Hair colouring is one of my favourite things to do in hair design. It is a craft and a science to change existing hair colour. At the same time there are different ways to change colour may it be oxidative or non-oxidative. Here is a brief summary of the different types of professional hair colouring services.

The first category is non-oxidative colours; this is because there is no use of a developer to help make the color penetrate into the cortex of the hair shaft. These colors are temporary and only last until the next shampoo. They do not use chemicals to develop them and they use non reactive direct dyes which have very large molecules that coat the hair shaft. It cannot lighten the hair color.

Temporary colors come in various forms; weekly rinses, colour mousses and gels, colour crayons and mascaras, pomades, spray on colours, shampoos and rinses. Unlike other colour services you do not rinse the color, just dry and style.

Semi-permanent colours are the next type of colour which uses a direct dye process. This process will last through several shampoos depending on the porosity of your hair. They contain both small and large molecules. The small molecules do penetrate the hair shaft is why it is able to last for several shampoos. These colours do not use chemicals to alter the hair and only can deposit colour. Depending on the colour chosen these colours will fade and you will be left with no line of demarcation.

The second category of colours is oxidative colours because ammonia is used to activate these colours.

The first in this category is long lasting semi-permanent or demi-permanent colour. This colour will last 4-6 weeks. These colours contain little ammonia are designed to deposit color, add tone. It is great for people who do not want to make a long term commitment to colour.

The second is in this category is permanent hair colour. These are mixed with hydrogen peroxide and are capable of both lifting natural pigment and depositing artificial pigment all in one process. Permanent colours contain small colorless molecules that become activated with hydrogen peroxide.

Permanent hair colouring has become the most popular service in the hair salon. Brunettes can become blondes and vice versa blondes become brunettes. The sky is the limit when it comes to permanent hair colour. Permanent colors can add tone or darken the existing hair or lighten and deposit colour in a single process. They are mixed with various strengths of developer; 10 volume, 20 volume, 30 volume or 40 volume. If you can’t go as light as you want with colour then the hair may be pre-lightened.

There are also toners which are light pastel colours used to tone pre-lightened hair. These are used to neutralize brassiness and unwanted yellow tones.

There are also fillers that are used to fill porous, damaged areas with proteins or polymers. They equalize the porosity of the hair and deposit a base color in one application. This is used for people who may want to return to their original colour by replacing the missing pigments in the hair to achieve the darker shade.

As a professional hairdresser in Vancouver, BC, I am not a big fan of drugstore hair colour otherwise known as box colour. It isn’t because of being a hair snob it is because not knowing what the ingredients are used in these colours.

Colour corrections in most cases cannot be done because of some of the ingredients that are found in some of the colours from vegetable, metallic and compound dyes.

Hennas are an example of vegetable dyes. It does help to produce reddish highlights however when used continuously it builds and coats the hair and damages the hair. Hennas are sometimes mixed with metallic salts, like lead, silver and copper.

Once used and you do not receive the desired results the colour is hard to correct by a professional hairdresser. The metals make it very difficult to use professional hair colour to get a nice even colour because these metals are lodged in the cortex.

Pure metal dyes are not compatible with salon services such as perms and permanent hair colour. The solutions used in professional services cannot deposit evenly in to the cortex. Sadly, many people are unaware they are using products that contain these metals. With exposure to the sun and chlorine the colour will change into hues that look unnatural.

The best solutions for people who use these products are too allowing your hair to grow out and then use professional hair colour.