Hair and Other Musings

[1] Do you have red hair and want to go lighter? Bleaching red hair is a slightly different process to bleaching other hair colours because the result will be much warmer and need to be properly neutralised to get the new colour that you want. If it's not done properly, the red tone can remain in the final colour and cause your hair to look orange. Choosing a colour The first step to bleaching red hair is of course to decide on the result you intend to achieve through lightening. You need to decide on the exact colour you want to achieve before you begin in order to formulate the bleach properly and apply the right colour afterwards. Once you've found the colour you want, look at how light it is compared to your current colour. Specifically, start by looking at how much lighter it is. Bleach can lift up to 4 - 5 levels with ease in virgin hair, and sometimes as much as 7 - 8 if you're using high quality bleach powder and your hair isn't overly resistant. D...

[1] Need to lighten your hair, but don't want to use bleach? No problem; there are other ways to lighten hair effectively and with less concern for the condition that your hair will be left in. Discover how to lighten hair without bleach! Alternatives to bleach While you may have heard a lot about natural lightening methods like lemon juice or chamomile, none of these are overly effective. Unless your hair is close to the desired colour and you only need to lighten it slightly, you won't have much luck with anything like this. Dye, on the other hand, is a proven and logical way to lighten hair and can produce similar lightening to bleach when used appropriately. Any permanent dye that uses developer can be used for this purpose. Lightening hair with dye Permanent hair dye has two effects on your hair. Primarily, it deposits colour to add a new colour to your hair. It can also lighten your natural pigment though, and this is the effect that can be used to light...

[1] Bleach is one of the most important chemical treatments used in hairdressing because it is the only thing that can actually significantly lighten hair. Do you need to lighten your hair to achieve the colour of your dreams? Find out how to bleach your hair at home for professional results. How does hair bleach work? Hair bleach works through a chemical process called oxidation, and this is a result of the oxygen that is released when peroxide and bleach powder are combined and applied to hair. This means that for bleach to actually work, it needs to be mixed with developer. The strength of developer is the predominant force behind the strength of the bleach itself, and you can easily mix it in a way that makes it mild for subtle lightening or stronger for intensive lightening. Developer volume The volume of developer that is mixed with bleach refers to the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the developer solution and how much oxygen it produces. In this sense, 20 vol...

The hair color wheel is one of the most important tools used in hairdressing. Understanding it allows you to achieve any color result you want, and even allows you to correct any unintended mistakes. Committing it to memory is the one of the first steps to developing your skills and improving your home hair colors to get professional results at home. The hair color wheel What is the hair color wheel? The hair color wheel is a wheel of colors that can be used to visualize how different colors interact with each other when you use dye. Colors that are opposite to each other on the wheel are called complementary colors and will neutralize each other, whilst other colors will blend together to form new colors. Complementary colors Determining the complementary color for a tone you want to get rid of is one of the most significant benefits of the hair color wheel. After enough use, you will be able to actively use this knowledge by simply looking at your hair and will no longer n...

Frizzy hair can be a real nightmare when you want your hair to look healthy and feel smooth. You don't have to live with it though, because with these frizzy hair remedies, you can rid yourself of the problem by not only treating frizz, but also by correcting the underlying issues that cause it. Treating frizzy hair Frizz occurs for a few reasons. A lot of the time it is natural and is simply a result of your hair type. The thicker your hair is, the more likely it will be prone to frizz because there is simply more hair and it tends to be more difficult to tame. You can also experience frizzier hair if you have a natural wave or curls, which causes the hair to naturally be a little unruly. Of course, like any annoying hair condition, frizz is often the result of damage to either the deeper structure or the cuticle layers on the surface of the hair. Structural damage to the hair shaft needs protein treatments for adequate repair and reduction of frizz, whilst cuticle damage ...

[1] Dry hair is a problem that affects many people. Hair that is dry feels rough and is a lot more prone to other problems like frizz, split ends, and breakages. This is because hair that isn't properly hydrated becomes brittle and is more susceptible to damage. If your hair is like this, you don't have to suffer through it. You can fix dry hair and keep your hair looking and feeling healthy. What causes dry hair? Dry hair can occur naturally, but this is less common. In most cases, chronic dryness is due to previous use of dyes, bleaching, perms and relaxers, or even heated styling tools like straighteners and curling rods. The dryness is a result of the way these treatments affect your hair's cuticle layer. The cuticle layer forms a protective scale-like covering that can be opened or closed. This protects the inner parts of the hair shaft from the environment. When you dye your hair or apply heat to it, these cuticles can be opened up. If they haven't seal...