Looking back at 2009, we noticed that while blonds may have had more fun, brunettes had more press. The year’s hottest stars sported dark browns and jet black hair. Megan Fox and Zooey Deschanel are two examples of raven-haired beauties who stole the summer while some dyed their signature light locks for a sultrier look like Victoria Secret model Miranda Kerr did just recently. So we decided to show you the science behind hair coloring.
Any change in molecular structure is called a chemical change. Furthermore, it is important to avoid damaged hair by going about hair coloring very carefully and thoroughly.
Your natural hair is made up of two types of hair pigments, both of which are a type of melanin produced within the hair follicle. Phaeomelanin is responsible for blond to red shades while Eumelanin is responsible for brown to black shades. Gray and/or white hair occurs when your hair stops producing melanin because they lack pigment.
Going to a lighter shade is much more involved and could cause more hair damage since you first have to strip your hair of color with bleach then add an alkaline solution to open up the hair cuticles which then allows the bleach into the hair shaft. This is a permanent chemical change and can be very damaging.
It’s much easier dying your hair a darker shade since you’re adding color not taking it away. There are two ways to do this:
- Temporary or semi-permanent hair color –Stains that deposit color on the outside of the hair shaft. They wash out after awhile.
- Permanent hair color – Starts out as tiny molecules that are small enough to penetrate the hair shaft. Once they get inside, they react with each other to create bigger molecules that are so big that they cannot be washed out of your hair.
Now as is the case with whatever dye you use, it’s not exactly “permanent.” Every time you wash your hair, there is a chance of losing some of the dye. Living Proof’s shampoos and conditioners are extremely gentle so unlike other products, they won’t strip your hair down as much and the color should retain longer. Remember that taking care of your hair after is key to avoiding irrevocably damaged hair.
