May 14, 2011

Why the New FOAM Hair Color Will Be Disastrous

Its Not As Easy As The Hair Color Manufacturers Make It Sound
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The ads – the commercials – the celebrities they use to dupe you into thinking if you use the new FOAM hair color that I have been seeing everywhere you will look like a gorgeous model. It seems the newest “wave” of boxed hair color is to offer you all this screwy “foam” application. Anything, to make it “seem” easier – quicker—& simpler to color your hair, the problem with that theory - - is that in my lifetime I have always found that taking short-cuts when trying to accomplish good quality results - - NEVER WORKS.  Anything done well and done professionally takes time, takes training and takes education. The theory of hair color application and formulation is no exception.
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Just this past month I had a couple clients that came to me with boxed hair color on their hair and they wanted “out”. They felt their hair never looked shiny except for about 1 week after application, which would always compel them to want to color more frequently (sound familiar?). Can you see why that color is not advisable? With Professional Hair color, the color remains pretty much the same for 5-8 weeks depending on % of gray – porosity and the proper formulation that you mix up prior to applying ( which is why you can learn all of that in previous Posts all logged here on Killerstrands Blog).
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Its why I have written this Blog, there are lessons on how to formulate your color, how to apply the color properly, how to care for the hair immediately after applying the color so that it lasts a very long time and looks as though it was professionally done. Its really not that hard. I have written this so that all of my readers can become educated on the professional method of hair coloring, please take advantage of it. The 2 girls that came to me would do what these FOAM applications are showing . . . applying your Re-touch to the entire head of hair. That is the complete WRONG way to apply a Re-touch.  What is the difference you ask?
If you have never applied hair color to your hair, you have what we call VIRGIN HAIR. Nice name , huh? Once you decide to color your hair that very first time, you will lose that term being applied to your hair ever again….unless of course you were to stop coloring and/or have the colored part of your hair cut off. Please do not look at that as a bad thing. I honestly and truly feel that using the hair color of todays technology (professional color only I’m referring to) your hair will be in better condition, will feel and style ‘better’ than VIRGIN hair and last but not least will give your color the boost it needs to look rich, healthy, and gorgeous. I had so many of my clients that would have me tint their hair the color it was, just to get those extra features I describe. Even I color my hair the color it is, and I am one of those rare birds that has no gray at all. I do it for the advantages today’s color brings hair. Remember though, you will NOT HAVE this great experience from Boxed Hair Color. Especially when they promote you apply the hair color to the entire head of hair at each application, which for many of you is about every 4-6 weeks.
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To educate new Cosmetologists we teach the different types of hair color:
Lighteners or bleaches is really a hair color process that defies these 4 categories… which should really be taught that way and it isn’t. Many people (including many licensed hair stylists) think that going Blond or Lighter is an actual Hair Color – when in fact it is the diffusion of the natural color pigment, you already have, from the hair.
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Now from talking to many of you ‘out there’, the number one mistake I think these kits mislead you with is that every time you color your hair they make it seem as though you should color ALL of the hair. When, in fact, you should only be re-tinting the “new growth”. There couldn’t be a bigger mistake, and that rule holds true for both those of you going “lighter” as in High-lift blonding, going darker and covering gray. The goal when touching up your color for the month should be to color the NEW GROWTH….ONLY! 
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Coloring the entire head of hair with hair color is wrong, so if that is the case then how could those foam hair color kits possibly work, correctly? They are applied in a manner such as shampoo, which is what they are trying to entice you with “ just shampoo the foam into your hair and POOF your hair color is done. Yet, if the proper method is to only color the “new-growth” – how could you possibly do that with a big bowl of FOAM?
If you are going blond and using bleach <> that would be just disastrous . . which is why most of you with highlights have ended up with an entire head of blond. Instead of just touching up the new growth . . . a large majority of hair stylists will apply bleach to the entire head of hair so there is a large amount of “overlapping” involved. Once you have lightened strands with bleach, lightening them repeatedly will bring one thing - - - BREAK-AGE ! ! The thought of how many of you get duped into that scenario really makes my blood pressure rise . . . I want to empower you with the knowledge of how and why this should not be done so you can understand the concepts and ask questions of your Colorist, or even better color your own hair so YOU have control of your own haircolor.
If you do go to a Colorist, there is not one thing wrong with asking how they plan on applying your re-touch. Ask them, make them answer you so you understand. Come armed with the knowledge that there is no reason for them to apply foils on top of foils when your hair is already very very blond….. be clear and tell them you only want the base colored (or roots) nothing else.  hair color 245346346
There are 2 reasons they want to give you an entire head of foils. . .  and they do not want to just do a few random set of foils on the base ONLY:
  1. Money ………they get the most money out of doing a “full-set” of foils
  2. Skill………….They do not even understand what I am explaining to you here. This is more common than one would think.
So, my goal here is to educate as many of you as I can so that you will be armed with the proper haircolor formulation knowledge possible  - - that way you can exit out of any mistakes you may have now . . . and begin coloring your own hair to the level you want it. I promise it is very very possible, and not even that hard . . . just begin reading the BLOG from the very first day --- forward . . . You will be surprized at how smart you will become. I have watched many a person become a Crib Colorist of epic proportions . . . look at all of my managers . . . they amaze me.
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