Coloring FACTS

As a professional, I have read a lot of Blogs with a lot of misinformation about coloring hair; regardless of if it is locked or not.  I've read, bit my lip and read some more.  I can no longer stand to bite my lip so after reading todays post on another blog, I have decided to respond; on my own blog as not to be disrespectful to anyone on their own "home turf".  Understand, my thoughts are not in any chronological order...just reading someone's blog and dissecting it as I go.  No harm intended - Intent is truly to educate. 

First of all, let me say that BLEACHING hair and COLORING hair are 2 separate processes. 

Hair is Bleached to REMOVE some or all natural (or mistaken) colors from hair.  Bleach is very harsh on the hair and can be very damaging it not done correctly.  Bleach MUST be kept wet during the entire time it is on the hair. 

Coloring is used to ADD color to hair.  To get dramatic hair coloring it IS NOT necessary to bleach your hair.  Coloring is mixed with Peroxide, also called developer (which lifts the cuticle layer of the hair and allows color to escape) Peroxide is often times referred to as a "lift".  The higher the volume (20, 40 and 50) of peroxide, the more dramatic the color.  I use 40 or 50 (can only be purchased by licensed professional in my state) volume CREAM DEVELOPER.  Cream developer is safe to be used on the scalp.  Liquid Developer burns and makes a mess because it is very runny. 

Those of you who have followed my blog have seen some very dramatic colors in my hair and not once did I bleach my hair.  I did however bleach Val's hair to the white tips.  No color was added to her hair tips (that would have been a double chemical treatment and very damaging to her hair).  Her hair has not broken and the ends that were bleached are just as healthy as the rest of her hair that was not bleached. 

Secondly color fades because the products (shampoo etc) that are used on your hair are not PH balanced and therefore are stripping the color from the hair...the hair color is not fading, it is being REMOVED by harsh products. 

Bleach is harsh.  Think of liquid Clorox and the damage that it does.  No difference in the bleach used on hair.  It does the exact same thing that Clorox does. Like Clorox, if left on too long, you will have damage.  Bleach will "eat" your hair.  If you don't believe me, put a small piece of hair into some Clorox and do the same thing with powder bleach for hair; which by the way comes in different degrees of lightening strengths which is magnified by the volume of developer you are mixing with hit. 

I, too, was told when I got my SL's that I could only use their "starter" shampoo and nothing else.  After one use common sense told me that I have had the same hair all of my life and it NEVER felt as dry and horrible as it did after using SL shampoo.  It is very drying due to the ingredients in it which are stripping your hair of all of it's oils. There are so many myths stating that hair will not lock if it has oil in it.  For me, let me say that this is not the case.  Everything I did to my hair prior to SL's , I still do now.  There was no "waiting period".  I shampooed and conditioned as I always have (once I discovered the lies that was trying to be fed to me).  I use the same products today as I always have.  Be sure that if you are a newbie, you will have to band your ends to ensure that they do not slip apart.  Conditioners soften your hair and will cause slippage.

Shedding has not one thing to do with HAIR TYPE.  Overly dry hair will snap regardless of what "type" it is.  Your hair needs moisture; bottom line. 

Hair colors that do not lift AND deposit color are temporary colors, at best.  They only coat the hair shaft.  These colors do fade and wash out over time.  They are not actually deposited into the hair shaft; instead they lay on top of the hair shaft.

lastly, the best thing you can do for your hair is to learn what the PH of your hair is (normal is 4.5 - 5.5) and to know the PH of the products you are using on your hair.  Balanced PH equals healthy  and beautiful hair.

Here's a few helpful tips about PH.

Dry hair has no PH.  Only aqueous solutions have PH's.  When hair is in a aqueous solution it normally has a PH of 4.4 - 5.5; as does the skin. If it feels dry to your skin, then it is just as drying to your hair.  One of the most beneficial treatments hair can have is to be acidified.  That is to use products with PH of 3.0 - 3.5 (lower numbers on the PH scale indicate acid and higher numbers indicate alkaline). 

Hair that is acidified have closed cuticles (compacted) and this adds natural shine because light reflects on smooth surfaces; detangles because cuticle layers are not "grabbing" each other; adds elasticity because the lower the Ph the higher the positive charge.  This in turns brings the bond (hydrogen) from a Beta state (weakened) to a Alpha state (strong).  Hydrogen bonds account for nearly 100% of hairs elasticity.  Hair with not elasticity (ability to stretch and bend) breaks easily.  A compacted cuticle locks in moisture and protein and does not allow as much evaporation of needed moisture as an open cuticle does; which is hair grows longer and stronger when locked. 

lastly contrary to popular belief, most shampoos have a PH of lower then 7 (which is considered neutral on the PH scale). 
The key is to bring the PH down much lower.  However, PH's lower than 3.0 can have adverse effects during prolonged use.  One such acid, that a lot of you love, is lemon juice.  Lemon Juice has a PH of about 2.5 and should not be used for prolonged periods of time.  Oh and the beloved ACV has a PH of about 2.4 and should not be used excessively for the same reasons.  Remember, healthy hair's PH level and try to keep it in that range.  Too much Acid or too much Alkaline is not good for the hair.

Hair colors and hair bleach can reach PH levels up to 9 (on a scale of 0-14) so remember, if you take your hair's PH that far from "normal", you will need to do something to bring it back down.  Neutralizing shampoos are often times used with this purpose in mind.

To end on a good note, Acidifiers will benefit all hair types; just don't over do it and have an idea of what your own hairs natural PH is before attempting to alter it. 

That, my friends, is Ni's free professional advice for 2011.  Happy and safe Coloring.