Colouring Grey - A Guide to successful Home Hair Colouring

1. All about grey hair
The results of a recent survey we conducted entitled "The power of Colour" came to three main conclusions: grey hair is "generally considered to be unflattering" Grey hair can make people "look a great deal older and colder" Grey hair can give people an "I don’t care attitude" towards their appearance. It also revealed that, because women are likely to be undergoing significant physical and psychological changes at the same time as turning grey, the need to cover grey hair prior to menopause was recognised as an "emotive issue". For men too, the "culture of youth" means that they too, frequently find greying temples less of a "distinguished" addition to their appearance.

2. The Grey Hair Clock
It is possible to start going grey at a relatively young age, even during teenage years, but more usually initial grey hairs may start to appear during your mid twenties. Certainly by your mid thirties you may feel the need to consider covering grey and by your forties you will, in all likelihood be doing just that. If your contemplating colouring your hair to disguise grey, then start as soon as possible before you are tempted to pull them out!

3. The Psychology of Going Grey
Psychological problems associated with going grey varies from person to person. Greying hair is associated with the onset of "old age" but in reality it is merely a natural process which is dependent on your genetic make up. All is by no means lost! Fortunately most people start going grey very slowly so you can do something positive and be in control from the word go!

4. Physical Changes in Hair Texture
There is no such thing as an actual grey hair strand. Hair which appears grey is composed of white strands combined with hair which retains its original pigment. The white strands of hair often have a different texture to pigmented hairs. They tend to be thicker and coarser and also prone to frizz or kink. this makes colouring and indeed styling, more difficult but it can still be done successfully at home.

5. The Art of Disguise
If you wear your hair swept back off your face, any grey areas at the temples will show. However, by adapting a favourite style you can create a more flattering look. Never be afraid to experiment with new styles. Just because you have always worn your hair off your face, doesn’t mean you won’t look great with a textured fringe or sides and these will disguise greyness far longer.

6. Be Aware of Traumatic Alopecia
NEVER be tempted to pull out even a single grey hair. If you succumb you can actually traumatise the roots by doing this, which may cause the hair to grow back thicker and stronger or even not to grow back at all! Whilst it is a myth that pulling out a grey hair will cause two to grow in its place, root trauma is not and baldness (traumatic alopecia) is very common!

7. So remember...
Going grey happens to almost everyone and is not an indicator of poor health or impending old age! Adapt your style to camouflage grey areas at the temples. The change in texture of grey hairs is normal, this can be improved with good colouring formulae. Start colouring before greyness becomes noticeable. Don’t choose a darker shade than your natural colour if you want to avoid added regrowth problems. At first try just colouring the most obvious grey areas so they blend in with the rest of your hair, as this is less hassle and saves time and money.

8. Salon or Home
If you can afford the time and money, a visit to the salon is the best place to deal with the problem of greying hair. Hairdressers have subtle and not so subtle techniques, many of which are truly skillful. However, if your expectations are simple, then home colouring may meet your demands. You may just want to match greyness with your natural base colour. Alternatively you may want to use the grey strands to add coloured texture or as naturally occurring highlights. If you know what is easy and what is not, you will be able to decide whether home colouring is for you, bearing in mind your budget and time constraints. Millions of people have enjoyed success in colouring their hair at home for many years!

9. Budget and Lifestyle
Full head colouring has to be carried out more frequently particularly if you have chosen a shade which is very different from your natural colour. If your natural colour is now totally grey, then the darker the shade you choose, regrowth will be more of a problem. Equally, if you have less grey and your hair is naturally still dark, choosing to go lighter even blond, will be high maintenance! Therefore if you are on a strict budget, have a busy lifestyle or travel a lot, stay as near your natural colour as you can.

10. Minimise the chemicals!
All Ammonia and Hydrogen Peroxide based colourant manufacturers claim their products have "special conditioning benefits!. In reality, the cosmetic sheen created is merely that!. It will last for approximately two weeks and you are then left with hair that shows the structural damage caused by the Hydrogen Peroxide and/or Ammonia to some degree.

11. Keep it simple!
Be subtle with colour and keep it as close as possible to your natural base shade.

12. Seek professional advice
Have a consultation with your hairdresser before deciding on home colouring for some useful hints and tips! Remember grey hair can be very attractive, especially if you have a skin tone and eye colour which suits blue/lilac/grey/pink clothing.

Understanding Home Colourants

Level 0 - Temporary Colours - These are water based rinses lasting for 1 - 3 shampoos. They are peroxide free and will not damage the condition of your hair. The effect is usually subtle. They can also be used to enhance faded "coloured" hair quite well and often improve shine. As they are acid based they can be useful if you are going to spend time in the sun as they can act as an invisible "parasol" safeguarding a tint from oxidising.

They are available in various forms - setting lotions, shampoos, conditioners and mousses. Water rinses are sometimes applied at the same time as a roller set, as the set generally lasts for a week so to does the colour. However if you wash your hair frequently they are of little use - they can even run if you get caught in the rain!

As level 0 colourants are thin primary tones, choosing a shade more than 2 shades darker than they can look unnatural. Level 0 colourants are better for fine tuning fair hair tones rather than covering grey on a dark base colour.

Level 1 - Semi Permanent Colourants - True "semi’s last between 6 - 8 washes. They are harmless as they do not contain peroxide. Semis are available in mousse, coloured conditioner and in liquid gel formats. They can enhance and enrich your colour but as they lack peroxide they will not lighten it. You can use semi’s to enhance faded tints between full colouring applications and they also provide "parasol" protection in the sun. Some semis give a degree of grey coverage albeit very temporary (up to 3 washes). Coloured conditioners give superb shine too as the colour molecules can form a highly reflective cocoon over the cuticle layers.

Level 2 - New Generation - Longer Lasting Semi/Demi Permanent Colourants - These colourants owe their chemistry more to permanent tints rather than 6 - 8 wash semis. They contain an alkaline chemical called MEA in place of ammonia and the peroxide level is lower in strength when compared to a permanent colour. "Tone on Tone" and "Demi Colourants are both Level 2.
Tone on Tone These contain a low level of peroxide usually around 3%. The colours offered are usually bright aimed at those wishing to enrich or radically enhance a dull natural colour making them unsuitable for natural looking grey coverage. They usually take between 10 and 20 minutes to process and the colour fades over time lasting up to around 12 washes. The brighter shades in Daniel Field™ Natural Colours range may suit you better as they can give similar effects without damaging the hair at all!
Demi Colourants These have a higher peroxide level up to 4.6%. The shades are generally more natural and although they are formulated to cover some grey, the coverage is usually not very good. As the peroxide level is higher, the lightening effect is increased, this becomes more apparent when the colour fades after approximately 10 washes. Repeated use will cause structural damage to hair.

Level 3 - Permanent Colourants - Level 3 colours contain peroxide levels starting at 6% going up to 12% for lighter shades plus ammonia. The ammonia is present to swell the hair shaft to allow the colour molecules to lodge inside. The dye then re-colours the lightened effect to the shade selected. All Level 3 colourants work in this way.
Ammonia is very alkaline and when mixed with Peroxide causes further damage. 6% strength Peroxide is the lowest strength necessary to achieve really good grey coverage but you only need to use colourants containing Hydrogen Peroxide and Ammonia if you want an overall lighter effect than your natural hair colour.

Daniel Field™ Natural Colours - If you want to cover grey effectively without lightening your natural colour then Daniel Field™ Natural Colours will give you a textured and believable result without causing any damage to your hair whatsoever. Natural Colours also fade gradually unlike the dyes found in traditional Level 3 Permanent Colourants. The dye pigments used in Level 2 and Level 3 Colourants fade relatively quickly particularly when exposed to strong sunlight causing blondes to become brassy, rich copper tones and reds to lose their vibrancy and even black shades can turn an unwelcome red.

Expertly Does it! - Avoiding pitfalls

1. Always do a "skin patch test" according to the manufacturers instructions. Even if you have used the product before it’s worth repeating it as anyone can become allergic to hair dyes (PPD’s) at any time.

2. Plan to colour your hair when you know you won’t be interrupted.

3. Don’t colour your hair too near an important event, in case you don’t like the result. You will have to time to have it rectified if things go wrong!

4. Wear protective gloves and clothing (e.g. an old shirt) and old towels secured with a clip. Colourants will stain most fabrics, but accidental spills can be resolved with a blast of hair spray which will stop the processing instantly.

5. Protect the floor with an old sheet or lots of newspaper. Carpets and tile grout dye too!

6. Apply a thin layer of Vaseline or conditioner close to your hairline. Don’t allow it to touch the hair as this will prevent the colour penetrating the hair.

7. Stubborn skin stains can be removed with milk!

8. Get a friend to help! Its much easier to get someone to apply the colour evenly especially at the back of your head.

9. Apply the product to bone dry hair if stated in the instruction leaflet.

Strand Testing
Many people choose to do a strand test when using a new shade. Conventional colourants requiring a Ammonia and/or Peroxide Developer have to be used as soon as they are mixed so unless the Developer and the dye come separately this is is not possible. If you can do a strand test, choose a grey strand and a natural base strand. You will be amazed by how much they differ and choosing just one area will make it harder to imagine the effect on a whole head!

Maintaining your colour
Use a gentle shampoo when washing your hair. Daniel Field™ new shampoos are ideal as they are free from Sodium Lauryl/Laureth sulphate. Always protect coloured and lightened hair when you are in the sun or swimming. Working 12 drops of Daniel Field™ Smooth & Shine Liquid Serum, 3 at a time through the hair beforehand will really protect hair from chlorine damage. The sun affects all hair colours but peroxide based colours are affected more than most. If wearing a hat is not an option, a 6-8 wash semi permanent colourant on top of your colour will act as an invisible parasol. Use a shade lighter than the colour you are and refresh after every 4 washes to protect your hair from the lightening effect of UV rays.