EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COLOURING HAIR - BBLUNT Hair Colour

1. EVERYTHINGYOUNEED TOKNOWABOUTCOLOURINGHAIR When it comes to hair styling, colour plays a huge part. Here at Rush, we know just what a great dye job cando;itcanliftyour cutandboostyourconfidencetenfold. So,whether you’re refreshing your roots, switchingupyourexistingshade or going for a completecolourchange,getthe low-downon hairdyeing withourexpert101. ABrief Historyof HairColour Hair dyeing isn’t a modern-day phenomenon; since time immemorial, people have been tampering with theirnatural colour tomatchthetrendsofthe day. Admittedly,they hada lotlesstoplaywithback then (alas, ancient man never got to enjoy mermaid hair), but that didn’t stop anyone from slathering DIYdyes ontheirscalpsregardless. Yep,haircolouring goesway back. AncientHairDyeing Techniques Ancient Egyptians used to camouflage greys using henna; the ancient Greeks and Romans used plant extracts todyetheir tresses. Infact,theGreeks–findinginspirationingolden-hairedidols likeAphrodite – formulated harsh, bleach-like soaps to lighten their hair. And the Romans were one of the earliest civilisations tocreate apermanentblack dye;itwas justtootoxictouse,sotheyswitchedtoa formula madewithfermentedleeches instead –nice. In fact, the development of chemical dye didn’t happen until much later. It can be traced back to a chance moment in the late 1800s, when English chemist William Henry Perkin created the first synthesised dye whilst trying to find a cure for malaria (fun fact). The colour it created was a purplish mauve, so Perkins called it mauveine. His chemistry professor August Hoffman then produced a colour- changingmoleculefromthe mauveine called para-phenylenediamineor PPD–a chemicalthat’sstill widelyusedintheindustry today. TheInvention of SyntheticHairDyes Having said that, a good few years passed before synthetic hair dyes began to emerge on the market. It wasn’tuntil1907,whenFrenchchemist(andL’Oréalfounder)Eugène Schuellerfirstbegan producing chemical hair dyes – which he called Auréole – for commercial use. After initially selling his product to Parisiansalons,Schuellerfounded hisown company in1909andthe rest,astheysay,is history. Throughoutthe 1900s,hair coloursbecame more advanced withbetter staying power;home hairdye kits were developed and sold all over the world. In 1956, Clairol introduced the first one-step colour that lightened hair without bleaching it. And, because it was an at-home hair dye, women could colour their hairmorediscreetly;Clairol’sproductwasahugehit,anditarguablyhelpedtochangeattitudes towardshairdye too. The initial stigma (orrather,secrecy)thatcircled haircolouring did starttodissipate.Atthe beginning of the century, hair dyeing was, as Victoria Sherrow says in her book Encyclopaedia of Hair: A Cultural History,‘regarded as immodest,daringand somewhat“lowclass.”’By the1970s,attitudestowards hair hadcompletely shifted;by the 1980s,everyone–evenHollywood A-listers – championed haircolour. With celebrity endorsements, full-page advertisements and a wider range of colours available, hair dye hadbecomeacosmeticstapleformenandwomeneverywhere.

2. Today, hair colouring products still make up a huge percentage of the beauty industry’s revenue. As new products and trends continue to develop, there’s even more room for colourists to get creative. Yes, our lastingloveaffairwithhaircolourishere tostay! WhattoKnowBeforeColouringYourHair Ever had a hair dyeing disaster? Hey, everyone’s entitled to a few in their lifetime; you just don’t want to hear the words ‘colour correction’ past teenhood! So, before you reach for the nearest bottle of DIY dye, listenup:hereareourtoptipsforcolouring hair. Booka ProfessionalConsultation with a Colourist Whilst there’s nothing wrong with at-home colouring kits, there’s more risk involved once you take professionals outof the equation. Andif you’re lookingtocompletelychange yourcolour,youshould definitelyleaveit to aqualifiedcolourist!Ifyoudochoosetoget yourhairdyedatthesalon,makeuse of your free consultation.It’s importantthatyouandyour colouristare onthe same page;be honest about what you want – the process may take longer than you think. If you’re going from brunette to blonde, for example, it’s unlikely that you’ll achieve it in one sitting. Talking to your colourist about what youwantbeforehand willhelpto manage yourexpectations;a 15-minuteconsultation is theperfect time to decide on a look, shade and technique together – it means you’ll leave with the hair colour you’reafter. ConsiderMaintenance&Upkeep Sadly, all hair dyes fade. There are things you can do to make colour-treated hair stay salon-fresh for longer, but at some stage, you’re going to have to freshen it up. The important thing to remember is this: not all hair colours are created equal. In other words, some colours are more high-maintenance thanothers. Generally speaking, blonde hair is a little more difficult to maintain – especially if you’re a brunette. If youwanttokeep ontop ofyour platinumblonde,youshould expecttobookmore regularsalon visits; depending on how blonde you want to be and how dark you are naturally, expect to go for root touch- upsevery4-12weeks. Thebleaching processtakes itoutof hairtoo,sobeprepared tospendabitoftime nourishingyour bleached (andthirsty) locks withmasks orconditioningtreatments.Think abouthowmuchtime you’re prepared to dedicate to the upkeep of your colour. If you’re the ‘get up and go’ type, you might want to choose something that’seasiertolookafter. ThinkAboutWhat’sGoingtoSuitYou When perusing Pinterest, it’s easy to get carried away. In an ideal world, we’d all suit every colour out there;unfortunately,there’s abitmoretoitthanthat.Colour is allaboutcomplexion; choose a shade that’s not going to compliment it and you’ll be left looking washed out. Find out which colours are going tosuityourskintoneorspeaktoyourstylistbeforeanything touches yourscalp.

3. You should also think about how your personal style is reflected in your cut and colour, and whether your desired colour is going to suit your lifestyle (could you get away with rocking a bold blue at the office, for example) and commitments. Being a bridesmaid for your bestie? Maybe check how well seafoam greenwill godown withhercolourscheme(andyourdress) first! DoYourResearch(andTakePictures!) Ash grey, marshmallow, espresso, ruby fusion – the world of hair colouring can be a complicated one. Colour lingo can mean different things from one stylist to the next; make sure you leave the salon with the shade you really want by swotting up beforehand. Get inspired by looking online; curate a Pinterest boardor save someInsta snaps onto yourphonetogive yourcolouristsome visualcuesonceyou’reat thesalon.You couldeven save somepictures of something youreally don’twantaswell(this is especially usefulif you’re totallychangingyourcolour butaren’texactlysure abouttheshade). ApplyaHairMasktheDayBefore To hydrate your hair and properly prepare it for the colouring process, you should apply a hair mask the daybefore.It’sbettertouse masks anddeepconditioningtreatments atthisstage;usingone straight afterwards could causeyourcolour to fade.In fact,you should avoidusingheavy treatmentsfor a coupleofweeksafteryourhairisdyedtoextendthecolour.