Imagine that you have a favourite necklace. Maybe it's gold with a shine or perhaps it's an elegant silver chain. Wearing it, you're feeling special. The way you look is like you are a celebrity. Hair shade is like the necklace, except that you don't need to remove it! In the case of Hair Color For African American Women, hair is more than simply hair. It's an ornament. It tells an entire story. No matter if you style your hair with tight curls or loose braids, loose curls or straight as silk adding colour is the best way to display your personal style. It's similar to turning up the volume on your favorite tune. But, I've got something else. I can tell you that right now you're probably somewhat nervous.
The Big Fear: Will I Ruin My Curls?
If you're here, you might have a big concern inside your brain. You may have a thought: "If I dye my hair, will it fall out? Will my soft curls turn into dry straw? Will I ruin the hair I worked so hard to grow? "
These are great inquiries to make. In the past hair dyes were very harsh. It was a plethora of powerful chemicals that didn't work well with hair that was textured (that is hair that has curls or coils, also known as kinks). Many have horror stories of dying their hair only to end up needing to cut it off. But here's the positive side: Science has changed.
The Promise: Safety First, Style Second
We know today so much more about the way hair functions. We understand that coloring hair can be an enjoyable chemistry test. If you adhere to the guidelines mixing the right potion while treating your hair as the queen of hair You can get bright and beautiful honey blonde, red or black hair without the harm. In this guide, you will be learning about the "Secret Rules" of hair color. This guide isn't just a way to take a look at beautiful pictures. We'll be taught:
- How to match your color to the skin (so you shine! ).
- Test to determine whether your hair is sturdy enough (The Sponge Test).
- How do you keep your hair silky and moist even after you've dyed it.
This guide is written according to the guidelines of professional stylists that have a specialization on African American hair. Hair Color For African American Women we put the health of our clients first. Do you want to revamp your appearance? Let's get started!
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The Melanin Match - What Color Fits Your Skin?
Have you had the experience of putting on a shirt and then suddenly appeared tired? or put on a different shirt, and you looked like you had just returned from a holiday? It's because of undertones. The color of your skin is stunning caramel, chocolate or espresso. It's the color of your tone.
Under the surface, there's a glimmer known as an undertone. In order to pick the ideal hair color, it is necessary to match it with the hidden glow. Imagine wearing your shoes with your belt. If they are in harmony everything appears amazing.
The Vein Test: Unlocking Your Secret Color
How can you discover this color hidden? It's easy! All you need is to look over your wrist. Sit in a place that is bright and shining, and gaze at the veins that run along the wrist's inside.
1. Warm Undertones (The Golden Goddess)
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What are you seeing: Do your veins appear like green?
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What does it mean? It means that you have "Warm" skin. The skin of yours has hints gold yellow, peach, or yellow in it.
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The Most Effective colors for you: You want colors that warm as the sun.
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Honey Blonde It's like the colour of honey sweet in an glass jar.
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Gold Copper: Like a shiny new penny.
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Caramel It's like the caramel topping of an ice cream Sundae.
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The rich Chocolate: A warm delicious, rich brown.
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What is the reason? These colors will make your skin's golden glow. Hair Color For African American Women if you select the colder hue (like gray) it could clash with your skin, making your appearance a bit green!
2. Cool Undertones (The Royal Queen)
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What do you see? Are your veins like blue or purple?
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What does it mean? You have a "Cool" skin. Your skin is tipped with blue, red or pink. You might look great in silver jewelry.
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The Most Colorful Colors to Choose: The colors you want to choose are crisp and cool.
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Jet Black: A black so dark that it appears blue (like an wing of a raven).
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Ash Blonde: A blonde that appears like cool sand but is not yellow.
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Burgundy and the plum color: Deep purple or red wine shades.
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Platinum White, bright and icy (like snow).
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What's the reason? These cool hues contrast with the skin's color in a stunning way. If you select a particularly yellow hue, it could cause you to look a bit washed.
3. Neutral Undertones (The Lucky Star)
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What do you see? Are you able to discern? Do they appear a bit like a little green and perhaps blue?
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What does it mean? It means that you are "Neutral." The lucky one is you!
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The Most colors to Wear: Wear nearly everything!
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Auburn: A brownish-reddish color.
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Rose Gld: A mixture of gold and pink.
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Mahogany: A deep, woody red.
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The Secret of a Competitor: Most websites just provide you with a list colors. Now you know the reasons. If you'd like your skin to shine then ensure that you match to the "temperature" of your hair to the "temperature" of your veins!
The Sponge Test - Is Your Hair Healthy Enough?
Before even thinking about purchasing dye it is important to determine whether your hair is healthy. Imagine that you are planning to paint your house. If the wood of the property is decayed or has holes in it The paint won't look great, would it? It is essential to repair the home first. We must discuss one of the biggest terms in science: Porosity.
The "Roof Shingle" Analogy
Take a magnifying glass (in your mind). If you were to look at one hair strand close, it would not appear smooth as wire. It'd look as if it was covered with tiny scales, similar to the roof's shingles.
1. Low Porosity (The Raincoat)
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What does it mean: The shingles are tightly clamped down.
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The issue: It is hard to bring the moisture (water) or even color inside. It's like wearing a raincoat. the water simply slides away.
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A Good News: Once you've got the color the colour, it lasts for an extended period of time!
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How to dye: You might need some heat (like being in a drying room) to loosen the shingles to allow the color can be absorbed.
2. High Porosity (The Swiss Cheese)
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What is it: The shingles are lifted, or they are missing. It is most likely to happen when you've been exposed to lots of bleach or heat prior to.
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The Issue: Your hair drinks up water (and color) very quickly. Gulp and go! Because the shingles are not closed the color leaks out at the same speed.
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The analogy: Imagine a bucket that has holes in its bottom. You could fill it up by filling it with water. However, it'll end up empty in just five minutes.
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The Risk: If you dye hair with high porosity it will turn dark/muddy immediately or disappear in a matter of two days.
The Water Glass Test: Try This at Home!
Are you interested in knowing the kind of hair you're wearing? Let's do an experiment.
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Make a Glass: Fill a clear glass with warm water.
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Make a hair: Take one strand of hair that is clean (pull it off the brush). It must be dry and free of any gel or oil on it!
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The Drop The hair should be dropped in the water and let it sit for 5 minutes.
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If it floats: You have low porosity. Hair is tough and durable.
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If it sinks slowly: You have Normal Porosity. This is the perfect situation!
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If your hair sinks fast: You have high porosity. Your hair is an enormous sponge with holes. It guzzles water and then sinks like an unmoving stone.
The Action Plan
If your hair is sinking instantly (High Permeability), STOP! Don't dye your hair now. Hair is too fragile. You should do "Protein Treatments" for a couple of weeks. Consider protein as "hair cement." It will fill the holes in the bucket so that your hair is able to grow once more. Hair should only be colored once it's sturdy!
2025 Trend Report - The Yummy Colors
Okay The science lesson is suspended. Let's talk about interesting things! What colors are trending today? In 2025, the fashions of African American women are all about being extravagant and tasty. We're using words from the food industry to describe them, because they are attractive enough to take a bite of!
1. Cowgirl Copper
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What does it look as: Imagine a brand new penny that's shiny and bright reddish-orange. Think about an Pumpkin Spice Latte.
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What's so great about it: It is warm and spicy. This makes skin that is brown appear radiant and radiant. It's very popular on TikTok at the moment!
2. Honey & Caramel Swirls
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What does it look to be: Picture a bowl of chocolate ice cream, topped with hot caramel drizzled over it.
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The reason it's so amazing: This isn't one solid color. It's a mixture between dark and golden brown. It appears natural, like you've spent the day at the beach. This gives curls "dimension," which means you can see each spiral clearly.
3. Cherry Cola
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What does it look similar to: Remember Cherry Coke or Dr. Pepper? It's like dark brown or black inside however, when you walk into the sun -- WOW! There is a deep, dark purple or red shimmer.
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The reason it's so amazing: It is subtle. It is suitable for work or school, and it will look professional. In the bright light it reveals your playful side. It's also safer as you don't need to bleach your hair to achieve it.
4. Jet Black (The "Glass" Hair)
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What does it look to be: Blacker than black. Shiny like a mirror, or the wings of a raven.
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The reason it's so fantastic: Healthy hair reflects light. When you dye your hair black it fills all the holes and make it appear glossy and healthy. This makes your skin appear extremely smooth.
5. Icy Blonde (The Snow Queen)
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What does it look as: White like snow or vanilla Ice cream.
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The Warn: This is the most difficult color to obtain. African American hair is naturally dark (Level 1 or 2). To achieve Icy Blonde (Level 10) You must remove every bit of the colour. This requires an enormous amount of effort and may cause damage. Make sure to only try this when your hair is healthy and you are an experienced stylist!
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Painting Styles - How to Put the Color On
If you want to paint a picture with a brush, you can choose to use an enormous brush or a small one. The color of hair is identical. There is no need to put an entire bucket of dye over your entire head.
1. All-Over Color (The Big Roller)
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What is is it? It refers to: Every single strand of hair is dyed with the same hue from the root (near the scalp) until the end.
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Benefits The technology covers grey hairs with a perfect match. It's a major dramatic change.
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Con: When your hair expands, you'll see your natural color near the root (this is known as"a "line of demarcation"). You'll need to go back to the salon every 4 weeks to correct the root. This is a lot of work!
2. Highlights (The Stripes)
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What it means: The stylist picks tiny hair pieces and is wrapped in foil and dye.
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The result: You look like you have tiny ribbons light dripping across your locks.
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Benefits The process isn't as harmful because you're not dyeing all of your hair. You're dyeing only small pieces.
3. Balayage (The Artist's Touch)
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What is it: "Balayage" is an elegant French word that translates to "to sweep." The stylist paints the dye on your hair with a free hand, similar to painting on the canvas. They typically leave the roots dark and your ends appear lighter.
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The pros: The HTML0 is best way to style natural hair! Why? Because the dye doesn't get on your scalp. If your hair is growing out, it's still beautiful because your roots are suppose to look dark. It's possible to go on for months without having to touch up.
4. The Skunk Stripe / Peekaboo (The Fun One)
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What is it? It is the color of one large section of hair. Perhaps a stripe in forward (like Rogue from X-Men) or an underlay that is hidden (Peekaboo).
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Advantages The color is stylish and fashionable. It's also very secure since you're only dyeing a small amount of hair. If it gets damaged then it's not your entire head!
Pick Your Potion - Types of Hair Dye
Hair dyes are not all exactly the same. Some look like stickers while others look like tattoos. It is important to choose the one that best fits your style of living.
1. Temporary Dye (Hair Wax or Chalk)
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The Analogy: A Sticker.
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What it does: It sits on the hair's surface. It's not a part of your hair.
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Advantages This is 100% secure! Hair Color For African American Women it is possible to use the vibrant purple wax on a the weekend for a celebration and then wash it off the next day. It is great for dark hair that is not bleached.
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Pros: It can be messy. It may get splattered on your pillow or t-shirt.
2. Semi-Permanent (Rinses)
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The Analogy: A Temporary Tattoo.
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What it does: It stains the exterior of the hair shingles. It doesn't employ harsh chemicals such as ammonia.
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Advantages The hair becomes shiny. It gradually fades over 6-8 washes. It is suitable for relaxed hair and fragile curls.
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Pros: It cannot make your hair appear lighter. It is only possible to make it darker or apply the appearance of a tint (like the red hair over brown).
3. Demi-Permanent
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The Analogy: A Stain.
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What happens: It goes a tiny bit beneath the roof. It will last around 24 washes (a couple of months).
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Advantages Excellent for hiding gray hair, or refresh your color.
4. Permanent Dye
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The Analogy: A Real Tattoo.
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What it does: This dye uses the chemical Ammonia. Ammonia smells like rotten eggs or strong cleaning spray. Its function is to blast the roof shingles, so that the colour can penetrate into the hair.
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Advantages Color stays for ever (until it fades). It may make hair lighter or darker.
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Pros: It is the most harmful. The blasting of the shingles may cause dry hair If you're not careful.
The Bleach Warning - Lifting Heavy Objects
The most crucial part of the article. It is worth reading it two times! Hair Color For African American Women a lot of African American women want blonde hair or bright shades (like slime green or pink). For these colors, you typically require bleach.
The "Eraser" Analogy
Imagine that you own an unfinished piece of construction paper. You'd like to draw a sun in yellow on it. If you draw it with yellow crayons and it's not visible in the end, will it? You must clean all black first in order to create an white spot. After that, you can color it in yellow.
Bleach is the eraser. It removes the natural brown/black pigmentation of your hair.
The Danger Zone
Here's the frightening part Bleach is a potent chemical.
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The ladder: The hair curls are held together by tiny ladders within. They give your curls bounce.
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The Break Bleach shatters certain ladders in order to remove the color. If you bleach too often it will knock down every one of these ladders. The hair looses its curl and becomes in a straight, limp style (we refer to this as "heat damage" or "chemical damage"). If it's very severe, hair snaps off.
The Golden Rule
Do not bleach hair at home. Professional stylists act as "Hair Doctors." They contain a unique ingredient known as the Bond Builder (like Olaplex).
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Bond Builder The Bond Builder is magic glue. While bleach is slamming down the ladders while it is and putting them back up in a flash. It will protect your curls and you can look white while you be curly.
Do not purchase bleach kits from the drugstore. It doesn't contain the magical glue. It's not safe for hair that is textured.
Nature's Dye - Henna
Perhaps you don't like chemical substances. You're searching for something organic that comes made from earth. Meet Henna.
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What is it: Henna is a powder that is made from plants. Mix it with water to create the mud paste.
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How does it is: It dyes hair an orange-reddish color. In the event that you blend it into a plant, called Indigo and you will get black.
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The Benefits: It is actually healthy! Instead of being absorbed into hair, it coats the hair as a kind of armor. The hair becomes thicker and more durable.
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The downside: It is very inflexible. Henna is a kind of permanent commitment. It is impossible to bleach henna over. If you attempt at bleaching henna then the metallic salts from the plant may react with bleach and melt your hair.
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Review: Only use Henna only if you're 100% certain that you'll need the color for a very long duration.
Prep Week - Training for the Big Day
You can't do a marathon without drinking water first and stretching before you think? It is essential to practice. Coloring your hair can be like running a marathon for your hair. You must prepare them for the race. Here's the schedule of training for the week prior to your appointment at the salon.
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7 Days Before: The Protein Shake Use a "Protein Mask" or "Bond Building Treatment." This helps strengthen the ladders in your hair and makes them prepared to take on the dye.
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3 Days Before: The Water Break Use a "Deep Conditioning Mask." Apply it to your hair, place it in the shower cap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. The hair is stuffed full of moisture.
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24 hours before the "No Wash" Rule Do not wash your hair in the night prior to. This sounds gross however it's actually a science! The scalp makes natural oils (sebum). They act as an effective shield to protect your skin. Should you clean them off and then dye your hair, it could cause itchiness or irritation to your scalp. Don't be afraid to let your hair get slightly dirty. Your scalp will be grateful!
Talking to the Stylist - The Interview
If you visit your salon, do not relax on the couch. You're the boss on your own hair! Hair Color For African American Women it is important to talk with your stylist in order to ensure they are aware of what they're doing.
Ask these three questions:
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"Do you have experience with textured/curly hair? " (If they don't leave immediately! Curly hair colors differently from straight hair.)
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"Do you use Bond Builders (like Olaplex) in your bleach? " (The answer should be yes. This is the glue that we discussed.)
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"Can I see pictures of your work on African American women? " (Look at the images. Do the hair looks shiny? Does it look like the curls are bouncy? Do they look dry?)
Show, don't just Say: Bring a picture of the color you'd like to. If you mention "Honey Blonde," the stylist may think of the bright yellow. Hair Color For African American Women if you show them a photo of Beyonce the stylist will know exactly what you're referring to.
The Process - The Waiting Game
You're sitting in your chair. What will happen next?
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sectioning A stylist can section your hair's thickness into sections of 4 or more. This will allow them to paint each hair strand.
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This is the application: The dye will be painted onto. It's cool and slimy. It may smell intense.
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the Tingle It is possible to feel an itch around your head, sort like peppermint. It's normal. However--if it causes pain, burns or feels like fire Tell the stylist immediately! This isn't normal.
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It's a long wait: It will take you anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. This is an ideal time to sit down and read a good book or play games on your mobile.
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the Wash and Tone: They'll wash the dye off. If you have hair with blonde highlights could apply a purple-colored liquid to your hair, which is known as toner. toner.
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Toner The hair that has been bleached appears to be yellow (like an inside the inside of a banana). Toner neutralizes the yellow to make the hair look smooth and lovely.
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The First 48 Hours - The "Do Not Disturb" Zone
You leave the salon. Your hair looks amazing. You look like a star.
Then, adhere to the 48-hour rule: Do not clean your hair for two days.
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What's the reason? Remember the roof shingles (cuticles)? They're still in the process of settling down. The doors are slowly closing in order to lock the color. If you shampoo your hair with shampoo this moment, you may be able to wash it out, while the door is open.
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The analogy: It's like painting your nails. It is important to allow the varnish to dry completely before putting it into your bag or else you'll smudge it. Let your hair "dry."
Also, avoid swimming pools. Chlorine (pool water) can turn blonde hair green!
Wash Day Routine - Gentle Cycle Only
It's been three days. It's finally time to shampoo your hair. However, you can't make use of your old shampoo.
The Villain: Sulfates
Take a look at the shampoo bottle. Examine the ingredients. Are you able to identify words such as "Sodium Lauryl Sulfate"? Sulfates are the chemical compounds which create a lot of big foamy bubbles. Hair Color For African American Women we love bubbles but they are too powerful for hair that is colored. The best shampoo for you is one with the words "Sulfate-Free" or "Color-Safe. " These shampoos cleanse your hair with gentle. They don't create enough bubbles, however it's fine! They lock the color within the shingles.
The Water Temperature
Use Lukewarm or Cool water.
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The steam from hot water is called Steam. Steam allows the shingles to open. Color escapes.
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Cool water = closes the shingles. Color remains in. Shine is maintained.
It's true that cold showers can be a pain, but you should try to finish the rinse using cool water to seal the deal.
Thirsty Hair - The LOC Method
It's a fact: Colored hair is more thirsty than natural hair. The chemicals have caused your hair to become dryer. If you don't provide it with water, it'll break.
We use the L.O.C. method to maintain African American hair soft and succulent.
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L is Liquid (or Leave-In) First, spray your hair with water or a Leave-In Conditioner that is water-based. That's what you call what you call the "drink" for your hair.
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O means Oil Then, apply some oils on the palms of your fingers and then rub it into. The most effective oils include Argan Oil, Jojoba Oil and Almond Oil.
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It is the science behind it: It is evaporated (disappears) in the atmosphere. Oil acts as an lid for the Jar. It seals in the water to ensure that it doesn't escape.
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C is for Cream Last but not least, use a butter or styling cream (like Shea Butter). This will smooth the shingles and helps your curls appear more attractive.
Competitor Gap If you are a hair type with 4C (very tightly wound coils) then you need a more heavy oil such as Castor Oil. If you have hair that is fine then use a light oil such as Argan Oil so it doesn't make your hair feel heavy.
Sleeping Beauty - Nighttime Protection
You're spending 8 hours every night asleep. That's three-quarters of your time! You must take care of your hair when you dream.
The Enemy: Cotton Pillowcases
Cotton is soft and silky to us however, under an microscope, it's rough. It sucks up water of your hair (making it dry) and acts as Velcro that grips your hair and creating hair frizz as well as breakage.
The Hero: Satin Bonnets
You must be wearing the Satin Bonnet and make use of the Satin Pillowcase. Satin has a slippery. Your hair slides across it. It retains water in your hair. It also stops hair tangles.
The Pineapple
If you have curly long hair, pull it up into a loose ponytail that is placed on the top of your hair. It's like a pineapple! Hair Color For African American Women the curls stay in the middle of your head, so that they don't get squashed while you rest. When you wake up, pull out the scrunchie and shake your head and then your curls will fall perfectly!
Fixing Mistakes - Oops!
Sometimes things can get out of hand. Perhaps your blonde hair is changing color. It could be that your red hair is like orange. Don't panic! We can use Color Math.
Look at a Color Wheel. The opposite colors fix one another.
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Problem: Blonde hair looks Yellow.
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Solution: Purple Shampoo.
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What's the reason? Purple is opposite yellow. Purple shampoo blocks out the yellow, and makes it cool to ash blonde.
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Problem: Brown/Black hair looks Orange/Red (Brassy).
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Solution: Blue Shampoo.
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What is the reason? Blue is opposite Orange. It cools down warmer brassy tone.
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Trouble: Hair turned Green (from the pool).
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solution: A clarifying shampoo or an onion paste mask (yes you can! Red is a canceler of Green).
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Problem My hair is falling out or breaking off.
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Answer: STOP EVERYTHING. Do not dye it and again. Do not straighten it. Apply a protein treatment as soon as you can and see an expert stylist.
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FAQ's: Hair Color For African American Women
Q What if I wanted to dye my hair if have relaxer (perm)?
A: You must be extremely be careful. Relaxers make hair weak. Add bleach to the relaxer can be an invitation to catastrophe (hair falls ot). Use semi-permanent rinses only or consult a professional. Never bleach relaxed hair at home.
Q Do I dye my wig or extensions?
A: Yes! If they're 100 100% Human Hair you are able to dye them as you would the hair you have. If they're synthetic (plastic) normal dye will not perform. It is necessary to use a specific fabric dye which is very messy!
Q: Will the dye alter my curl?
A: If you are using bleach or high-lift dye, it could loosen your curl a some (turn an unruly coil into an elongated wave). This is due to the fact that chemical bonds are changing. These Bond Builders (Olaplex) can help stop this.
Q How often should I wash my hair that is colored?
A: Try to wash your hair only once a week, or once every 10 days. Less you clean it, the longer your hair's color will last as well as the greater amount of moisture it retains.
Final Take Your Crown and Pride
Hair coloring is a process. It requires a bit of science, a amount of patience, and lots of affection. When you look into the mirror and notice the Honey Blonde curls bouncing or the Jet Black silk press shining in the sunlight, it's worth it. Keep in mind the rules:
- Verify your Porosity (The The Sponge Test).
- Select one that is a shade that complements your skin undertone.
- Treat your hair as silk (Sulfate-Free Satin Bonnets).



