Haircolor question! (Italia, are you out there???)

[Irishgrrrl]

OK, this is probably a stupid question, but does hair need to be "naked" for it to take color properly?

Here''s some background: My hair is naturally very dark brown, with just a few lighter brown/blondish/reddish highlights. It''s relatively thick (but not REALLY thick) and it is wavy and long enough to touch my shoulder blades. (I think it would be curly if it was shorter, but the weight of it pulls the curl out.) I''m 30, so I''m getting a few greys. Not a huge amount, and most people probably wouldn''t even bother covering them because there are so few, but they BOTHER me, so I get it colored every six weeks. My appointments are always on Wednesday evenings after work. (In fact, I''m supposed to have one tonight, but I might have to reschedule depending on the weather . . . we''re getting sleet and freezing rain here, on top of the snow that fell yesterday and last night!)

The color is dark brown (similar to my natural color, but "brighter" if that makes sense) with caramel colored highlights. I go to an Aveda salon and I only use Aveda products on my hair. I shampoo and condition every day (usually with the Color Conserve shampoo and conditioner, but sometimes with the Smooth Infusion shampoo and conditioner), and I deep condition twice a week (once with the Dry Remedy deep conditioner and once with the Color Conserve deep conditioner). My hair seems to be very healthy, in spite of the fact that it''s colored and I probably shampoo it too often . . . it doesn''t feel dry or oily, it looks glossy and healthy, and my color never seems to fade.

Every morning after I shampoo, I use a pre-style leave-in treatment (either Smooth Infusion or Be Curly, both by Aveda of course). I then blow dry it, sometimes using a straightening brush (damn those waves!), but I never use a straightening iron or curling iron on it. Finally, I use some kind of finishing product (again, either Smooth Infusion or Be Curly, depending on my mood).

Now that I''ve bored you to death (bless you if you''re still reading! LOL!), here''s my question: On days when I''m getting my hair colored, should I skip the pre-style leave-in treatment and the finishing product . . . just shampoo, condition, blow dry, and leave it at that? That''s what I''ve been doing, because I have this weird idea that those two things (the pre-style leave-in treatment and the finishing product) create a "barrier" between my hair and the hair color. Am I on to something here, or am I just nuts?!?!

 

[Italiahaircolor]

That''s a great question...

Honestly, it probably doesn''t matter since the chemicals in hair color are strong enough to "eat through" anything product-wise you put on your hair...but, personally, I leave my hair "naked" on the days I''m coloring. And, if you''re one of those people who gets a cut prior to color but both on the same day, you''ll probably notice that your stylist skips over the product part sticking to a blow dry instead. Anything you use to style your hair will coat it...so, while your color will still absolutely take, naked hair does take faster.

Color works by lifting the cuticle of your hair and depositing color into the cortex of your hair strand. The only time I have ever experienced color having a hard time breaking through the cuticle to depo color is when a client is using Pantene products--esspecially the shampoo and conditioner.

I think that if you can, leaving your hair absent of styling aids is a great idea.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 1/28/2009 9:04:08 AM
Author: Italiahaircolor
That''s a great question...

Honestly, it probably doesn''t matter since the chemicals in hair color are strong enough to ''eat through'' anything product-wise you put on your hair...but, personally, I leave my hair ''naked'' on the days I''m coloring. And, if you''re one of those people who gets a cut prior to color but both on the same day, you''ll probably notice that your stylist skips over the product part sticking to a blow dry instead. Anything you use to style your hair will coat it...so, while your color will still absolutely take, naked hair does take faster.

Color works by lifting the cuticle of your hair and depositing color into the cortex of your hair strand. The only time I have ever experienced color having a hard time breaking through the cuticle to depo color is when a client is using Pantene products--esspecially the shampoo and conditioner.

I think that if you can, leaving your hair absent of styling aids is a great idea.

Thanks, Italia! I''m glad to hear that I''m not completely crazy! LOL!

My stylist (who I''ve been going to for about 15 years now . . . LOVE HER!!!) usually cuts my hair after doing the color. I don''t get it cut every time I color . . . just when it needs shortened a little bit or the layers need cleaned up. (That works out to maybe every other time I get it colored, so about every 12 weeks or so.) Do most stylist cut first and then color, or color first and then cut? (I think she likes to cut my hair wet, so she just waits until after she''s washed the color out.)

Thanks again! It''s so nice having you around to answer these kinds of questions! And can I just tell you, your puppy in your avatar is ADORABLE!!!

 

[Italiahaircolor]

When I was in salon and behind the chair and had color clients, I prefered to color first and then send them off for a cut. I was what is commonly referred to as departmentalized...I specialized in color or chemical treatments, although I knew how to cut hair.

Most stylists I know prefer coloring first for a handful of reasons. First of all coloring first lets the cut remove any "fresh" damage that the color may have done to the hair. But, demi or semi permanents rarely harm the hair enough to make big difference...so this precaution is usually for the clients that decolorize their hair with highlights. Secondly, it''s a smoother flow to color then cut...color, cut, blow-dry, style.... as opposed to....cut, blow-dry, color, blow-dry, style.

But, some clients prefer to cut first and then color...esspecially if they are making a big change. On many salon menu''s you''ll see a price and then in tiny little letters you''ll read and up. Well, the "and up" is depending largely on the length of your hair. Why pay a premium just to cut it off? So if you plan on loosing more than 2 inches, get it cut first!!!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 1/28/2009 9:20:24 AM
Author: Italiahaircolor
When I was in salon and behind the chair and had color clients, I prefered to color first and then send them off for a cut. I was what is commonly referred to as departmentalized...I specialized in color or chemical treatments, although I knew how to cut hair.

Most stylists I know prefer coloring first for a handful of reasons. First of all coloring first lets the cut remove any ''fresh'' damage that the color may have done to the hair. But, demi or semi permanents rarely harm the hair enough to make big difference...so this precaution is usually for the clients that decolorize their hair with highlights. Secondly, it''s a smoother flow to color then cut...color, cut, blow-dry, style.... as opposed to....cut, blow-dry, color, blow-dry, style.

But, some clients prefer to cut first and then color...esspecially if they are making a big change. On many salon menu''s you''ll see a price and then in tiny little letters you''ll read and up. Well, the ''and up'' is depending largely on the length of your hair. Why pay a premium just to cut it off? So if you plan on loosing more than 2 inches, get it cut first!!!

Ahhh, now that makes sense! I think that''s why my stylist does it the way she does. Thanks again for all the info, Italia!