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 . . .

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:

 or this example of this actor:

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.

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

 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.