut (Juglans nigra L.) is a native of eastern North America, where it grows, mostly alongside rivers, from southern Ontario, Canada west to southeast South Dakota, south to Georgia, northern Florida and southwest to central Texas. ... Leek is a placename in more than one country: Netherlands: Leek, Netherlands United Kingdom: Leek, Staffordshire Leek is also a vegetable: Leek (vegetable) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Presently, there are some companies that do sell alternate based dyes for people that are sensitive to PPD, a chemical found in most hair dyes. p-Phenylenediamine (PPD), also called 1,4-diaminobenzene or 1,4-phenylenediamine is an aromatic amine used as a component of engineering polymers and composites, aramid fibers, hair dyes, rubber chemicals, textile dyes and pigments. ...

There are also said to be non-toxic safer products that avoid the side-effects of chemical based dyes. The safer alternatives generally have fewer chemicals or are plant based and do also have temporary, semi-permanent and permanent options. However, these products typically do not last as long as chemical based dyes. ^[7]

Semi permanent

Uses a mild, creamy developer of a lower volume (to other products of same or similar composition), including but not limited to the dye used in textiles, sunscreen, rubber, and/or certain medications.

Henna is a deposit-only hair color whose active component, lawsone, binds to keratin and is therefore permanent. Some state that henna may be removed with mineral oil; however, results vary and it is considered "permanent" because it does not wash out with shampoos or rinses. It is often mixed with other plant dyes, such as indigo, turmeric, and senna, to change the color. Allergy to henna is much rarer than allergy to permanent hair colors. It is also considered a conditioning treatment. Look up henna in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Lawsone (2-Hydroxy-1,4-Naphthoquinone) Lawsone (2-Hydroxy-1,4-Naphthoquinone), or hennotannic acid, is a red-orange pigment present in the leaves of the henna plant as well as impatiens balsamica. ... Not to be confused with kerogen or carotene. ...

Using a plant-based color, specifically henna, can cause problems later when trying to do a permanent wave (perm) and other permanent hair color. Discoloration can occur on hair that has been previously tinted with henna; hennaed hair typically cannot be curled. Breakage could also be an issue. Often, henna leaves hair unable to receive other chemical services within a salon. Turn of the century advertisement for Nesslers permanent wave machine. ...

See also

• Human physical appearance
• Hairstyle
• Hair highlighting
• Punk fashion

Variation in the physical appearance of humans is believed by anthropologists to be an important factor in the development of personality and social relations in particular physical attractiveness. ... “Haircut” redirects here. ... Hair highlighting is coloring hair using light colors,to color strands of the hair in different sizes. ... Punk fashion is the styles of clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics, jewelry, and body modifications of the punk subculture. ...

References

Hair Dying and Allergic Reactions Study is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... WebMD is available to both consumers and physicians, and contains several different health sites owned and run by WebMD, including WebMD Health, Medscape, MedicineNet, eMedicine, eMedicine Health, RxList and theheart. ... is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• How Stuff Works "How Hair Coloring Works"
• "Most complete henna information source"