Attention, at-home colorists!
Tonight I am teaching a single-process class to the assistants at my Beverly Hills salon. I often learn as much as they do because teaching class forces me to rethink and pare down hair color theory to its simplest form so it becomes easy to understand.
Class night was full of action. There was a Paris Hilton sighting at the restaurant Mr. Chow's which is directly across the street from the salon. People are still fascinated with her. The paparazzi went crazy. I am personally amazed her 15 minutes lasted this long. Janice Dickinson stopped by the salon to say hello. She made a grand entrance and was actually very sweet to all the clients. She might be a bit eccentric but she is a spirited woman that puts a smile on everyone's face. She was helping the assistants critique the coloring of models scheduled that night. The models and assistants loved every moment. She actually has a very good color eye. She breezed in and out and then we got down to serious business.
Color class models often color their hair at home. This provides me with a chance to see what makes at-home color work and all of the most frequent at-home color mistakes. As you all know, I believe in at-home color. I think that it provides a viable way for people who can't afford the time, money, or both to take advantage of the wonders of hair color.
The big tips for surefire results for at-home users are things I said many times before.
- Always stay within a few shades of your natural color.
- Avoid frequent color changes.
- Do a preview or strand test to see the results before you begin.
- Never use at-home color over hair that has been previously chemically processed (i.e. permed, relaxed or straightened)
- Never try to color your hair black or platinum blond at home.
- Hair to be colored at home should be in good condition.
Another reason people color their hair too frequently is because of grey hair. No one notices your grey hair more than you. It could be a single strand that blends with your own color but when you look in the mirror it stands out like a big wart at the end of your nose. You can easily be obsessed with covering a few grey hairs. This results in people coloring their hair way too often. I have known clients to color their hair every five days to rid themselves of grey hair. When you color your hair too often this results in dark walls of color around their face. This is a major beauty faux pas. It makes your face look harsh and uneven. Natural hair color contains many nuances of color. The darker the color, the more difficult it is to see variations in color. If you have one or two strong grey hairs on brown hair use an eyebrow applicator. This will help to keep the hair color specifically on the grey hair only and help to avoid dark spots.
The other reason at-home colorists end up with the wrong color is because they pick the shade because of the picture of the great-looking girl on the box. That is how the hair color looks on her natural color. Remember your end result will be a combination of your natural color plus the shade you chose. Your natural hair color can be darker, lighter, more warm or ash than the model on the box. Hair texture will also change the results of the final color. Coarse hair is more resistant to accepting hair color. Read the tips on the back of the box. They will help you to achieve the hair color results you desire.
I love teaching class to the color assistants. It forces me to keep thinking about how to make hair color simpler and easier to use. If hair color becomes too complicated you are doing something drastically wrong. Always remember our model (KISS-keep it simple, silly) and you end up with your perfect color.
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I understand most of this, but why should black dye not be done at home?
I understand platinum, the processes required for lightening hair that much (generally speaking) alone are scary to contemplate.
What if a person does crave a radical change from their natural color, more than "just a couple shades"?
I personally believe that nobody should ever do *any* haircolor at home for many reasons. It has nothing to do with my pocketbook, either. As a profesional hair colorist I have seen so many beautiful women who have ruined there hair to a point that it will take years to get back to normal!
The home color products that people generally consider "safe" are usually the ones that they ruin their hair with!
The list definitely includes Black and Darkest Brown shades. The reason for this is a combination of the types of pigment used in home color products and the need for a very precise application when using these heavy pigments.
Many many times over the years I have met new clients who color their hair black at home and desire a change. Every one of them has had so much spotty buildup of color throughout the hair shaft that CHANGING THE COLOR IS IMPOSSIBLE without commiting to changing it over a LONG period of time. This forces them into first living with 3 or more intermediate hair colors that they aren't excited about along the way to the color they really want.
You end up backed into a corner that you can never get out of! The sad thing is that when "home haircolorists" finally turn to professional help to take care of their hair color needs, they often have to pay a lot MORE money just to get whatever they can. Color correction is time consuming, requires a lot of product and it gets to be very expensive.
In the salon everyday my goal is to make my cutomers as happy as I can. Its a downer when I can't do my job of making people feel wonderful about their haircolor because of being backed into corners. I don't like being forced to charge my clients a lot of money to give them something they are not excited about.
The other reason is the type of dye pigments used in the home haircolor kits. The home kits use cheap pigments to color the hair that often buildup and cause damage to the cuticle layer of the hair. The cuticle is the outside layer of the hair, in nature it's clear and smooth.
Home haircolors use large molecule direct dye pigments that get wedged into the cuticle layer causing damage and staining that often can not be remedied. Salon color does not work with these same pigments.
If you look at the ingredients in the colors at the drug store, you will often see things like Iron Oxide (rust) and Lead Acetate. These are used to create cheap pigments. They a strange metallic look and a very damaged dry texture. Next
Time you see a redhead who does home color look at her hair in the sunlight. You will actually see the metal in her hair. It's RUST!
I strongy encourage anybody whi is interested in doing haircolor to visit a professional for a consultation. Just talk to someone about your options before you color at home and see what they might be able do do for you if you chose them instead of doing it yourself.
Salon color doesn't have to be super expensive! I have many clients whose haircolor I have designed to last for three months between touch ups.
At the very least, if you are going to color your hair at home but the color at a beayuty supply! The best profesional colors are NOT available to the general public for direct purchase, but the salon colors available at an open to the public beaut supply will at least be a step up from the drugstore brands. With the exception of Feria, even if they are made by the same manufacterer as the drucstore brands they will be nicer color products on the whole.
Learning hair color has been a 12 year journey of constant exploration, experience and education for me. This can not be replaced by a tube and a tint bottle in a box with some vague directions. Hair color is a science and an art. A good colorist will always explain your options, respect your budget limits and keep your hair's health in mind. We custom blend your color to create a look that is perfect for you!