|
|
Sometimes, the color we choose for our hair does not come out to be the same as
it appears in the swatch book of the company. It may be because of the
'underlying color pigment' of your hair that plays a key role in the final
outcome of the hair color. To determine that you get the desired look, you need
to identify the color of this pigment known as melanin in your hair. Melanin is
generally of two types - Eumelanin that is responsible of shades of brown and
black in hair and Phaeomelanin that is responsible for yellowish blonde tones of
hair to ginger and red colored hair. White and gray hairs are the result of
absence of melanin in hair. Tone of your hair color can be warm or cool. Red,
orange and yellow are considered warm tones while blue, green and violet are
considered the cooler tones.
Hair can also be categorized according to the level of color within each tone on
a scale of 1 to 10, where the 1 indicates black and 10 indicates the lightest
blonde hair. The level of hair color usually depends on the saturation of the
hair pigment or the degree of concentration of melanin in the hair. The scale is
graded as follows:
1 - Black
2 - Very Dark Brown
3 - Dark Brown
4 - Brown
5 - Medium Brown
6 - Light Brown
7 - Dark Blonde
8 - Light Blonde
9 - Very Light Blonde
10 - Light Platinum Blonde
The melanin is stored in alveoli cells found at the surface of the cortex of
hair, which also determines the thickness, elasticity and strength of hair. If
this surface is smooth and healthy, it reflects light to produce a soft sheen
but can be damaged by various reasons such as strong developer or oxidizers,
brushing and drying hair carelessly and perming the hair and using shampoos that
are not hair-friendly. Heat is not good for hair too. Fine hair is more easily
colored and damaged than coarse hair as it has less and thinner cuticle layers.
|
|
|
