August 28, 2007

'Hair Color Knowledge' .....no where to be found on Calif. State Board Exams

California's Cosmetology Board Test is supposed to be the hardest in the country, we have 10 times the applicants of other states, therefore the test is more difficult - is what I have heard.. 

YET . . .

. . .there was no hair color formulating education, AT ALL!

I say this beCAUSE, so many of you end up at Killerstrands Hair looking to take control over your own hair's health and hair color, which I really respect.

Remember all of these formula's are for VIRGIN HAIR, which is a very VERY rare person nowadays!

 Here is an example of LIFTING in the LEVEL System (virgin hair):

Your own natural virgin color hair is a LEVEL 4
You would like to be a "desired" LEVEL 9 ( I desire to be a Level 9 is one way of putting it)
What do you come up with?

This is where the BOXED kits do not work ( although they don't tell you that, they make you think it will.....) and many of you end up with trashed color.  Your hair just did not get light enough and if it did ...it was a hideous shade of orange-y blond, & it sounds like 9 out of 10 of you end up putting brown back on top of it.....For what ends up taking a couple years of growing out to recover from (got that one right didn't I !!?!)
OK. Lets go over it.
  • Not all requests can be met EXACTLY as asked, which is not made clear to those of you that cannot afford a high dollar Colorist to tell you the honest truth.  Unfortunately many Stylists with not a lot of experience in color will be just as bad as if you ( with none of this guidance) were doing it...and I have met many clients who understand color better than many stylists I've met over the years. Knowing how to color hair is not necessary to pass the STATE BOARD of Cosmetology Test, which always blew me away. There is just something not right about a Board that oversees the entire world of Hair and doesn't require the new members to learn color. The whole Theory and evolution of hair color is young but its not THAT young. I could write a 100 page book on it just by using this blog.
 
  • Anyway here is the explanation of that problem....
Preferred level of color...................level 9 Blond
Natural level of color (subtract).......Level 4 Brown
Difference..........................................= 5 Levels

Preferred level of Color..................Level 9 Blond
Difference ( add)............................... + 5 Levels
Level to Use................................Level 14 Blond

There is NO LEVEL 14.... the levels only go to 12.

There are limitations as to what can be accomplished as a Crib Colorist and the most important fact that you can come to terms with, if this type of Coloring maneuver is 'what-you-want' 

 See why sometimes hair color leaves you at some strange orange/yellow stage? The Boxed Kits do not tell you this...or warn you of this. I have so many people contact me about this type of problem...it was one of the many inspirations for me to start this Blog.

This is a common problem that needs to be brought up, so you all will understand. As a busy Colorist, we use many solutions to a problem like this, and offer them all to the client to come to a safe, and sane solution.

5 levels is a lot of lift and you just cannot get that many levels of Lift from any product but Bleach....even high lift blondes only lift 3 levels and for now that is the most powerful "TINT" available.


2 comments on "'Hair Color Knowledge' .....no where to be found on Calif. State Board Exams"
  1. Hmmm...would it be toner? I think bleach can only get you so far. Bleaching to say, platinum, is not so good, too damaging. You want purple/voilet toner, because it is opposite of yellow on the color spectrum. I am not a colorist by any means so I am taking an semi-educated guess. I am merely on a journey to platinum with the help of a colorist.

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  2. Hi Amber,
    Thank you so much....
    You are a brave and wonderful soul...thanks for trying..
    Toners can solve so many problems, so that is a great choice.
    Using Toners to kill the "yellows" is the most common reason the lavender toner is used.

    With this particular problem the goal was to get to a Level 9, which makes it the tricky part. She didn't want to go too light( Level 10)...yet the level of lift from her own was so much there is NO color available for a 1 step process.

    So this EXACT case (as stated) is not possible. A point I was trying to make - I want you all to see and understand that every single color you want to be is NOT possible. so that more thought is put into your choices from now on...and ESPECIALLY not a reach for one of those BOXED Kits...if a top Colorist cannot get that radicAL OF A color change for a person...you must realize how silly it must seem that a BOXED $9.00 Kit of color from the supermarket might be able to pull it off.


    On the other hand, in the hands of a good Colorist ... there are a couple of solutions...and That is what I want to bust open for you all. I want to answer every single color question for every single person out there - that there is.

    I want every one of you to have the knowledge you need to be ANY COLOR THAT IS POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO BE.
    Remember....that does NOT MEAN ANY COLOR made....

    Every Person can NOT BE ANY COLOR.
    That was the point of this problem.

    ANY COLOR that is possible and would look decent on your hair.

    I will run out of room here so I will finish this on today's POST....again Thank YOU... I hope others get your guts...the more discussion the better for you all to learn with.

    Killer Chemist
    Dakota

    ReplyDelete

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