Reachin for Bleachin'

How light is "white"
when bleaching the hair the only answer is "WHITE"

Lighteners / Decolorizing

Lighteners are the chemical compounds that lighten hair by decolorizing the natural hair pigment. Just like color in the tubes. As soon as the lightener formula (powder or liquid) is mixed with the hydrogen peroxide, it begins to release oxygen. This process is known as oxidation, occurs within the cortex of the hair shaft.

Hair lighteners are used to create a blonde shade that is not achievable with permanent hair color , and are called BLEACH.

The lightest color one can achieve using hair color is with the type of color called HIGH LIFT BLONDING. Every line has their own version of HIGH LIFT blonde tones that ‘claim' to lift 4-5 Levels by using this tube of color plus a double dose of 40 Volume Developer.

...So there are 2 ways of going very blonde.....

#1) High lift Blond ( which you will NOT find in a HAIR COLOR KIT) these must be purchased as a tube of color and the developer SEPARATELY.

or

#2) Bleach or Lightener : In Powder, Creme, Liquid or Oil form.

As a seasoned colorist I have learned that very few of them actually do lift that much color, especially when you are dealing with the entire head or large sections of hair.. When doing something small like highlights most likely you can get the 4 -5 levels of lift (lightening) as you are using foils ( which add HEAT > Heat helps color work faster - and more intensely - altho it is tougher on the condition of the hair) …it all depends on the texture and porosity as well ...just like in all lightening procedures.

THE DECOLORIZING PROCESS

The hair goes through different stages of color as it lightens as you can see in FIGURE 16-19. The amount of change depends on :

· how much pigment the hair has
· the strength of the lightening product
· the length of time it was processed

During the process of decolorizing ( Bleaching), natural hair can go through as many as 10 stages FIGURE 16-20. The most common problem? would be when you see yellow hair..which would mean what? Check the stages....

As the hair is lightened....it works its way up the chart... if it stops at "gold"level 7 or even "yellow/gold"level 8...

it means the bleach has not been left on long enough....

Most people do not understand that.

Be very careful . . I am not promoting everyone going out and leaving bleach on for hours and hours...or putting it on 2-3 times - like I do.

It takes constant monitoring...it needs to be washed off the minute it hits level 9 or 10 if you can.

But it can move from one level to another WITHIN 60 seconds !!

Are you READY for that?

TO MOVE THAT QUICKLY?

If not ....................DO NOT TRY IT.

Not all hair will go through all 10 degrees of decolorization. Each natural hair color starts the decolorization process at a different stage. Remember, the goal is to create the correct degree of contributing pigment as the foundation for the final haircolor result.

The hair is never safely lifted past the ‘pale yellow stage’ to ‘white’ with lightener. Going that light with bleach even oil bleach causes excessive damage to the hair strands. One must be a seasoned hair colorist when going into the light blond range....we know how far we can go and be safe...and its nothing you can really 'teach'...... its simply experience!

10,000HEADS was the number I was at about 2 years ago !

I can tell by clearing the color off of a strand of hair EXACTLY what stage its at, so that prevents me from leaving the color on too long.Now the problem with most bleaching or lightenings you see done at home? They only bleach the hair once.

Big shot Colorist's trick?

> use OIL BLEACH - Redkens' Levitation is the best....Wella's Wellite will do...

> apply it twice . . . . sometimes 3 times - yep . . .in the same day -- the trick is...in knowing when to stop.

> OIL Bleach continues to work for 3 hours. Each hour the speed at which it works slows down. Therefore, the first hour the bleach is jamming & working quickly, then depending on costs - timing - etc...is how we determine if we are going to wash it out and reapply a new fresh batch or leave it in and let the speed diminish.

Sometimes that will be the best answer.

MY usual protocol : I apply Levitation Oil bleach and 30 volume > 1 inch FROM ROOTS and thru ends.... (apply to roots as very last step).. for 1 hour.

RINSE

Reapply - new batch of oil bleach on ends and in the last 1/2 hour apply to roots.

Being very careful to use very small sections to apply the product.

Many many moons ago (16 years ago) when I did my very first RADical hair color ( I still have the photos).I took an ASIAN gal (PITCH BLACK hair) gave her a Halo around her face of 1 inch -- surrounding her hairline of WHITE hair.... my mentor wanted me to learn how to get to "white" on the most difficult of hair. Asian hair is the toughest to work on because of its 'texture' (its coarse) and its porosity ( it has none)...But, when you have completed either colour or a dynamic cut on it, it also looks better than any other hair.

So its worth the effort -- if you think that way!

It took from 7:00 AM in the morning to 7:00 at night. But it was a pure snow white HALO with JET black Base that I actually made a BLUE-BLACK so the most extreme contrast possible.

That was the day I knew I wanted to master the art of HAIR COLOUR.... and I never looked back.

It was a very sweet ride and I can honestly and proudly say. . . . I can do do ANYTHING in the art of hair color...anything and everything.

Even ended up making up some procedures like "tattooing" hair....

I would bleach white the hair and then paint a Tattoo on the back of the head at the base

Back in the day I was not so into computers... so i didn't take photos of all my crazy work when i should have I knew I could always re-do it...never thinking this would happen...of course...

as a matter of fact computers are the opposite of hair color....so I understand why many of the TOP colorists are not ONLINE, I would have never done this . . .

had I not gotten sick.

here is one guy I had some snap shots of

- lousy photos -

-but you get the idea . . . . He's hispanic so black hair again...

see what color a bleach should be?

WHITE!

He wanted flames to match the flames he had a car painter > paint on his jacket....

for PROM at MALIBU HIGH - -

- - of course!

It kicked ass

Hair Color Toys. . . I Mean Tools

You will need everything displayed on this page to do Home Hair Coloring . . .The "bottle" method does not work with the consistency of the newer hair colors..but that's OK the newer colors are thicker and heavier which translates into richer bolder colors that last longer and are much more vivid.

foil : a small roll will be $4 or $5.00,

latex gloves - you can buy them single-y from behind the counter.

pro Large Hair Clips

Tint Brush

Timer - important

Measuring Cup for Peroxide - also important

STRUCTURE & HAIR TYPE

Structure and hair type are partial determining factors in choosing which hair color to use, which will also affect the quality and ultimate success of the hair color.

Some hair color products may cause a dramatic change in the structure of the hair while others cause relatively little change. Knowing how products affect the hair will be one other feather in your cap so you can make the best choices for your own hair.

A little quick review of hair structure...the hair is composed of 3 main parts.

• CUTICLE: the outermost layer, it protects the interior cortex and contributes 20% of the overall strength


• CORTEX: the middle layer - which gives the hair its strength and elasticity. a healthy cortex lends 80% of the strength to the hair. It contains the natural pigment called MELANIN, which determines if we are blonde,brunette, or redhead.


• MEDULLA: the innermost layer. It is sometimes absent from the hair and plays a very minor role in the hair coloring process.
  
  TEXTURE

Hair texture is determined by the diameter of the individual hair strand. Large,medium, and small diameter hair strands translate into coarse, medium and fine hair textures, respectively. Melanin is distributed differently within the different textures. The melanin granules in fine hair are grouped more tightly, so the hair takes color faster and can look darker. Medium textured hair has an average response to hair color product and finally coarse-textured hair has a larger diameter and can take longer to process.

So on the RAZERBURN blog, we just got through teaching the men to determine the 'texture' of their hair - just so they would have the information and knowledge for life...and sure enough here is one other spot that just having the proper diagnosis would be of such a great advantage.

DENSITY
Another aspect that plays a role in hair coloring you must remember is density, which is the numbers of hair per square inch which can range from thick to thin. Density matters as it affects 'proper coverage'.

Porosity is the ability to absorb liquid, porous hair accepts hair color faster and permits darker color than less porous hair. There are different degrees of porosity.....

low porosity: the cuticle is tight>the hair is resistant. which means it is difficult for moisture or chemicals to penetrate & requires a longer processing time. an example of resistant hair ? Gray hair.
average porosity: cuticle is slightly raised, hair is normal and processes in average time.
high porosity: cuticle is lifted;hair is over porous and the hair takes color very quickly <> color also fades quickly

OK... that is now every little tiny bit of info that I was going to have to mention or bring up...in order to explain to explain the world of professional Hair color. Hallelujah!
Whoops it just hit me............
one more day of this.....I need to go Over lighteners.....lighteners such as BLEACH and High Lift Blondes. I love bleaches...as a colourist...I look for the tools that create the most radical change in the hair....that take the hair from black to WHITE.....or from white to black...because to accomplish that well can only be done by handful of people. Its a terrific sense of accomplishment to be the tops in your field.

So stay tuned...I may finish this off today or bounce back to Frizz-FREE FRIDAY....

Developer <> Hydrogen Peroxide It Speaks Volume's

Hydrogen Peroxide / Developers

{Let me bring the concepts down … to the planet, a lot of this may seem unnecessary and strange sounding but everything needs to be taught and understood for those of you wanting to professional hair color at home front. All of the info talked about, needs to be said ...so I can refer to it as I head deeper into teaching hair coloring at home, be patient. If you want to learn information that would cost a tremendous amount of $$ plus years of experience, just read and re-read every post. I am teaching all our secrets - I don’t know a soul that would do that.}

Getting down to the nitty-gritty > to make a batch of haircolor to put on hair, this is the picture: You have a bowl…a tint brush …on one side of the bowl is some color ….squeezed out of a tube…on the other side of the bowl…..Is the “white stuff”…..which has no smell until the 2 substances are combined…then POW- mix the 2 things together and it explodes in aroma and changes hair color .

That white stuff is the Developer …or Hydrogen Peroxide. I snicker when I hear that some new hair color is great & wonderful because it doesn’t use peroxide. To me….as a chemist….as a Colorist…the last thing on the planet I would want would be a hair color that does NOT have hydrogen peroxide in it ! Which of course depends on what you want to do ( lighten or darken).

A developer is an oxidizing agent that, when mixed with an oxidative hair color, supplies the necessary oxygen gas to develop color molecules and create a change in hair color. Developers, also called oxidizing agents or catalysts, having a pH between 2.5 and 4.5 . Although there are a number of developers on the market, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is the one most commonly used in hair color.

VOLUME is the measure of the potential oxidation of varying strengths of hydrogen peroxide. The lower the volume, the less lift is achieved; the higher the volume, the greater the lifting action. The majority of permanent hair color products use 10 ,20,30,40 Volume hydrogen peroxide for proper color development.

TYPES OF HAIRCOLOR - 4

1} Temporary Hair Color
Temporary color is what many of you use at Halloween, it can be sprayed in and shampooed out. The pigment molecules in temporary color are large and therefore don't penetrate the cuticle layer, allowing only a 'coating action' ... that may be removed by shampooing
This type of hair color only makes a physical change not a chemical change in the hair shaft.
Temporary haircolors are available in a variety of colors & products, such as:

• color rinses applied weekly to add color
• colored mousses & gels used for slight color/dramatic effects
• hair mascara
• special effects
• color-enhancing shampoos/conditioners : the red/brunette/blond boosters so prevalent right now

2} Semi Permanent Hair color
Semi - Perm is color formulated to last through several shampoos, depending on the hairs porosity. The pigment molecules are small enough to partially penetrate the hair shaft and stain the cuticle layer, but they are also small enough to diffuse out of the hair during shampooing and thus fade with each shampoo. It lasts only 6 - 8 shampoos. It cannot lighten hair, so the change is minor and it does not require the maintenance of "new growth". It is formulated without AMMONIA and is generally as gentle to the hair as shampoo.
Many Semi-Perm colors can be used straight out of the bottle, some require an activator - which bothers me as I feel it should stay on the side of Semi-Perm.....or not. The activator develops the color pigments within the formula and helps to swell the cortex and open the cuticle for color penetration, which begins the difference between semi and demi permanent colors.
In order to understand why the BOXED HAIR COLOR Kits do not work, it is necessary to thoroughly understand 'what' : Semi....Demi....and Permanent Hair color is. So many of you will purchase one of the boxes that claims to "shampoo out in 8-10 washes and find out it doesn't. you wonder 'why'.... so many of you figure you must have done something wrong when you applied it, when in fact you are "set up to fail" to begin with by companies that truly do not give a damn by turning out a product that does not and could not work in a million years.
3} Demi Permanent Hair Color

The newest classification Demi perm is also called deposit only and referred to as 'semi' permanent by some manufacturers, it is similar to semi, but more long lasting. Some of the European companies have chosen to use super low volume peroxides to differentiate the semi from the demi lines. Honestly, it depends on the manufacturer, the Colorist or the school as to how it is defined. My education is Vidal Sassoon based which is known as the "Harvard of Hair Schools" so I think you'll be safe using my criteria.
I like to think of Demi Perm Colors as any color line that uses above 7 Volume and below 19 Volume Developer, which makes this the perfect category to be used on men's and any hair that needs to be strengthened. With those numbers , the only action that will happen is Deposit of color - no lift <> no lightening.
I am of the belief that depositing color in the hair strands of either gray, white, or simply middle-aged (weak) hair can add:

• strength
• shine
• illusion of thickness
• reduce frizz & tangles

This formula generally imparts vivid color results, and are ideal for covering un-pigmented hair,refreshing faded permanent color, depositing tonal changes without lift, corrective coloring and low-lighting.
By their very nature, demi's or deposit-only hair colors darken the natural hair color when applied. They cause little or no damage to the hair and are generally positioned as gentle and mild due to their low ammonia or no ammonia content. In recent years, many top colorists will apply demi to the 'lengths' of the hair while permanent is applied to the roots. This fights the build-up effect that can occur on previously colored hair and is also less aggressive, resulting in less damage.

The single best line in this category is WELLA's Color Touch Line, to date I have tested most every line and am still headstrong about that brand: its results & quality.

4} Permanent Hair Color

Permanent hair color is mixed with developer ( hydrogen peroxide) @ 20 Volume and above and remains in the hair shaft until the new growth of hair occurs. It is used to match,lighten and cover gray hair. Permanent hair color products generally contain ammonia, oxidative tints and peroxide.

The tint formula contains uncolored dye precursors, which are very small compounds that can diffuse into the hair shaft. These dye precursors also referred to as aniline derivatives, combine with hydrogen peroxide to form larger, permanent tint molecules . These molecules are trapped within the cortex of the hair and cannot be shampooed out and why this is considered Permanent color.