Types of HAIR Color | hwh<3
There are different types of hair color and sometimes that can be confusing to people.
In this article, I want to clarify the difference between all these different types of color.
Temporary Color
Temporary hair color is a no-commitment color. It will rinse out the next time you wash your hair. It can be applied in many different ways. Color rinses are really popular, especially with the little old ladies that like to wash their hair about once a week. There is comb-in color, spray-on and hair chalk that are all temporary. You will see a lot of these around Halloween when people just need to change their color for one night.
Temporary color works by settling pigment on the outside of the hair shaft. No peroxide is used; therefore it will not lift your hair.
Keep in mind, that if your hair is bleached, or damaged in general, your hair will probably absorb the color, and it could take up to 8 weeks to wash out.
Semi-Permanent Color
Manic Panic, Splat and PM Inkworks are all Semi-permanent colors. Semi-permanent color has smaller molecules than temporary color; therefore it is able to partially penetrate into the hair shaft. Because of this, they typically last a few weeks, or up to 6 washes. Usually these are applied with a bowl and brush.
There are ways to make semi-permanent color last a little longer, which is sometimes desirable, since most punky vibrant colors are semi-permanent. I learned a neat trick, that if you put the color in foils, you can tap the foils with a flat iron to heat them up. BE CAREFUL if you try this though, because the steam can burn your scalp. It takes a lot of practice. Instead of rinsing the color when you are done, you can flat-iron the product out of the hair until it is dry. The heat helps lock the color in. If you don’t want to try that technique, try just heating it up with a hair dryer.
Semi-permanent color typically uses no peroxide. Sometimes you will see them used with small amounts of low volume peroxide. Because of this, they are safe on damaged hair.
Demi-Permanent Color
Demi-permanent is between semi-permanent and permanent. They will last a pretty long time, but will fade out completely before you have noticeable outgrowth. Demi-permanent is formulated with an alkaline agent other than ammonia (which is in permanent color). They are mixed with low volume peroxide and they will not lift hair.
These are a lot safer on your hair than permanent color, but they provide less coverage. The color line I use is Paul Mitchel, and their demi-permanent line, PM Shines, contains protein so they actually help repair your hair.
Demi-Permanent color typically lasts about 6 weeks.
Permanent Color
Permanent color will last pretty much until it grows out or you lighten/color over it. If you are using permanent color on virgin hair, it will lift, but it can deposit on any previously colored hair. Remember, the golden rule of color is: COLOR WILL NEVER LIFT COLOR. On virgin hair, 20V developer will lift up to 2 levels and deposit, 30V will lift up to 3 levels, 40V will lift up to 4 levels (you usually only use this on high-lift blondes). 10V will just deposit.
I really recommend that you think hard about choosing a permanent color because once it’s in your hair, you’re stuck with it.
Bleach / Lightener
Bleach can be either a cream or powder. You should make sure that it is safe to apply to the scalp before you do so. Some bleach will burn and blister your scalp. They can be mixed with any volume of peroxide. Remember, the higher the peroxide, the more damaging it is. I usually use 20V unless you are really trying to get a dark color out. Bleached hair will turn anywhere from red to pale yellow. I always think everyone should use a toner after bleach. Which brings me to my next category…
Toner
The whole purpose of toner is to change the tonal level of bleached hair. If you want platinum blonde, you’ll want to use a purple based toner. If you want ash, you will use a blue based toner. There are all different types of toners. Strawberry blonde, beige, neutral, etc. are some examples. Everyone with bleached hair should use a toner, in my opinion, because it makes your hair look more finished and not yellow.
Do you have any questions / comments about these types of hair colors? Leave them in the comments and I will get back to you.
If you liked this article, check out Kool Aid Hair Color
To read more about hair, check out HAIR 101.
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Posted on July 14, 2012, in Colored HAIR and tagged bleach, color, demi-permanent, hair, lightener, permanent, semi-permanent, temporary, toner, types. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
how do you know which toner to choose? what volume of developer? how do you know how long the toner should be in your har?
also i’d love a tutorial of root touch ups and how to pull the colour through? thank you so much, i love your information it’s so helpful!
Hi Sam! I am glad you like our blog! I need to touch up my roots soon, so I think a tutorial just might work! :) Thanks for the suggestion!
As far as the toner goes, you will want to use a toner with a complementary color to the color you are trying to tone. For example, if your hair is really yellow, you will want to use a violet/platinum based toner, which will cancel the yellow. If your hair is orange, you will want to use a blue/ash based toner. It is important that you be careful, because if you put an ash toner on white hair, your hair will turn grey. If your hair is already a light level, you can tone it however you want (examples are strawberry blonde, platinum blonde, ash blonde, golden blonde, beige blonde, etc.) That part is up to you.
Most toners use a 10V developer because they are strictly depositing pigment. However, I have seen some use a 20. All color lines and toners are different, so you will have to follow the directions for that specific toner. They will tell you how long to leave it in, and what developer to use!
Good luck Sam! Thanks again! :)