Seeing RED!
Every Woman Can Be a Gorgeous Red Head
From deep auburn to bright carrot, red is one of the most desired hair color shades in the world. Part of red’s appeal may be its rarity. Natural redheads are found in less than 2% of the worldwide population and up to 6% of the United States. Generally speaking, lighter skin tones should opt for lighter, warmer reds and darker skin tones should choose among deeper, cooler red shades. Personality definitely plays a part in choosing a red. An outgoing and daring personality is often attracted to a brighter more intense red shade—and can usually pull it off!
If there’s any downside to going red, it is that red shades tend to fade more quickly than others, which is why using an after color treatment isimperative for reds. You can rinse hair color for 24 hours straight and never remove all of the traces of the developer (hydrogen peroxide). The traces that remain in the hair continue to slowly oxidize, which is why all hair color will have some fading after about a week and a half. An after color treatment stops oxidation, removes traces of developer, closes the cuticle layer, and restores the hair and scalp to their normal pH level, which means you’ll have longer-lasting, more vibrant color. We use John Masters Organics Herbal Cider in the salon.
The cardinal post-coloring rule: Wait at least two days to wash your hair. Washing right away can cause the cuticle (your hair's outermost layer) to lift, allowing the color to seep out. To maintain the brightness of your Annie-like locks, we recommend using a color-treated shampoo and conditioner when you do decide to suds up. These formulas don't contain harsh detergents, so they won't strip your strands of its hue. Shampoo no more than every other day, and even less, if possible. On non-shampooing days, rinse hair and condition your ends. Choose a shampoo that is pH balanced for color-treated hair. Harsh detergents that extract oils from the hair can also extract the dyes. Look for a sulfate-free shampoo or cleansing conditioner for gentlest treatment. Always use cool water, especially for rinsing hair. Hot water can also slightly raise the cuticle layer. Cool water keeps the outer layer of the hair strand smooth, thus keeping the color molecules locked deep inside. After coloring your hair red you should not enter a swimming pool for up to two weeks because the negative effect of chlorinated water on the color is even stronger than the effect of tap water.
New growth should retouched in the salon every 4-5 weeks. However, as soon as the red hair fades between color treatments you can use a color rinse in a matching shade. The rinse maintains the brilliance of the red color. Semi-permanent or demi-permanent colors or color glosses should be used, as needed, to refresh faded ends on permanent hair color.
Red pigments are light-sensitive. Protect hair from the sun with hair care products that contain UV inhibitors and/or a scarf or hat. The natural abundance of red pigments in the hair is accompanied by the most UV light-sensitive skin type. Redheads should therefore stay out of the midday sun, use hair care products which protect against UV rays, or wear a hat to cover their heads. Red hair attracts attention, so split ends are therefore noticed much easier. We recommend trimming the ends of colored red hair at least every 6-8 weeks.
Redheads must usually make do with general protective hair care products for color-treated hair. No doubt, it pays to use them anyhow. Generally, hair care products for color-treated hair contain a particularly high concentration of nurturing and protective agents, such as anti-oxidants. Use a weekly cure or hair treatment to keep the red pigments and the lustre in your hair. Different from conditioners, hair cures contain hair care ingredients, which actually penetrate the hair and can fill out gaps in the outer hair structure, the cuticle. As a result, the red pigments remain in the hair for a longer time as the cuticle layer is more closed.