There is No Crying In Hair Coloring. . . . Understand Color Theory and Tears Will Never Form

Color Theory sounds boring and if you are like me, in Hair Academy, all I did was tune it out.

COMPLETELY OUT. Don't do it , its so simple and it solves SO VERY VERY MUCH ! !

Remember I was the rebel that did a complete 180 degree turn one third of the way thru - Sassoon Academy Year 1 (the Harvard of hair school's - world-wide). I'm telling you even to this day I am mad at myself for not soaking up every last little word...why? At Sassoon all they taught was necessary education. We did things backwards compared to the thousands of (so-called) Beauty schools because every single bit of education that I will teach you here is relevant, I'm too old and too tired to be teaching you anything, but that which is 100% necessary.
PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF THAT POINT.

I'm telling you, just the other day when I was having problems trying to calculate a formula for the new "color-enhancing shampoo's" that I wanted to bring into the store as a 'new' Killerstrands product 

You can enhance anyone's appearance with color.

Understanding Color Theory is as easy as knowing the simple LAW OF COLOR and relating it to addition and subtraction. Sir Issac Newton discovered these theories having NO idea they would relate to the hair color world, years later.

Your first project? Color - - - the main Color Wheel --- with the six main colors on it, use different weird shapes for the colors {for fun}...the best medium? Paints. If that is not possible, use felt pens, your kids crayons....whatever. Just do it , so it gets implanted in your brain. It will help with make-up and hair color for the rest of your life.

Name the six main colors: #1_______#2________#3________

#4________#5________#6_______ - - - apply these to your first color wheel

3 of these colors are the Primary Colors.....Name them #1________#2________#3________

3 are Secondary colors ...Name them #1________#2__________#3__________

The Understanding of Basic Color Theory is essential to analyze coloring your own hair. Stylists go to school for a year to learn the basics and they spend about 5 days on hair color in the entire year long program {except at Sassoon} . . . its ridiculous......................You will be Light Years ahead of the stylists out there understanding these concepts, so just follow me into this world of color.
Next... draw the below samples of different combinations ....
Draw the wheel that show s "WARM" and "COOL" colors
Draw the Wheel that shows PRIMARY and SECONDARY Colors
What are SECONDARY colors created from? 
 PRIMARY
....thus the name "SECONDARY" ...get it?

Like I was explaining before Color Solves Problems with the way your hair looks, if you can have beautiful color you are a happy person.

Life's a Bleach .. the Lightening of Melanin

Off the Hair Health Horse... 

back on the Hair Color Horse

Sorry I couldn't figure out why I was sleepy every time I've been posting lately...besides the usual medical crap going on, I was just unusually tired and just couldn't get inspired...I NEED TO WRITE ABOUT HAIR COLOR, to keep me jazzed and alive. So I am just going 


to have to alternate the posts, for fear of falling asleep and never waking up. DO NOT GET ME WRONG, Hair Health is as important a subject as there is, I promise you. But, for me I have done all of that writing and reporting... it was completed over the past 6 years  - so its simply a matter of "re-writing" my notes - which I guess is what was pushing the snooze button for me.
I  NEED  SOMETHING  ABOUT  HAIR  COLOR  TO  MAKE ME HAVE TO WRITE  FROM SCRATCH - its what made me become involved - inspired and REJUVENATED once again....something I very much NEED. So back we go. I ordered a couple of new Doll heads . . . Molly & Dolly's cousin's are on their way from back east. If you don't know who Molly and Dolly are . . . SHAME on you -- see here >>  



 http://killerstrands.blogspot.com/2007/12/ble-atched-hair-series-1.html.
They are showing ble-atched- super light blond's well into the Fall - and its the subject I simply get the most questions about... getting to LEVEL 12 successfully & beautifully. So today we are going over the process from a different POV, twisted technical.
Hang on.
Below the surface off the skin is the hair root: above it is the hair shaft.



The hair root is housed in a sheath, a pocket in the skin, called a follicle. At the bottom of the follicle ( deep in skin) is the hair bulb. Cells that become a strand of hair are produced in the hair bulb, the LIVING PART OF THE HAIR, from which the hair grows. At the base of the bulb, nourishing it, is the papilla, a tiny mound of tissue laced with capillaries.


 
The hair shaft is comprised primarily of cross linked, fibrous proteins called Keratin. Keratin accounts for 90-95% of the hair weight.
Structures in the hair bulb called melanocytes make melanin, or natural pigment. that gives the strand color.2-3% of total weight comes from melanin.
How is hair formed?
The papilla supplies AMINO ACIDS ( remember this - I feel amino acids are important for new hair growth) to the hair bulb; the hair bulb produces keratinous cells; melanocytes infuse melanin into these protein-based cells; then, finally, the cells dry out and harden to form the hair strand ( called keratinization) which emerges from the follicle.
There are 2 types of melanin

• Eumelanins - the darker pigments from black to brown
• Pheomelanins - lighter, ranging from red-brown to red-yellow to yellow

All hair no matter what color it is (except white- unpigmented) contains both in varying degrees. Very black Asian hair is heavily pigmented but may contain only eumelanin.
The color of a strand of hair depends on how much melanin it contains, the proportion of eumelanin TO pheomelanin  + the pattern of distribution of the melanin. There are additional descriptions of how these work but truly this all you need to know to understand 'basically' how the hair's VIRGIN color. . .  GOT there!

LIGHTENING OF MELANIN
From your POV, the most important thing to know about melanin is what happens to it in the presence of hair color.  The color result depends as much on the natural pigmentation of the hair as it does on the artificial pigment used; the same ash brown formula may look ORANGE-Y on one natural base, drab on another, and Neutral on a third....something I try my damndest to explain to everyone.

Recognizing what depth the hair is to start with and how it will change tonally when lightened allows you to anticipate the final result. So many of you are so surprised & shocked at your results, which I guess really can only subside with experience. 
Through the years, all the various color manufacturers have come up with ways of getting this process across to hair colorists {and now ME to you }  . . . . but the point of any theory of lightening is to drive home the idea that the color result depends on MORE THAN WHAT YOU put in the BOWL - -  it also depends on the color contribution of YOUR hair on your head.  So no matter how many rules we come up with and no matter how many different ways we try to teach lightening of the hair, going from Level 6 Brown Hair to that rocking Level 12 that you have always wanted to be. . . .  it also depends on the color contribution of that hair on your head right now.
Natural color contribution depends on:

1. the original virgin color &
2. how much you have to lighten it

The natural base level and the lightening capability of your formula, determine the color contribution of your hair.
The color contribution of the hair AND
the artificial pigment used...determine the color result.
Natural color
+ lightening capability of the formula
= the color contribution of the hair
AND
The color contribution of the hair
+  the artificial pigment
= the Color result


Are you getting this...??  Color contributions of the hair is referred to any one of different ways: undertones, underlying pigment, natural  underlying pigmentation, pigment bases, residual pigment contribution, natural contribution of the hair, lightened natural pigment and remaining natural color.
Any of these term can be substituted in that last equation (above).



SEVEN STAGES OF LIGHTENING
This concept concerns the color changes that happen when hair is exposed to a product capable of lightening it.
One of the best lessons in hair coloring is how the FINAL Result depends as much on the natural contribution ( remember what YOUR hair has IN it naturally - as it was when you were born) of the hair a s it does on the artificial dyes, and the seven stages of lightening is a way to tell that story.
The 7 stages of lightening are the colors that hair attains as it is lightened with either permanent hair coloring or bleach.
If hair bleaching could be viewed in super SLOW MOTION, these are the tonal stages that would be seen during the progression from dark to light.
The 7 stages of lightening are:

1. BLACK
2. BROWN
3. RED
4. RED-GOLD
5. GOLD
6. YELLOW
7. PALE YELLOW

  When hair is exposed to a lightener agent, its black and brown pigments are first to begin to break down or oxidize ( the eumelanin lightens first). Then the red & gold pigments gradually oxidize  - then yellow and pale yellow stages are simply lighter and lighter version of gold. 




Notice 5 of the 7 stages have to do with red and gold, this is due to the tenacity of these colors in the hair. In other words, they are IMPOSSIBLE to get out of the hair! It takes longer to eliminate Red and forever to eliminate GOLD. I am hoping you will all relate this to your experience of being stuck in the "gold" stage as though it seemed like FOREVER 
The most sought after goal when going Gwen Stefani BLOND . .Pale Yellow, I refer to it as frozen butter. Pale yellow is the lightest hair can become without destroying the hair. Pale Yellow can be toned to be almost any color on the planet...including white.
I am hoping with this series in the long run I will see less banana-heads on the street, realizing fully what a grand wish that is, I am still hopeful - they make me shiver.


                                                           
Killer Chemist

Porosity & Texture = How They Effect Hair Color {done}

 
You know when you read the directions that come from all of the various manufacturers on their own hair colors. . . . what type of hair do you think they are giving you directions for?

AVERAGE.
&
NORMAL.

They already have to write directions in 12 different languages! 

The directions on a box of professional Hair Color only writes the directions for MEDIUM Texture and NORMAL porosity.......what about the rest of us. 
I find very few "average" people now-a-days......they are there somewhere but they don't happen to visit this Blog or shop in our store !

In order for the color to look beautiful and shiny and to last........... you must accommodate these issues in all of the factors that go into Coloring your hair correctly ! The diameter of the strands (texture) and the condition of the cuticle (porosity) are affected by how hair color absorbs into the hair.

Texture refers to the diameter of the individual strands.....
Is yours fine???  medium??? or coarse??? 

The greater the diameter of the hair strand the coarser the hair......and those are things you cannot change about your hair. So please be aware of which type of hair you have so you can make adjustments accordingly.

The less the diameter, the finer the hair. 
 Fine hair has a thinner cortex so therefore is penetrated easier ( by hair color), it is lightened easier. Fine hair also FADES faster..........Coloring is faster as well.The finer the hair the faster it absorbs the hair color ! So...yes, you could cut 5-10 minutes off processing time. Some people have extremely fine hair (Meryl Streep) and in that case you would only want to process 20-25minutes. But that type is quite rare.

Coarse hair has a thick cortex. Color Chemicals must penetrate more mass and lift more of your own natural pigment........so the whole process takes longer, using a stronger developer and choosing an ashier formula many times is wise to compensate for the stronger DURP (Dominant Underlying Remaining Pigment).

POROSITY
Porosity is the ability of hair to absorb and retain moisture......another word for Porosity is "Condition".
Degrees of Porosity:

• Resistant
• Normal Porosity
• Over-porous

So when someone asks you if your hair is in good condition they really technically are referring to your porosity. If you have poor porosity there is an old trick which truly helps the simple step of simply shampooing it.

Oil Pre-Wash with Gleam to turn back time in your hair's condition

If your hair is at all porous - even just a tiny, little bit, if it ever gets tangly or poofy or frizzy and seems like it needs weight, if washing it makes it seem to float in the air or if the ends of your hair seem to get wispy and disappear, oil pre-wash treatments can help. Oil pre-wash treatments add flexibility, softness and "weight" to hair. And when you think of "well moisturized" hair, you are referring to a number of qualities, two of which are flexibility and softness.

Here's the deal:
You know how washing your hands too often makes them chapped - even if you don't use soap? Washing your hair ultimately dehydrates it too unless your hair is tremendously low porosity. By that I mean the cuticles are un-damaged and in such pristine condition that they don't let water in at all. Porosity is a surface thing. Oils have other great effects like making hair soft and flexible - those are partly related to porosity. Even low porosity hair can get dried out with too much washing or dry air or a lot of sunshine. I still say of all our products the one that makes the most significant difference is OVERNIGHT Oil treatments  and Pre-Wash Treatments.

Any oil will keep the water out of your hair for a little while and that is great. Many oils can surround any chipped and broken places in your hairs cuticle covering, giving you better protection.

  Gleam contains the absolute best oils for most people's hair because they "waterproof" the inner part of your hair that swells. If we can keep water from getting into our hair and swelling it up, it won't end up waterlogged and the cuticles will chip off less and we'll keep our lovely proteins and everything that keeps out hair strong from escaping down the drain.


Rose Hips Seed Oil
Abyssinian Oil
Meadowfoam Seed Oil
Fractionated Coconut Oil
Argan Oil
 ............are the top 5 oils out of 13 we have in GLEAM and that is why it rocks!


AS I've said many times before....all YOU have to do is figure out your own hair and these facts about your own hair .........its the professional's that must know and understand every type of hair in order to have a wonderful outcome - every single time they create a new hair color project  !!!

The Truth About Shampoos

Shampoos are in a state of flux right now and the category has even had me confused. 

The subject of shampoos fascinates over 90% of you which in and of itself is a fascination to me.... I've never developed the fascination with them - in hair Academy they taught us to use a Sulfate-Free version of which ever brand that you have success with stick with that and be done with it...All the hype and the commercials....complete and utter Bullshit.

..... so .... please ...tell me why you are fascinated with the subject of shampoos ?? I'm here ( as always ) to report the bad news :

We all know that a shampoo is a product we all must use many times a week and there is not many things in life you need so much ... or spend so much time with and thinking about. I GUESS "MAKE-UP" really comes before shampoo because that is products also used every single day, sometimes multiple times a day even. But, I would bet more of you would prefer reading about HAIR if given the choice of only having the option of one or the other......Am I correct  ? ? ?

Yet the thing about shampoo and especially shampoos of right now, today is.............it has come time that we no longer need to purchase a $30.00 shampoo for our hair to feel great. So many of you will ask me which shampoo will give you "this" asset or make your hair look "that" way -  - - I hate to be the bearer of bad news but someone should tell you this.

....and if it does that and does not :

• damage
• dry-out
• weigh down
• destroy
• drive into being oily
• or deteriorate in any way.. . . .then we should be very. . . .damn. . . pleased with it !

All the things that so many of you wonder if shampoo will do, is what "styling products" are used for. If you want texture or to make that bedhead look that one sees so much in the magazines and Victoria's Secret models, etc...Or Thickness or root lift.....or shine .....or Curl ....or straightness......all of those requirements will only come from :

 
Shampoo which is approx. 50-85% WATER....simply cannot meet your demand - in the "Styling Product arena" you will find more of what you desire in my opinion. I know there are thousands of products out there and its very difficult because every single persons hair is different, but there are a lot of cool products now with very unique and effective technique's to them.

There have really been only 2 innovations in shampoos in the past 20 years and that is

• Sulfate-Free or SLS Free which took an absolutely horrible ingredient that causes hair loss OUT of all shampoos.......................and
• pH balanced...........should be about 4.5 - 5.5

Everything else is just FLUFF.......................baloney, malarkey
But, truly for those demands that I hear from people on a daily basis, wanting their shampoos to perform miracles.........head to the Styling products category or as we call it HAIR CARE!

Its Wella's brand new styling line called EIMI ( pronounced Eye-me)
these are where I feel u should focus on when you want to make substantial changes as u ask about......Click the Blond for a link to them on the Store

Splash-lights Technique Wins This Years Award for "Best Hair Color''

These hair colors won the biggest award at the annual Hair Stylists Award Show which is our version of the Academy Awards.........in HAIR COLOR..............seems everyone is honing in on the Splashlights technique.....

Which for those of you who are not clear on what it is..........is putting a belt of lightened hair across the top layer of hair. This technique is not for those at home, it takes a well trained individual. Never go to just anyone for the high fashion hair color techniques, ask to see someone's portfolio and if they don't have one I would pass and keep looking!                                                                                    

There's a fantastic new product from TIGI  called JOYRIDE ...............something I have never seen before and from tests on my own hair in produces a fantastic bed-head / texturized look.
 Its a primer that creates "lived-in" texture and oomph..
It gives hair that 2nd day feel without waiting the 24 hours to achieve it.
Controls and de-frizzes on damp hair as a base or works on dry hair for definition without any stiffness.

Its begins as a BALM and then turns into a powder 

Its in the store now.....and I hear its very hard to get !

Words Directly From A Brand New Killerstrands Member

 I've Been making my products so long sometimes.........I just don't stop....... take a breath and pay attention to how they are affecting peoples lives............. in today's world even ill people are busy.

 Its ridiculous almost

 Anyway this Dear Woman (Christine) of Wayne New Jersey..........truly lit up my life for a nice .... long ... 

while I'm not curing cancer, its the only thing I know how to help people with ... which was what I was looking for to round out a very wild and jam packed life.

She purchased the :

#1 Damaged Hair Repair Products + Kits by Killerstrands - 400 WATT KIT

 I had an excellent, excellent outcome and absolutely love all the products. My hair had taken a significant beaten in the past 3 years as a result of low nutritional absorption and menopause. I began to use many top of the line solon products with the hopes of getting my hair restored and as a result my hair became more damaged and subsequently lost tremendous amount of hair :( ... my gorgeous head of hair was slowly becoming shorter, brittle, lifeless and thin. I kept cutting off 3-4 inches at each haircut because the products could not restore. After much search and investigation I came across the Killerstrands.com and spent a considerable amount of time asking many questions on the products. I never ordered hair products over the internet but after speaking to the representative about the product I ordered the kit. I used the products as soon as I received and within 1 week my hair stopped falling and luster was restored! Honestly, my hair was now manageable and no longer breaking off or splitting. I couldn’t believe the turnaround and I’m forever thankful for finding a wonderful product that finally works. I can’t stop touching my bouncy shiny hair and excited in getting back my once crowning glory… they are remarkable products and would recommend to anyone who has encountered same problem. 
Thank you again Killer strands for making my hair come back to life!!! :) 

Christine ....... Wayne, N.J.