The Hair Color Info Dump Pt.I
Hair color can be fun, freeing and life changing, really. There’s so many different things you can do and so many different ways to get there. It can be a little confusing if you’re going in blind. Here are some answers to some questions I hear a lot in my salon, in the wild and online!
This guide is sure to set you up to have an amazing service and a stellar result!
First things first: Vocabulary
Knowing at least SOME of the terms and their proper definitions can help you a whole lot when communicating what you’re after. This should also help somewhat with finding inspo too, its just that a lot of things get mislabeled in the land of the internet…
Let’s start with the most common-
Highlights- Lightened sections or pieces to add dimension.
Lowlights- Darkened sections or pieces to add dimension.
These can either be high contrast and bold or soft and blended for a more natural look.
This client came in with solid, natural black hair. We added bright copper highlights and lowlights in a deeper tone for dimension and a color that POPS!
Balayage- a technique where color or lightener (bleach) is applied to the hair in a sweeping motion to give a sun-kissed look
Foilayage- the balayage technique placed in foils for a lighter, more high contrast look while still mimicking what the sun would naturally do to the hair
If you’ve seen or heard terms like “lived-in” this is usually to what they are referring. It can commonly be mistaken for Ombre, which is quite similar, but is more solid.
This is a foilayage. Some lightened sections are lower and dimmer than others to bring emphasis to the dimension and to aid in a soft, easy grow-out.
Ombre- Fading from light to dark or dark to light. Typically in a color block or solid.
For this client, we started with a natural color gloss up top. Then lightened the mid strands and ends to then blend them together for a seamless dark-to-light transition.
Vivids, fantasy colors, vibrants, etc.- These terms all refer to your bright, unnatural hair colors like blue, pink, green, and the like.
These colors are typically only bright over hair that is either naturally light (and even then they’re dimmer) or bleached hair.
Now this look is my favorite to execute. Its a foilayage topped with a rainbow mix of vivids for an extra fun look that transforms with the lighting and position of the client’s part.
Still with me? Not much left to go!
Now for the technical ones:
Developer- think of this like gas and hair color like a car; The higher the developer the more gas you give the car.
But MAKE NO MISTAKE, higher developers do not always mean a lighter result. Imagine you’re driving and there’s a lot of traffic. Speeding might get you into a crash when you could take your time and get to your destination safely. Hair color is the same in that using a high volume developer might result in fried hair when a lower one could do the same job safely.
Permanent color- this is typically the one step color and what we’ll use for covering greys long-term. This type of color lightens AND deposits color for results that will last the longest.
Permanent color is called permanent because the ONLY way to remove it fully is to bleach or cut it out of the hair.
Demi permanent color- this type only deposits color. Since there is no lightening, this is normally used to enhance or darken natural tones. This fades faster than permanent color and can be removed with clarifying treatments but, does sometimes require lightening to remove depending on the tone. These can also be used to conceal, rather than cover greys. (I’ll explain further in another post)
Let’s say you have natural brown hair but you’re wanting something different without a drastic change. Demi-permanent color can take your flat, dull brown and transform it into a rich chocolate or a deep auburn. (Yeah just like the box color commercials say but they’re selling you permanent color. Insert eyeroll)
Semi permanent color- this next to temporary color lives onto of the hair strands and gradually fades within a few washes. Some semi permanent shades can be used to enhance or add shine to natural colors in the same way demi-permanent colors do but, without the possibility of grey coverage.
Being the most common formulation for vivid colors, these CAN stick around longer than intended due to staining. They don’t usually need to be lightened out completely in that case
Toner- this is what is used to change the tone when hair has been lightened. Typically demi-permanent, these typically have pigments that work with what has been bleached out to achieve the final color.
Lightener- this term can refer to a few things.
Bleach- powder or cream mixed with developer that lightens the hair and does not deposit color
High-lift color- hair color specifically formulated to lift to levels higher than just straight from the tube hair color can lift.
When clients ask to not be bleached, but still need to be lightened, this is what I’ll reach for. The results can still be bold but aren’t as dramatic or typically as damaging as bleach.
Color remover- Not all color removers are alike. Some are closer to clarifying shampoos that just happen to strip color off, some are bleach derivatives (like cousins). Bleach derivatives will likely lighten the natural color too.
Now that you know the terms…
You can hunt for inspo on my pinterest! Thoughtfully organized by each color family, you’re sure to find a look you love or, at least, be lead to one swiftly!
Thanks for reading and check out the next blog post to learn more about hair color!