Coloring
~by Jenteel, BGLH Resident Hair Expert
All photos in this piece are of J’s hair.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER BEFORE COLORING
1. why do you want to color your hair?
a) is it worth any potential risk? not just potential tress damage, could it damage your “look”?
i) is it just a passing fancy? do you really want it or are you envious of your fave star’s new look?
ii) a necessity? “i’m bored jenteel! put it on me!/i’m not ready to embrace my gray!” move on to next question!
2. assess the condition of your hair
a) is it damaged?
i) yes?: then work on rebuilding it 1st through protein & deep conditioning treatments
ii) no! “my hair is healthy and strong!” great! move on to next question!
3. do you want a temporary or permanent look?
a) consider maintenance and upkeep
4. what color do you want?
a) look for hints in your skin color, undertones and eye color
b) try on different colored wigs
5. are you going to do it at home or a professional?
a) professional: you are more likely to get better results
i) know what you want; don’t be bullied into doing something you don’t want!
b) at home: work quickly and be patient! do a test run: patch test anyone?!
COLORING PRODUCTS LISTED IN ORDER FROM MOST “RISKY” TO SAFEST, NATURAL OPTIONS
Commercial brand permanent and semi-permanent hair color
1. Permanent color
• i never recommend permanent color as everyone’s hair is not strong enough
• don’t downplay the importance of a patch test!
• can be too damaging to use for grays because you will be using it often which can lead to damage
2. Semi-permanent colors/rinses
• semi-permanent colors wash out after several washes
• sometimes don’t deposit well over african-type hair unless it has been previously bleached or is very porous by nature
Natural hair color
3. Natural-based hair dyes
i get a lot of questions about my hair color!!
the brand i use aveda falls into this category
i don’t use aveda color for grays, but for fun!
aveda touts color created without the use of ppds:
ppd (p-phenylenediamine) – a petrochemical derived from petroleum used in almost all commercial/salon brand color
• aveda’s semi-permanent color is 99% natural
• permanent color is 97% natural
• and permanent deep spectrum color(to lift really dark hair) is 93% natural
• permanent colors contain peroxide (the only way to lift natural color) and low ammonia content but significantly less than your average salon color or box color (adds up to the small percentage of chemical in their dye)
• after 15 minutes color takes on a conditioning effect to avoid overprocessing
• colors are combined w/ oils and oxidized using green tea extract
(these people should be paying me!)
4. Natural box colors
include aubrey organics color me natural and naturtint
click on this article for more info on natural hair color
HERBS USED IN COLORING
herbal teas
you can make an herbal tea to add to your henna or as a rinse to “highlight” hair
• hibiscus, rosemallow, imparts a reddish tone to the hair
• chamomile is wonderful for light colored hair
• indigo mentioned earlier has anti-dandruff properties & soothing to the scalp
• heartwood extract derived from the acacia catechu tree (black catechu) produces a brown color
• a black dye can be extracted from the plant “false daisy” more popularly known as bhringaraj, eclipta alba which is well known for preventing dandruff and hair loss
amla, indian gooseberry, is a very important herb in indian culture
• mild detergent (antiviral/antibacterial) and rich in vitamin c
• will not “color” your hair but it is said to prevent hair loss and premature graying
• sold in oil or powder form in indian grocery stores
• use the oil alone or mixed with a conditioner as a pre-treatment the night before washing your hair
• make your own amla oil by soaking the alma powder in your favorite thick oil (strain it to catch those pesky bits bits that do not dissolve) i use almond oil because it is loaded with vitamins; other great oils to soak your powder in: avocado, wheat germ, macadamia, etc.
• use amla powder mixed with other indian powders to make a natural hair wash
search for an indian store in your neighborhood
ok!
now you are informed, so go make informed decisions!
best of luck and welcome to the wonderful world of color!!! 
~j~
