Hair dyeing basics: must-read for beginners

Many people's hair is always of unexpectedly poor quality. This is because they do not take good care of their hair. In fact, for many novice friends, if they want to change the color of their hair, they need to understand the basic knowledge of hair dyeing. Understanding the principles of hair dyeing can allow novices to have relevant understanding of hair dyeing.

<1>The strength of hair is beyond people's expectations. It is made up of a protein called keratin, arranged in a spiral shape. Hair is composed of three layers: cortex, medulla, and cuticle.

1. Epidermis

The outer layer of the hair is made up of overlapping keratin scales, which are arranged pointing towards the end of the hair. The scales are held together by a substance similar to tin oxide. Typically they are colorless and translucent, meaning they allow the natural hair color to show through. The epidermis is a protective layer. The scales themselves have certain properties that allow them to be dyed. When they are aligned, their surfaces reflect light, adding a sheen to the colors beneath the surface layer.

2. Cortex

During the perming process, the hair becomes wavy because the structure of the cortex is changed. In the cortex we find natural pigments, which are what give our hair its natural color. All permanent color changes replace the original color. Therefore, it can be considered as the layer where the hairstylist performs chemical changes on the hair.

3. Medullary end

Located right in the center of the hair, it has no special use in hair dyeing or perming.

<2> Hair condition

Hair is resilient and strong, but we have to take care of it. Unprofessional perming/dyeing/bleaching, prolonged exposure to sunlight, water containing salt or chloride, heat from curling irons, scorching from hair dryers, etc. can all damage your hair. The scales of the epidermis are no longer arranged in a regular and tight pattern, and even the structure of the cortex is affected. Compared to healthy hair, porous hair not only lacks elasticity when chemically treated, but also rubs out pigments when shampooing, making the color darker. Not only that, the epidermis will no longer be flat, and the pigment will easily slip out of the epidermis.

<3> Types of natural pigments

All natural hair colors are made up of two natural pigments that exist in the cortex.

1. Black pigment

This melanin appears dark brown to black in appearance and is what determines the depth of natural hair color. If the cortex is rich in melanin, the hair will appear dark; if the concentration of melanin is low, the hair will appear lighter.

2. Red pigment

This is the arrangement of pigments from yellow to red and is what causes red or blonde hues in hair. All hair colors are made up of black pigment and red pigment

Black hair

Black hair is black because it contains dense black pigment. When we bleach black hair, we will find that the hair turns red or orange. This is because melanin is broken down during the lightening process and forms some intermediate transitional derivatives that reflect red.

Brown hair

For brown hair, its red pigment is not as heavily covered as it is for black hair.

Light Blonde Hair

Light blonde hair has a lower concentration of melanin, so the red pigment is clearly visible. Of all natural hair colors, light blonde has the widest range.