Melanin - and Why This Concept is Important to Learn About Hair

We are changing back to LANZA, Schwarzkopf, Wella, & Kaaral for Hair color, I just completed the LANZA page and I will fix the Kaaral page next week. This is great news for all the present redheads and people considering red hair. Kaaral has more reds than any line we have ever seen ! I tested a new line that just came out out called OYA and frankly it did not compare to the lines we carry. They all have recently tweaked their formulas adding violet into their Ashes, which is all colors that 'end' in "1".  Have you noticed that I haven't really spoken too much about that BUT. . . . in every color line they are all getting on board and realizing the advantages of the LEVEL System so now all colors in all lines have the Same number for the same Tone.

We all now know the Level System:
Level 1 
is 
Black Hair

and
Level 12 
is Platinum Hair!

and all the colors in between are obvious, you just go up a little bit or down a little bit for all the Levels in between. We have many many Level Charts in the past pages of this Blog, just put that title in the SEARCH BAR and many references will show up. But, come to think of it... that sounds like a good idea, its time for an updated version of the Level Chart and now a Version of the Tones" (which are the numbers "AFTER" the Dash or the dot in a Hair Color Title on the side of the Box.  
I'm not too sure if I reviewed this as much as it is important and will make your life easier, when you step out to become a Crib Colorist ! 

Here is the side of some Kenra boxes, just happens to be their new metallic's, which I did some strand tests a few Posts back...just FYI ....

But the main point of this photo is to explain what all lines are doing to make it easier for you, in figuring out your Color formula's, which is every one's main problem...pretty much.

This particular color doesn't have a DASH -- or a POINT . in between the Level and the tone....but because no one else has a metallic line they are making it easy by using the first 2 letters of the word. SM or Silver Metallic.

                                                         OR

 This a photo of some Schwarzkopf boxes
you see 5-3.......that is Level 5 Medium Brown  - (dash)  3 , 3 always stands for "Gold"
so if you see a Level 5-3 it will always be approx.Medium Brown then with a 3 - Gold TONE to it as you see here and on and on...

Next is an important Concept no matter how weird the words sound, don't let them scare you....... I will always try to break down a subject and make it easier to understand .

What makes the hair have Color so that it CAN Change to New Colors... and why?
This was an excellent recent question from a gal in our group. Remember, I am happy to tackle any subject you would like me to review in Hair Health & Hair Color, just email the question to : Killerstrands.info@gmail.com color . I t may not happen right away but eventually there WILL be a post regarding whatever you ask !

The molecules in the hair are set in a specific pattern in VIRGIN hair.
Say you applied Demi-permanent color with 13 Volume last December.
At that point, those molecules - change - somewhat and remain like that, even when the color washes out, those molecules do not go back to the beginning pattern NO MATTER WHAT.
As far as the color of hair?
All virgin hair is the result of the pigment inside the cortex called MELANIN. I've known that word for a lifetime, asking my mom "why do I have freckles"..........she would tell me that my melanin came in my body different than the rest of the world....it did not give overall color it instead, formed spots of melanin. So I really disliked that word as a child, I would imagine a lot of redheads might. ! ! !  

I have since forgotten about it . But it relates to this subject today because melanin is what colors the skin, eyes AND hair in the body !
Melanin are tiny grains of pigment in the cortex that gives color to hair.
BUT....BUT,  there are 2 different types of melanin: 

• eumelanin AND 
• pheomelanin

eu-melanin= provides brown & black color to hair
pheo-melanin= provides red- copper & yellow

BUT, DURP is not really pheomelanin

As I've said many times
there can be 8 females......... all the same age, with the same texture, color - Virgin Level 7 hair........ lined up ( for example)...
Then I mix up 1 mixture exactly the same of 8 - Neutral Violet and 20Volume. So the virgin hair will be lifted 1 level from the developer and 1 level from the color.
Apply the color wait 1 hour
Rinse, INTENSIVE, and dry.

Will they all look the same?
ABSOLUTELY NOT !
every single one of them will look different and that is because of the unique melanin & DNA to every person on the planet.
So the DURP will be the unique colors that remain AFTER hair color has lifted out color to achieve the newly desired color.

pheomelanin provides red-copper & yellow hues which are present in all colors apart from Level 9 - 12 + Gray & white hair.  
Even black hair has red-copper & yellow pheomelanin, so I hope this makes a  little more sense now.
So, if dark hair has all those colors in it, it makes it a little easier to comprehend how all those funny DURPS - Dominant.Underlying.Remaining.Pigment appear as hair color is used, doesn't it?
Will it should silly !

thank you one and all, and with fall upon us, please let me know if you need any topics about all the new hair colors coming up.....discussed !

.

Nutrition & How its Helps Your Hair Shine ! 10,000HEADS - Step 2

10,000HEADS Hair Loss Protocol - STEP 2


I wanted to re-run this Post, its been a long time not discussing the 10,000HEADS protocol which is how to work on your hair and make it healthy. There are 12 Steps to this and this one was brought to my attention by a reader. I will go back and forth for a while from hair color to hair health beCAUSE it is so important to discuss. I know you want to hear about hair color and that will not stop, just fyi.


Nutrition


The food you eat and what goes in your body is simply the most important factor in changing the health and thickness of your hair. It is important to understand 10,000 HEADS works its wonders synergistically, practicing all the steps in unison, will give you optimum results, I have had some absolutely amazing stories come back to me. I cannot stress it enough; Nutrition & step1 will always be the most important step and is the backbone of the program.

This is also the single most difficult step to get women to follow through on. When changing food intake, it can take weeks or months for results to be apparent, many give up feeling as though the change didn’t help. Hang in there, the change will come I have seen it over and over. As a scientist, as a Cosmetologist and as a Cosmetic Chemist, I surveyed thousands of heads of hair, paying attention to patterns and forming hypothesis on ‘why’ a particular person had a good head of hair and how it got to be that way, I came up with 3 common denominators of every person with enviable hair:

• excellent nutrition/eating habits


• no smoking, no drinking/drugs


• no weight issues - fairly stress-free

This step does not restrict you from any foods; on the contrary, I ask that you follow a well balanced sensible diet that will contribute to the growth and health of your hair. Of course I do not encourage eating a lot of sugary, gooey, junk either. Be sensible. Try remembering this, “what goes in your mouth, shows up on your head” a terrific rule of thumb. Forensic analysts can use one strand of a hair analysis to disclose just about everything on a person and it is extremely accurate - your hair is a reflection of your health – period. I'm sure everyone has watched one of the Crime Forensic showss I think there are 4 of them now. They show you right there on TV how important a hair can be.

All foods you eat are eventually converted to simple compounds..... the body is able to utilize, glucose being the one that supplies the energy for all cellular reproduction – including the cells in the hair follicles (remember, follicle cell reproduction is one of the quickest in the body). So keeping the body nourished is imperative for healthy hair and for hair regrowth, starving yourself will shut down cell reproduction which in turn shuts down the hair RE-GROWING.

The number 1 mistake that just about every person with hair problems makes is . . .lack of protein. Hair is made up protein and thrives on protein, listening to women over the years recite their diet choices, leaves me stunned with the same conclusion, their diets are what started their problems. Vegetarians have a very hard time having luxurious hair, they must put protein back in their daily diet, making sure to have it at breakfast, which is the most important meal of the day for your hair; do not skip it. Lunch is next in importance, again making sure that you include as much protein as you possibly can, strive for 50 grams of protein a day minimum.
 
There are many protein bars in the grocery store if you don't have a Trader Joes which has the best selection, u must find one you absolutely LOVE. so you will look forward to eating it ! You can get a whopping 15 grams of protein out of some of the bars . 


The energy to your hair follicles gets depleted when you have gone for more than 4 hours without eating or snacking, the ideal snacks for your hair health are fresh fruit, raw vegetables, nuts, there is nothing better (or more convenient) than a handful of almonds for the shine in your hair.
Colourful fruits and vegetables added to the daily diet are a necessity as well. The best way to summarize it is to say; reach for the most colourful veges, picking some in each colour category. 

No one eats sufficiently in this category and the only reason I can pinpoint is; they take too long to prepare. Which is a weak answer, in my book. But, it is what it is. The solution? Hit the Farmers market every week, it takes an hour-go immediately home: wash and prepare all the veges for the week. Carrot sticks, Celery & p-nut butter, sliced cucumbers, lettuce for salads. Most everyone now-a-days is in a rush...this facilitates grabbing something good for your hair when there is no time.


If you smoke - QUIT- if for no other reason than you are killing your hair. . . that sounds harsh, but in essence – you are. Smoking robs your body of oxygen which in turn robs your hair of oxygen filled blood. . .whose job it is to nourish the hair follicle. Check out the photo at the top, it shows you a "slice" of the human skin and how a hair and hair follicle gets its nourishment.

See the red blood vessels and how they go to the base of the one hair follicle, that is the

bulb inside, where the cell regeneration happens and the new hair grows. You don’t need to be a chemist to see that blood feeds the follicle <> therefore what is IN the blood effects the hair. Likewise, for alcohol and drugs, if you drink too much – cut back or quit if it is a problem in your life – social drinking is fine. If you smoke too much dope, just remember why they call it dope, Pot is bad for hair, skin and nails, the sooner you quit the higher the likelihood you will have of its good qualities returning. When you get older ( 50’s-60’s) you start to notice the people that did not do any of these things when they were younger, the difference in their hair, skin and nails is nothing short of amazing. Be smart, quit now, while you’re ahead! 

If you crash diet or have any of the disruptive habits of an eating disorder, your hair unfortunately, will be the first casualty. I spent 4 years volunteering at an Anorexia/ Bulimia live-in center, when the girls had a good week, they were allowed to get their hair coloured. The hair on some of those girls was irreparable; they had robbed their bodies of nutrients for so long that many of them could not recover the health of their hair, once cured . . .it was terribly sad to watch as many were very young. The cure came too late and no one had told them anorexia/bulimia was hell on hair. I feel that one fact alone would help prevent some of this disease, girls love their hair and hate to lose it.
Starving yourself, eliminating protein and certain food groups is not the way to a healthy head of hair. . . Plug protein into your diet, starting immediately if your hair is thinning or alopecia is your diagnosis. The change will not be apparent for a while but we assure you… it will come.

Food and a balanced diet is imperative for your hair to grow and re-grow, you must understand fully how the cycles work in order for you to see how absolutely necessary it is to eat correctly.

Kenra's New Line of Silver Metallic Hair Color - Successful ?

Wow I just wrote a whole post and the computer crashed, I always think that is a sign to shorten things up ! So, we are reviewing the fairly new Kenra product in their hair coloring line... to see if a company has mastered the art of getting a metallic into a tube of Color. How many of you think they did it?

How many of you think they didn't ?

But AAAnyway, I think Kenra is not being honest with their description and what is in those tubes of "color". 1st of All - until now I have not tested this line, I just was thinking all along "wow someone has finally developed Silver in a hair color..... that's awesome!" They have been selling pretty well and I have had no complaints. But, now that this has been brought to my attention by a Group member, I am going to crack open 2 of the tubes of color and test them for you (and for others) so we have true results and not 'jaded' ones.

Why do I say that? because I am guilty. I am guilty of being very involved in covering up AND 'coming up' with tricks no one else could figure out. The hair industry is completely guilty of that "times 10 !" and never more so, than in today's marketplace. All those ridiculous L'Oreal ads you see with Giselle lying her ass off in them.......make me so upset & sad now ... In looking back at what I did.... I just feel horrible about it, I really do. I just want to confess my sins to all the Crib Colorists out there, I am just so VERY SORRY, I didn't know better back then, I have confidence that if all my former friends - - who are Colorists, knew, how much it has really done that is harmful to the public...they would change, like I have.                                

But at least I have a way to make up for that. The Blog is there to make up for all of that..... the Group is here for that as well. We would do a commercial and use what we actually needed and then just apply a fake white cream that was the exact consistency of the product they were selling. I know - I know - I know ! What a jerk. Meet 'me' the King of all Jerk Colorists! To be honest I never asked if the company knew or not, I felt so guilty already....and I suppose I didn't want to know the answer. 

KENRA AD

The worst part of the Kenra Educational Print AD link you see here, is: they package that Tube in a false manner. It says it right on the box : "Permanent Hair Color" .  Which would mean it should LIFT and TONE for a Level 8 & a Level 10 .... but the directions you showed me has the color ONLY Toning. 

What is a TONER? Any hair color that is used WITH 15 Volume or lower. It does not matter what it says ON THE BOX of hair color on ANY BRAND. The developer detects which branch of hair color the mixed hair color will be. The DEVELOPER is the 2nd most important part of the Hair Color equation, which so many Hair & Crib Colorists just don't realize. Using the wrong one will ruin your entire results. That's why those Box-O-Crap Hair Colors you find in the grocery store should be banned from the shelves. I mean,

• What Volume is in that box?
• Does the tube of Color Lift or not?
• Do I need a Toner? ?
• Are any of these boxes Toners?

Questions like these that are so important and ..........MUST..........be.....defined for everyone, both Colorist and Client should know !!
Boxed color should be removed from the shelves.
....whoops. . . sorry I got off-track there for a little bit....
I went through Kenra's on-line web site and it continues to give everyone the complete wrong idea, it puts it on its "Permanent" hair color chart and marks it permanent on the box. Permanent means "permanent"...NOT "Toner".......which from the Ad........... is all this is. Oh and btw, In the Colorists world...we call that Blue, not silver!

So, what I am going to do is, I have decided to run Strand Tests on Level 8SM and Level 10SM of these so I can be more educated on my end, or see if they have really developed NEW Technology. Which I have a feeling has not happened ...otherwise they would be singing their own praises all over the place (Face book, their website, Twitter, etc.)

You know another thing about their educational information, they are having you use 7SM and 8SM - - a complete lie. You cannot detect a difference between 2 colors that are so close together. I assume you are going towards the other photos of Silver hair I have seen on their web site, not the short cut they show with this results. If you were going towards that you will see  you need to lighten your hair to a Level 11 - 12. Then apply both colors to the super lightened hair. if you want to truly see a difference in color they both need to be at least 2 Levels apart,

 I learned long ago, doing very complicated hair color procedures, if you want contrast within 2 colors (in your design) they must be at least 2 Levels apart

I will be back tomorrow with the results..... and then we will all know for sure.

KC

Redheads - Redheads..........Who Wants A Redhead ?

I had an interesting request by a fellow redhead recently and it got me thinking, that I have completely avoided the whole category. There is a reason for that, it may not be a good reason, but it is the reason I was using...in-my-head! I have left  'my own' out of this Blog completely and that is not cool.......not cool at all. 

My reason, which I have now realized is silly and horrible and the only thing I can do is try to change it and hope the rest of you don't take offense to. The reason I wasn't writing to Redheads is because redheads make up only 1%-2% of all hair color in the world, which is really very very rare. To be honest I leave 'black' hair out of the Blog as well and 'black' hair is the most common color in the entire world ! Get ready though ... I need to make up for that, to both categories of hair color. Just remember, because the level system 'can' be used, but not exactly the same, we both have much more limited choices than our brunette counter-parts !

from Deep Dark Red

...to ... Light Faded Copper

 Just to establish my red hair color & Level so you can see if your own is similar and if not how different it is. My own red hair is considered Copper level 8GR, just like everyone I hated the gold or brass in my color. Which for the longest time was highlighted with blond, which took the copper and made it a Level 12 blond. I look back at photos now and still like my color best at that stage, I kept it that way most of my life, until I entered the Vidal Sassoon Academy. Just like in the rest of my life......in my particular Class I was the ONLY red head. I wish Google was around in those days as you could not research like you can today. 

Today you can make such a much more "informed" choice, not that I would have made any different choice, because I wouldn't have. But as far as looking ahead to what I was getting myself into would've been nicer. I am sure those of you who are redheads out there have experienced the exact same rarity that I have. I don't care what non-reds say, it is difficult growing up redhead. I don't care how many people tell you how lucky you are. I'm not sure about many of you, but I kind of was raked over the coals when I was younger with my blazing red hair freckles and white skin....just not a pretty picture living 20 minutes from Malibu Beach. No matter what I tried, I could not get tan and boy did I stand out.

Those are my experiences, I would love to hear from other redhead out there????. Being as not one other member in my family had anything close to red hair....... I have blond and brunette brothers! I am told my Grandmother had red hair but I never met her so I had a very confusing childhood with the hair color. I hated it and bugged my mom for years to let me change it. Once I began getting blond highlights I liked my hair a lot better.

What other color would a red head want ? Every one I have ever talked to has wanted to be blond, because if you use the Level chart which you can transfer over to reds, Levels 6 thru 10 can be red and those numbers are in the blond range. The Level chart is a chart of lightness and darkness ......so the Levels can be transferred over in certain ranges. I haven't done a lot of redheads in my life if you ask a busy colorist how many redheads they have many of them will say ZERO! I only had 2 in a very busy clientele of 15 years. I had a lot of natural brunettes want to be redheads and especially in the last year with Jessica Chastain. 

Jessica Chastain

 I believe Chastain has single-handedly changed the public's view of red hair. When her film won the academy award I began to notice and feel a huge 'shift' in everyone's POV of the hair color. Which to be honest I had felt back when Nicole Kidman won her Acadmy Award so I call it Oscar Red. When an Oscar follows a redhead down the aisle...the shift in how the country feels about redheads changes and I LOVE IT!

 The rules are not exactly the same but basically they are. Like you can lift from a Level 6RG to a level 8RG by using a permanent Level 8RG on a Level 6RG and using which developer? 25 - 30 Volume - which lifts 1-2 Levels. Personally I have been all over the red scale pretty much every color you will see in the next photo display:

The newest red-head chameleon is Miss Emma Roberts, she has opened the red world up to the younger set and I would like to thank her for the boost. Such a young girl being bold about her choices, I see her wearing wigs some of the time, which I will bet she has learned from some older actors. What do I mean by that? Many older actors refuse to color their hair a variety of colors in order to keep it healthy and strong. Some of them take younger actors under their wing and tell them to refuse various hair color changes. Once smart, they put it into their contracts in order to protect themselves. Its hard to do that when you are in the "up & coming" phase.

Remember the Jennifer Lawtrence Crop? That was due to hair that was breaking off-- not by choice. If you don't protect your hair the studio will not give a shit either. Sometimes you get Studio Execs making the decision on what color hair the actors hair should be when that is the LAST person who should be talking hair color.

I will delve into a couple different hair color processes for redhead's, in up coming Posts.... but I want to give you a sentence that is in many hair color guides from years past. I want you to be thinking about it so that you ask me some good questions.

The Rule about Redhead's is this and I didn't know this at the time I went blond, I finally found it in older hair color guides and it made things make sense for me & for you ! This is a very old rule from the 50's even !
                              " True Redheads Should Not Be Colored Blond" !  

The person that asked me to write about Redheads being colored Blond needs to tell us what she is talking about.....do you mean Redheads that are colored Red or true redheads? BIG DIFFERENCE!  Actually I will tell you both I will also tell you about my adventures to Blond. 

Killerstrands

Hair Color Bleach Bath...Are U Kidding Me...Do Not Do This !

Wow, I am just not paying attention to the weird things people are making up on the Internet. Counterfeit products, applications that do not work.

If you don't see something in this Blog, about what you are about to undertake. I am telling you, do not do this


Why do I say this?

Because no new science has been developed, I promise you when new techniques or products - OF ANY KIND - are:

• developed........... 
• tested and had at least 1 year of practical application (outside the lab)                    

I WILL WRITE A POST ABOUT IT OR THEM                         I PROMISE!

Whether I carry them or not !

OK? 

In order for new products to be developed in the hair color industry, something absolutely remarkable had to have been discovered and there has to NOT be a giant Corporation behind it. 
Giant Corporations, rarely discover anything new. 
Why?
They won't put any money into a gamble. 
What they will do, is copy another company. 

So, 
family-owned companies are who really develop new and interesting products or applications. But do your research on whatever site you are on and which hair GURU you follow! There are now, lots of imitators now and I always told my kids not to carry if people copied you

There are a couple new products that have come out this year, but they have not had enough testing in my book to bring them to "CRIB COLORISTS"  especially. As talented as you all may feel you are
 because of humongous influx of hair color education on the web now.

I have found my first huge # 1 Complete BALONEY Idea
a
Hair Color Bleach Bath ???? ... like wtf ?

  The name of the application that this is piggy-backing off of is truly called a "Soap Cap", which is a 60 year old term with a 100 year old name. Why do I say that about the name? because the name is ridiculous, and does not reflect what happens when a trained professional does this. I'm telling you that I have never thought that every Hair Color and Styling application can be done at home. A whole lot of them 'can'.....and those I am happy to educate you in. The true...authentic....Sassoon taught method. 

Why do I say Sassoon? In the hair world the 2 Vidal Sassoon Academies - ( yes, in the whole world there are only 2 Sassoon Academies) -  are referred to as the "HARVARD" of Hair Academies. Its like a boot camp - they spend the first 6 weeks trying to break the people who cannot handle the tough - British - Training. The British are a completely different breed than Americans. They don't respect you if you have enough money to be able to afford the Academy, or the money to put you up for a year in the area of one of the 2 schools. They only want people who will carry on the true artistic vision of a superior method of doing hair....both Hair Color, Hair Cutting and Hair Styling. They only want the best, they want true Hair Artists and I didn't even realize that 'truly' until I left the Academy world after 2 years and became involved in the world of the "Salon". Which, again is completely different than being in and around the Academy World. I would watch all the other stylists in one of the 2 Salons I worked, and was shocked at the inept training everyone had.

 In the instance,  someone took,  what Color Correction Specialists do in very rare occasions, changed the name, and made ...  up some Baloney instructions to a 
technique that does not exist and none of you should be doing. 

EVER !
This really will leave you with destroyed and damaged hair and doing this is not AT ALL what 'that ' procedure that (btw has a completely different name) was developed for.  So it defeats my whole reason and vision for being here. Which is to 'educate' you in the best and most 'HEALTHY' methods for caring for your hair at home and to tell you 'when' it is time to head to a Salon. Be careful what you read and come back here and ask a question in the comments or join our Group to be guided down the correct path.

Thanks Everyone

KillerStrands