Lots of women dye their hair every day. Some do it to hide gray hairs, some don’t like their natural hair color while others simply like to experiment. But whatever the reason, have you ever wondered how these dyes work and why some last longer than others? If you’re curious, read on:
Temporary and semi-permanent dyes
Temporary and semi-permanent dyes contain synthetic or plant-derived dyes that coat the surface of the cuticle but don’t penetrate it. These molecules are really small and washing hair a few times is enough to remove them and go back to your natural color. Because they don’t last long, they are the way to go for people that only want a subtle change or wanna see how a shade looks on them before using permanent dyes which are much harder to remove.
Demi-permanent and permanent dyes
Demi-permanent and permanent dyes contain pretty much the same ingredients, but in different concentrations: they are smaller in the demi-permanent type and that’s why they last less. These dyes need an alkaline base (it means the ph is higher than 7; in this case it usually is 10 or 11) to make the hair shaft swell and open so that the dye molecules can enter inside the cortex.
Then, Ammonia and Hydrogen Peroxide are used to remove your natural color from your hair. In addition, these ingredients react with th dye molecules that have entered the hair shaft, making them grow too big to exit the hair shaft and be washed out. This is why these dyes are so longlasting and hard to remove.
With permanent dyes, it is best to let your natural hair color grow again, but if you really hate how your hair turned out, then visit your hair stylist cos by trying to remove it at home you can damage your hair even more. These types of dyes in fact contain harsh chemicals that can damage hair if used too often, so be careful when you use them.
Do you dye your hair? If you do, what type of dye do you use?
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve dyed my hair white, black, and (literally) everything in between. Lately I’ve been using Manic Panic. It’s not harsh on my hair and they have tons of colours.
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Brushes!!! =-.
Michelle, you must really like experiment with your hair color!
I’m glad you found something that works for you without ruining your hair. 
i used to go to hair saloon to color my hair, but i recently find that home treatment is actually doing less damage to my hair!
.-= prettybeautiful´s last blog ..Purchase from StrawberryNet: Bobby Brown Mini Brush Set =-.
Thanks for this post Gio! I never dyed my hair but I’ve always wanted to try platinum blonde. Unfortunately I can’t find any temporary dye that will give me that color, I even asked on salons. I can choose a darker shade then my natural color, but that’s about it.
prettybeautiful, I only dyed my hair to the salon but had to stop cause it was damaging them too much, plus it was a pretty expensive habit. It’s good to know that home treatments are gentler on the hair, I guess they use smaller concentrations of harsh chemicals.
Tavia, you’re welcome and what a shame! Going a lighter shade if your hair’s dark can be very risky and difficult unfortunately. But your natural hair color is beautiful!