February 15, 2013

Hair Color Formulating: How To Decide Total Hair Color Needed - Per Application?


Sound Simple? I Don't Feel It Is, Lets See What You Think, After You Read This . . .

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There is a simple part of the hair color formula that I did not realize was difficult to understand. Sometimes its the simplest things that I miss, so just keep asking questions, guys and girls. I love to be asked questions.   Many times it's regarding something I assume people know.  I feel all teachers think like that...(or they should).  For those of you leaving 'Comments' on here (and there are a LOT of you), please know that if its a good question that would benefit others also,  I will turn it into a 'Post'  (eventually), so ask what you want to know, and I will cover it.

What you need to know to figure out the amount of color to mix , all depends on the amount of hair you have. So that one thing I can never tell you. Say someone - man or woman has kind of the typical- short cut hair. We call it a "Crop" in the Biz, you know like this example of Pink:
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 or this example of this actor:
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Both have a crop.
Each one of them needs a completely different " amount" of color to use in the end ...once its all mixed up. In the Salon, the color is the most expensive part of the entire Salon world - so we treat it with care. We measure carefully, we always use Color Tube keys  .to get every last bit of color out of the tube. That is a completely normal occurrence in a well run Salon. To outfit a (small) Salon with just 1 line of hair color in all the colors cost thousands, so it is smart to re-cap the tubes the minute you are done, & save all old tubes of color .


What each of you need to do is to figure out how much color you will need to complete your hair color. Then you work backwards from there in knowing how much to mix. Once you have colored your hair this way you will know how much you need from then on.  Pink will need 1 full ounce less hair color than Robert does (in the above photos) even though they have the same length hair. 

There are so many variables when you are coloring the hair the very first time and especially when I teach this professional manner of coloring the hair (AT HOME!) \. You must also get used to the brand of color you are using.  "X.Factor" hair color uses a ratio of 1 part color to 1.5 ounces of developer. So with that brand you will have more color when it is mixed up than with "Wella Koleston Perfect", which is 1 part color to 1 part developer.

Experience has shown colorists that the less developer one uses, the richer the end color you have, so I always look for hair color with the ratio of 1:1.  That is the big advantage of "Wella Koleston Perfect".............. and that is why "Illumina" works so well. So.......that all needs to be taken into account that first time, men. Don't get all freaked out.  I don't want to scare you away from becoming Crib Colorists.

 So if Pink needs a total of 1 & 1/2 ounces of color how much does Robert need?
About double that- -  he has a LOT of hair even though its the same length (and I can tell its very porous), so I would say he would need a total of 3 ounces - even though its the same length.



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Make sense?
I finally posted a photo of my hair  :  

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZ-chhLkb7NpnozObiqG8TpAnALhSvka2ZGfWVAVrdT1x5HWxwiW_pQEAoUQ6X58IbepOWfaRimGuoLvxIwuI4qbECQXoyStBrAXYemVjj2bWgyMDhr5oHKIKPi7ufNWGKLAMpyQKJOA/s1600/00+-+KC+-+99.jpg I know I need a total of 10oz. of color to do my base every 6- 8 weeks. After you color your hair the first 1-2 times you will come up with the amount of ounces you need if you don't know now.
As a professional colorist, one must calculate the color needed for every single head of hair needed all day long. It is quite the chore. My number is unusually high because my hair is bra-strap length, super porous & dense because of my use of the Secret Supplement, Thriven, and the rest of the 10,000 Heads.


Feel free to leave your comments.  I try to get to this every day, but don't always make it!!
However..... I love getting good questions.

6 comments:

  1. Good night.
    I knew your blog by accident and I love it.

    Live in Portugal and have great difficulty in finding a good hairdresser, because I have had some experiences less good, since excessive cuts to bad color services ... so I decided to look after myself of my hair and I think successfully.

    My natural color ranges between a 5 or 6, but as undefined I opted for dark paint.
    I started with black coloring of the supermarket, wrong I know, but it makes almost 3 years that only use professional products, both in color and in daily care (shampoo, conditioner, moisturizing treatment mask, nourishing, reconstructive termic protectors, leave-in's ... etc).

    At this point I'm tired of my color (Color Touch 4/0) and would like to return to my natural shade or even rise a little bit more with a new color (about a 7). So I bought your Vanish Kit.

    My question is: I have long hair of medium thickness, resistance and in good condition, with a little frizz (virgin hair no longer with Misuke) and whose chemistry held in it consists of Japanese straightening with MISUKE in June 2011 and coloring with Color TOUCH 4/0 (since April 2010 and with ultimate retouching in September 2012). I use too much the straightener (because of the frizz of the virgin hair) and dryer as well as silicones (some good brands have it in is formulas). The Vanish will take the remaining color altogether?

    Not be spotted? (I used 6vol and sometimes 13vol with Color TOUCH 4/0 that as I understand it only put color and not remove natural pigment).

    I will have risk of making chemical cutting due to the Japanese hair straightening (MISUKE)?

    Do effort to take good care of my hair, so I am afraid of the damage. I would be very grateful for your opinion.
    Yours, Silvia/Portugal.
    P.S.: sorry for the poor English.

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  2. It such a lovely shade and suits u so much. Cute post.. loving the last pic.. wat a shine..For any dramatic change, it is better to test a strand by the nape of your neck to see what the color will actually be!

    ReplyDelete
  3. It such a lovely shade and suits u so much. Cute post.. loving the last pic.. wat a shine..For any dramatic change, it is better to test a strand by the nape of your neck to see what the color will actually be!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi KC! Excellent blog, thanks for making this available! I need to do my own roots, at least in-between salon visits, since I just can't afford the cost. (Not only that, but as much as I adore my sweet stylist, and she really is an artiste -- unfortunately, she insists on cutting off too much hair that I'm trying to grow, despite her cute layered styles, and insists on running the color through to the ends, which my hair can't tolerate. I only want to touch up the ROOTS and pull color all the way through maybe once or twice per year. I actually like that it's not the same exact color roots to ends, because it looks "natural" and sun-streaked that way, and I get a lot of compliments on it, so it must be working out okay!) Anyhow, the formula given me is Wella Koleston Perfect (2 oz - 20 vol; 1 oz 7/38; 1 oz - 88/0). Got curly, dark gold-blonde fine hair with 25% grey; it's always looked like messy beach hair, you know, porous and darker toward the roots (maybe level 6) and brighter at the ends (maybe level 7 to 8). It could easily turn reddish, but the Wella formula is right on target to prevent that. The grey strands turn into dimensional light blonde "highlights". Stuff is amazing. In-between, I "paint" my roots with Joan Rivers' "Beauty" Blonde Hair powder in-between root touch-ups, after shampooing (I wash it about every 3-4 days, stuffing my hair beneath a shower cap). The JRB Blonde hair powder covers grey excellently, also! I use that stuff over the visible 2 inch roots at my part and hairline, to total coverage! I've been trying to grow my hair for two years, but it's the same length, and I can manage whisking the ends to trim myself. Damn, I just want to grow it long. That's a big reason I want to color it myself, so it stops being chopped off so deeply. My stylist leaves the mix on, which amounts to 4 ozs for roots, for 45 mins (wanting to pull the color all the way through for the last 5 mins). Then she washes my hair at least twice, afterwards. She paints it onto my roots with a brush, with no concern about slopping it around the edges of my face ... I have mixed feelings, as nobody has ever done that before, yet it definitely kills those little greys in front of my ears, etc! She just seems so unhappy when I want to run out, with no time for a trim (LOL). My question to you is: How do I use the stuff? Do I just mix it all in a plastic cup, and start applying to roots immediately, let it sit for 45 mins., then wash twice -- like she does? It is unknown if she lets the mix sit and "develop" or something for a while prior to applying. And I don't know what she uses for shampoo afterwards!! Yikes. Second question: Where is a reputable place to buy the Wella online? To complicate matters, I'm considering getting a Keratin Protein treatment ironed into my hair ... but I think one has to time it between colorings, has to wait or something. Any pearls of wisdom? God bless you for listening and helping all of us! Cheers and hugs

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  5. What color do you use for Wella? And do you have issues with it fading? My hairdresser uses 6/4 on me and it fades way out in 2 weeks. Any advice would be appreciated.

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  6. I use 4 colors t create my formula, which is a lot lighter now and I get a zillion compliments on it....
    but that doesn't mean that would work for you,
    ..more information is needed to answer your question properly...

    I currently use Level 8 RG color, and that photo was when I was in the Level 7 Red/Gold/Neutral Color!

    Hope that helps....
    KC

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