There’s a lot to take in regarding hair colour such as what type of dye to choose and how to use it? We have put together a guide on all the basic hair colour information, so you can get some answers to your hair colour questions.
What are the different types of hair colours and dyes?
There are four basic categories of hair colour and every variation of hair colour fits into one of the categories. They are blond, brunette, red, and grey. Here are the different types of dyes for hair:
Permanent hair colour
- Permanently changes the pigment of your hair shaft, does not wash out but will fade over time.
- Requires maintenance to new hair growth after 4 to 6 weeks.
- Once it’s in your hair it can’t be removed to restore your hair to its natural colour.
- If you use permanent hair colour and you don’t like the results, a corrective colouring treatment must be used. It should be a shade similar to your original colour.
- Many people choose to go to a hair stylist for permanent colour to ensure they get it right, as it is after all permanent.
Semi-permanent colour
- Often used to cover grey hair and dye hair darker.
- Doesn’t last as long as permanent colour.
- You can do semi-permanent colour treatments at home.
When choosing a hair dye, it's important to understand the basic hair colour terminology:
The Level
This is a scale of hair colour based on a 10-step scale, with 1 being the darkest (black) and 10 being the lightest (blond).
The Tone
This is the warmth or coolness of the hair colour. Examples of cool tones are blue black, ash brown and blond, and platinum blond. Warm tones include brown with gold or red highlights, red, strawberry blond, and golden blond.
The Intensity
This is the strength of a colour tone.
How to colour your hair?
When you’re happy that you’ve chosen the right colour and type of dye, here’s how to apply it properly at home:
- Apply it to totally dry hair that was washed the day before you want to colour it.
- Put a thin layer of moisturiser along your hairline. This will prevent colour from leaking onto your face.
- Part hair into small sections and apply colour from roots to ends.
- Make sure you follow the package instructions as it’s important to apply the colour in the right way to get the results you want.
- Leave the solution on your hair as long as the instructions dictate.
- Rinse your hair for at least 5 minutes in warm water.
- Ensure that all excess water has been squeezed out.
- Apply the conditioner that came with the colour treatment.
If you are using semi-permanent colour, remember that it washes out, so the more you shampoo, the quicker it fades. We hope the above tips will help you understand a little more about hair colour and what type to choose.
