Diary of a Colorist
What is color? Light is constantly bouncing on and off objects around us. When we open our eyes, light enters. The colors that we see, are the reflection of light bouncing off the object. This is why everyone sees color differently. Hair colorists study the color wheel. This is how we are able to achieve the right shade when coloring hair.
Hair fading brassy? Red and orange molecules are small, making them easy to penetrate the hair’s cuticle and easy for them to enter the eye. Red and orange are especially prominent to the eye versus all other colors in the spectrum. This is why orange and yellow are always left behind after color starts to fade, and why those warm tones are harder to “get out” of the hair, that’s because it’s how the eye perceives them.
But why does my artificial red hair color fade so fast? Thats because most artificial reds are more red-violet heavy. Once you cross into the violet part of the color wheel the molecules get bigger, making them easier to fall out of the hair’s cuticle. Violet, blue and green have the largest molecules making them less likely to enter the eye when color starts to fade.
Why does color theory matter? Understanding color theory keeps a colorist’s mind at ease knowing they can trust the scientific backing of the color wheel and law of color. During the consultation of a hair color service, talking about color theory is beneficial. Informing our clients in a loving way to the best of our ability is crucial to delivering a safe and complete color service.
Always.
