Dyes for gray hair. How to paint without ammonia, highlighting, color palette of professional paints

Gray hair is not the most pleasant phenomenon both from an aesthetic point of view and from a health point of view, especially for women. Therefore, the fair sex has been looking for ways to eliminate gray hair for a long time or, in extreme cases, to disguise it. And one of these ways is to dye gray hair.

Why is gray hair difficult to paint

Human hair color is determined by the presence of melanin pigment in the hair structure. When dyeing the strands, the paint substances bind to the pigment and form a new shade. With age, melanin is lost, the hair becomes colorless, "gray".

The hair scales, closely adjacent to each other, form a dense layer. In this case, it is difficult for a dye of a composition that is gentle for gray hair to penetrate into the core, and the resulting shade is quickly washed out.

Uneven graying of hair complicates the coloring. The final color of the gray strands is significantly different from the rest of the curls.

What is pre-pigmentation

The gray hair covers the head completely, or in areas: strands, spots, on the roots regrown after staining. Uneven "silver" experts do not recommend toning with one color. Gray hair becomes too bright.

It is recommended to pre-pigment the hair before dyeing. The procedure involves the enrichment of gray hair with lost pigment. Subsequent staining will give an even desired tone for a long time.

Professionals will help you get a good result without harming your hair. In the role of a prepigmentator, masters take permanent or semi-permanent paint, which must be diluted in water.

The choice of tone depends on the structure of the gray hair. For soft hair, a composition with a tone lighter than the desired shade is recommended, for coarse hair - a tone darker. The paint can be replaced with a special liquid dye.

How is prepigmentation done

The prepigmentation process depends on the brand of the selected product. Instructions for use are indicated on the paint packaging.

There are several ways to carry out the procedure:

• It is necessary to take half a jar of paint, mix with water in a 1: 2 ratio. Cover gray areas of hair with the resulting mixture for 15-20 minutes. After the specified time, process the rest of the strands with the second half of the paint mixed with a 3% oxidizer. It is recommended to wash off the composition after 30-40 minutes.
• Cover the gray hair with a concentrated product without adding water for 10-15 minutes. Then it is recommended to comb out excess dye with a comb with rare teeth and apply the required color mixed with an oxidizing agent over the entire length of the hair.

• Gray strands are tinted with a dye composition mixed with water 1: 1. After 5-10 minutes. the excess mixture is removed with a napkin, and the rest of the hair length is dyed in the desired tone.

Recommendations for coloring gray hair

Dye for gray hair will allow you to get the desired uniform tone, keep the strands healthy, if you follow the recommendations of professionals:

• When choosing a coloring agent, you should focus on the quality of the brand. A professional product is expensive, but it has a strong effect and is gentle on the hair.

It is necessary to pay attention to the percentage of the oxidizing agent applied. With a small amount of gray hair, you should choose 3% oxide. If half of your hair is gray, a 6% oxidizer will do. Completely gray hair will help to dye 9% or 12% oxide.

It should be remembered: the higher the figure of the percentage of the oxidizer, the more it dries out the hair and makes it brittle.

• Before starting staining, you must make sure that there is no allergy to the paint. A small amount of dye should be applied to sensitive skin around the bend of the elbow. The redness that appears on the first day will make it clear that the selected composition is unacceptable.
• Masters advise to apply paint on hair that has not been washed for three days. The fatty film on them will protect against the harmful effects of chemicals.
• You need to use the mixture immediately after its preparation.
• The package includes gloves to protect your hands from burns.
• It is recommended to start staining from the occipital region. Here the reaction is slower due to the lower skin temperature.
• For long-lasting uniform coloring, each strand is generously lubricated with a mixture.
• The reaction of the composition proceeds faster in a warm, unventilated room. The oxidant must bind with oxygen, so you should not wrap your head in a scarf or polyethylene.
• For an even lasting shade in 5 min. before washing off the dye, you need to moisten your head with water, rubbing with your hands. Then wash your hair with shampoo.
• The balm enclosed in the package will moisturize, nourish and strengthen the curls after a chemical reaction.

• Scalp wounds are a contraindication to hair dyeing. Carrying out the procedure during pregnancy, the menstrual cycle, strong nervous tension, changing climatic conditions can end up with an uneven spotty shade.

Differences between professional paints and household paints

Comparing professional hair dye and household, we can highlight their distinctive features:

• The sale of household paint is widespread in ordinary shops and stalls. Professional dye can only be purchased at hairdressing salons.
• A professional product at a price higher than a household one.
• The set of household dye includes a high-percentage oxidizer, which is the same for all hair types. However, uneven gray hair requires the selection of a certain percentage of oxide. Using a professional product, an oxidizer suitable for the amount of gray hair is purchased separately.
• A high percentage of household product oxide significantly harms the structure of gray hair, makes it dry, brittle, tangled.
• The household product contains metal salts that cause various diseases in the body. There are no such elements in a professional tool.

• The smell of household paint has a strong ammonia tint and lasts for several days on the hair. The aroma of a professional product is lighter, washed off immediately after painting.
• A professional product in a larger amount than a household product contains substances that restore and nourish hair after dyeing.
• Professional dyes make it possible to mix shades with each other, getting new tones.

Professional dye for gray hair

You should not use a professional product at home. It must be mixed with a pre-selected oxidizing agent. The procedure should be handled by a master in a specialized salon. A specialist will help you choose the oxide that suits the client's gray hair type.

The best results are shown by products containing ammonia. The element loosens a dense layer of gray hair scales and allows the dye to penetrate inside.

The professional product has a concentrated composition of dyes. Due to their fractional size, they easily fill the void of gray hair. Nutrients that are saturated with the composition of professional paints will help to revive the curls damaged during painting.

How to choose a dye for gray hair

The professional series gray hair dye is selected according to the amount of gray hair and the structure of the hair shaft. The thicker the hair, the more concentrated the dye you need to take and the high percentage of oxide. Natural natural dyes, tint balms and shampoos do not give the desired persistent shade.

How to choose a shade

With a small amount of gray hair, any shade of professional paint will do. but you will need to tint the roots every two weeks, and once a month refresh the color of the strands. For a large amount of gray hair, it is not recommended to radically change the color. The shade will be unexpected. Professionals recommend taking a dye that is not much lighter or darker than natural hair.

A good result will be obtained by mixing two shades of professional paint: natural and desired in a 1: 1 ratio. For blondes, experts advise ashy, light brown, wheat tones, for brunettes - an intense dark color that paints well a hard hair shaft.

Thin, sparse hair, regardless of its natural shade, is best dyed in light colors, otherwise dark strands will disadvantageously emphasize the white scalp.

Estelle paint

Estelle dye manufacturers have created a separate series for gray hair, Estel De Luxe Silver.

Ammonia-free creamy paint is easily applied to hair. The product is suitable for gray hair over 40%. The palette has 61 shades. For 100% gray hair, a 9/65 tone is suitable.

Advantages: the composition contains a shimmering pigment, restoring, nourishing components, chestnut extract, chitosan, additional protection for curls is provided by a caring emulsion.

Disadvantages: the product dries hair, has an unpleasant odor during coloring.

Loreal paint

The Loreal company has released two series of dyes for gray hair.

The Casting Creme Gloss line does not contain ammonia, so it does not dry hair or irritate the scalp. The palette has more than 30 shades. Advantages: does not spread, does not smell of chemicals, does not injure hair, gives a bright and rich color. The composition includes royal jelly, which has nutritional properties. Disadvantage: the shade is quickly washed off.

The L'Oreal Recital Preference series with ammonia, thanks to the concentrated composition of the dyes, ensures that the saturated shade is retained for two months. The kit includes a softening balm with vitamin E and a substance that protects hair from drying out by the sun.

For the amount of gray hair over 80%, the company created a special paint Color Supreme, including the regenerating complex Densilum-R.

Matrix paint

A series of paints by Matrix Socolor Dream Age - dyes with a small amount of ammonia for dyeing gray hair over 50%.

A feature of the product is that there is no need to mix the desired tone with another shade of paint.

According to the instructions, the selected shade is mixed with Matrix activator 6% or 9% in a 1: 1 ratio, applied to the hair.

The destructive effect of ammonia is neutralized by the ceramides and oils included in the paint. Olive, burdock and jojoba oils restore and nourish weakened, brittle hair.The palette of the series has 19 shades.

Advantages of the dye: creamy texture of the composition, the presence of nourishing components, obtaining a rich, stable shade when painting gray hair, the volume of the dye tube is 90 ml, the kit contains an oxide.

Disadvantages: The contained ammonia dries out the hair.

Advantages and disadvantages of ammonia-free paint

Ammonia-free dye for gray hair can penetrate into the void of the gray hair, which means it does not violate its structure.

Benefits of ammonia-free dyes:

• Doesn't damage hair.
• Provides shine and rich color.
• Suitable for lovers of frequent dyeing of strands.
• Contains oils to nourish hair.

Disadvantages:

• The shade of paint is washed off every time you wash your hair, and after a month and a half it disappears completely.
• Poorly paint over gray hair.
• They do not give the opportunity to radically change the color. Can be lightened only by 1-2 tones.
• Expensive.

Home dyeing

It is recommended to use the paint after pre-pigmentation. For this, masters use a seven-permanent dye. The tone is selected one lighter than the desired dark dye, or two tones lighter than the selected light shade. However, for coarse hair, you should take an option two shades darker than the final result. The mixture is kept on the head for 20 minutes.

It is possible to reveal the scales of gray hair in another way - with the help of an oxidizing agent. For soft curls, a 6% oxidizer is taken, and for hard strands, a 9% oxide. The product is removed with a towel after 20 minutes. excerpts.

Toning shampoos, balms, semi-permanent dyes are not able to properly paint over gray hair. In this case, you will need permanent permanent paint. It is first necessary to test the composition for allergies. It is not recommended to radically change the color of the strands, you can lighten a little or make it a tone darker.

To avoid getting an unnatural shade, experts recommend mixing the dye of the selected tone with the dye of the natural hair tone in a 1: 1 ratio. Following the instructions of the instructions, initially the product is applied to the roots, kept for the specified number of minutes, then distributed over the entire length of the hair. After the recommended time, the paint is washed off.

The hair coloring reaction is slowed down in a cold room. However, you cannot cover your head with scarves, since oxygen is needed to bond the dye with the oxidizing agent.

Highlighting with diffuse gray hair

The even distribution of gray hairs on the head among the pigmented ones (diffuse gray hair) is perfectly masked by highlighting. The procedure is less damaging to hair than dyeing all strands, it is not carried out as often as dyeing. However, the procedure is suitable for gray hair less than 50% with light scalp, and less than 30% of the total amount of dark hair.

The curls before the process should be of a natural shade. If the strands have been colored, you need to start highlighting after a month. Damaged, split ends must be treated in advance. Experts recommend staining with a persistent permanent paint, 1-2 tones different from the natural shade.

Small amounts of gray hair can be dyed with a semi-permanent ammonia-free product. If the hair is long, it is preferable to use foil, medium and short, it is recommended to dye it with a cap.

The cap is worn tightly over combed hair. Strands of the required thickness are crocheted from the holes.

The prepared mixture is smeared with a brush on elongated hair, starting from the crown, heading to the back of the head. Then the head must be covered with polyethylene and held for the number of minutes specified in the instructions.

When rinsing, experts advise against removing the cap so that the rest of the hair does not stain. Moisten the curls with balm, remove the cap, rinse your head well.

To use the foil, the hair must first be divided into 8 zones, fastened with hairpins. The foil is cut into strips. The mixture is recommended to be applied from the occipital area.

A strand is applied to the side of the foil smeared with paint, the hair is abundantly lubricated with a coloring agent. Next, the strip is folded across the strand inward, gluing the lower end of the foil to the upper one. You can secure the curl with a hair clip.

Further, choosing the strands in a checkerboard pattern, paint over the entire back of the head, then the temples and the crown. Rinse off the product in the same order as it was applied, washing each strand on the foil. At the last stage, you need to wash your entire head, apply a balm.

Highlighting with a special comb is the easiest method. But often the hair is colored unevenly. It is necessary to divide the hair into parts, fix it with hairpins. Apply the dye to the comb. Moving from the occipital zone to the crown, you need to comb each strand from the roots to the ends. After the specified time, wash your hair, apply a nourishing balm to your hair.

Henna and basma staining

The most harmless to hair are natural dyes: henna and basma. Their natural substances strengthen the walls of the hair shaft. However, the dyes are quickly washed off, so you often have to tint the strands.

It is not recommended to dye your hair with natural dye until the pigments of the chemical dye are washed off, and vice versa. Substances of natural composition react with foreign dyes. It is worth waiting a month. Experts recommend giving up natural dyes in case of perming hair. It will not be possible to predict the result.

Henna stains a fiery red color, basma gives a rich black with a marsh green tint.

Professionals recommend mixing these dyes:

• 1 part henna with 2 parts basma gives a golden chestnut hue;
• 2 parts henna to 1 part basma produces a copper color;
• when mixing henna and basma in equal proportions, you can get a golden blond tone.

You can enrich the palette with shades by adding a decoction of nettle, chamomile, walnut shells, turmeric to the paint. It turns out golden, chestnut, copper, black shades. Adding coffee or black tea to the dye mixture allows you to get a chocolate hue.

Before staining with natural dye experts advise to check the skin for sensitivity to components. Then wash your hair with shampoo. It is advisable to lubricate the scalp along the contour of the hairline with a nourishing cream to avoid staining the skin. Then the mixture is applied.

Natural dyes work best when the hair is covered with a towel cap. It is necessary to wash off the mixture from the head very carefully until the water jet is transparent. Apply balm.

The duration of hair coloring affects the brightness of the resulting color. According to the advice of professionals, the dye is kept on the strands for 4-8 hours. Important: when wetting strands tinted with natural means with chlorine or sea water, a greenish tint may appear.

Pros and cons of natural dyes

Natural dyes have advantages and disadvantages:

Using tinted shampoos

Tint shampoos are also harmless coloring agents. The dyes in their composition, without going deep into the structure of the hair, cover it with a colored film that protects it from the damage of sunlight and cold. The coloring agent does not contain an oxidizing agent and ammonia. Its purpose is to refresh the natural color of the strands.

It is impossible to radically change the color of the curls using this cosmetics. The vitamins, trace elements, herbal components, proteins present in the shampoo help to restore the health of damaged hair. The absence of harmful substances allows pregnant women to use the product.

Tint shampoo will help to paint over gray hair with the amount of colorless hair less than 30%. The composition better helps to disguise the "silver" blondes than brunettes and brown-haired women. With a large amount of gray hair, experts recommend a silver tone, otherwise natural shades will do.

Ash strands will advantageously disguise cognac color, or tones of golden and honey blonde. Toning shampoo in blue or purple tones will remove yellowness, elegantly highlight the silver shade of gray curls. The master is advised to use the product no more than once every seven days, otherwise the hair structure is disturbed.

Instructions for using tinted shampoos are written on the packaging:

1. Check the product for the possibility of allergies. It is necessary to drip shampoo on the wrist, after 10 minutes. see the presence or absence of redness on the skin. When applying the composition, it is still recommended to protect the skin of the hands with gloves.
2. Tint shampoo is applied to wet hair, whipped into a lather. After 5 min. the composition is thoroughly washed off. To get a more saturated shade, it is worth keeping the composition on the head longer.

Pros and cons of tinted shampoos

Tinted shampoos have advantages and disadvantages:

Author: Usova Inga

Article design:Natalie Podolskaya

Video about dyeing gray hair

Video about gray hair dyes - which ones to choose, with or without ammonia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnKMSkaPZMo