Becoming A Healthy Eater by Ginger Malone
Being a healthy eater requires you to become both educated and smart about what healthy eating actually is. Being food smart isn't about learning to calculate grams or fat, or is it about studying labels and counting calories.
Healthy eating is all about balanced and moderate eating, consisting of healthy meals at least three times per day. Healthy eaters eat many different types of foods, not limiting themselves to one specific food type or food group.
Eating healthy requires quite a bit of leeway. You might eat too much or not enough, consume foods that are sometimes more or less nutritious. However, you should always fuel your body and your brain regularly with enough food to keep both your mind and body strong and alert.
FREE Weight Loss Support & Advice complements of Botanic Choice!
A healthy eater is a good problem solver. Healthy eaters have learned to take care of themselves and their eating with sound judgment and making wise decisions. Healthy eaters are always aware of what they eat, and know the effect that it will have on their bodies.
When someone is unable to take control of their eating, they are also likely to get out of control with other aspects of life as well. They could end up spending too much, talking too much, even going to bed later and later.
You should always remember that restricting food in any way is always a bad thing. Healthy eating is a way of life, something that you can do to enhance your body or your lifestyle. If you've thought about making your life better, healthy eating is just the place to start. You'll make life easier for yourself, those around you, and even your family.
Ginger Malone is the co-creator of:
http://redheadedtrip.com/map.html
Monday, December 04, 2006
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Better Tanning Through Chemistry
Better Tanning Through Chemistry By Kelli Whitlock Burton Science - NOW Daily News 20 September 2006
Redheads rejoice! Scientists have found a way to chemically stimulate the tanning process without sun exposure. The approach not only offers the pallid that elusive bronze tan but could also one day reduce the risk of melanoma--a cancer that kills 6000 mostly fair-skinned people a year in the United States. The prevailing theory of how skin tans posits that ultraviolet (UV) light damages the DNA of cells called melanocytes, causing an overproduction of the darkening pigment melanin.
But a report in tomorrow's issue of Nature reveals that UV light actually harms keratinocytes, the most plentiful cell type in the skin. Once damaged, the cells release melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH), a compound that binds to a receptor on melanocytes called MC1R, which in turn stimulates the production of melanin and darkens the skin. The finding explains why many people with fair skin and red hair can't tan, says lead study author David Fisher, a medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and Children's Hospital Boston.
More info -->http://www.redheadedtrip.com/tanning.html
According to a 1995 study, these people tend to have a mutation in their MC1R gene that prevents MSH from binding to the receptor and signaling melanin release. To see whether there's any hope for the tanless, Fisher's team applied a topical cream to mice genetically altered to have fair skin and a dysfunctional MC1R receptor. The cream contains a plant-derived chemical called forskolin, which bypasses the receptor, directly activating a series of reactions normally stimulated by MC1R. In just a few weeks, the fair-skinned mice turned dark brown. Tests revealed that the melanin in the darkened mice was chemically identical to melanin produced in normal mice. What's more, the newly bronzed rodents gained benefits usually attributed to darker-skinned people: When exposed repetitively to UV light, they were far less likely to develop skin cancer than were mice that received no forskolin. But don't rush out and start rubbing yourself with plant extract. Forskolin probably has too many side effects for human use, says Fisher.
However, he notes, several currently available drugs stimulate the same pathways as forskolin, including some prescribed for asthma. "We don't know yet whether [these results] will hold up in humans, but there is enough circumstantial evidence to suggest that that would be the case," says Meenhard Herlyn, a tumor biologist at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Work with human skin has already begun, says Fisher, who hopes to report preliminary findings in about a year.
http://www.redheadedtrip.com/index.html
Redheads rejoice! Scientists have found a way to chemically stimulate the tanning process without sun exposure. The approach not only offers the pallid that elusive bronze tan but could also one day reduce the risk of melanoma--a cancer that kills 6000 mostly fair-skinned people a year in the United States. The prevailing theory of how skin tans posits that ultraviolet (UV) light damages the DNA of cells called melanocytes, causing an overproduction of the darkening pigment melanin.
But a report in tomorrow's issue of Nature reveals that UV light actually harms keratinocytes, the most plentiful cell type in the skin. Once damaged, the cells release melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH), a compound that binds to a receptor on melanocytes called MC1R, which in turn stimulates the production of melanin and darkens the skin. The finding explains why many people with fair skin and red hair can't tan, says lead study author David Fisher, a medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and Children's Hospital Boston.
More info -->http://www.redheadedtrip.com/tanning.html
According to a 1995 study, these people tend to have a mutation in their MC1R gene that prevents MSH from binding to the receptor and signaling melanin release. To see whether there's any hope for the tanless, Fisher's team applied a topical cream to mice genetically altered to have fair skin and a dysfunctional MC1R receptor. The cream contains a plant-derived chemical called forskolin, which bypasses the receptor, directly activating a series of reactions normally stimulated by MC1R. In just a few weeks, the fair-skinned mice turned dark brown. Tests revealed that the melanin in the darkened mice was chemically identical to melanin produced in normal mice. What's more, the newly bronzed rodents gained benefits usually attributed to darker-skinned people: When exposed repetitively to UV light, they were far less likely to develop skin cancer than were mice that received no forskolin. But don't rush out and start rubbing yourself with plant extract. Forskolin probably has too many side effects for human use, says Fisher.
However, he notes, several currently available drugs stimulate the same pathways as forskolin, including some prescribed for asthma. "We don't know yet whether [these results] will hold up in humans, but there is enough circumstantial evidence to suggest that that would be the case," says Meenhard Herlyn, a tumor biologist at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Work with human skin has already begun, says Fisher, who hopes to report preliminary findings in about a year.
http://www.redheadedtrip.com/index.html
Origins of Red Heads
Red Hair…Origins
By Ginger Malone
Origins of Red Hair
In the UK red hair is generally associated with people of Celtic descent, i.e Scotland and Ireland. It is believed the people of Scotland came from 5 different ethnic groups who occupied or invaded northern Britain in the dark ages. In all of recorded history, red-haired people have never been mentioned as a group except by the Romans.
The 'Picts' where foes who the Romans fought and were described as having red-hair and 'large limbs' by Roman historian Tacitus. Modern historians with the help of anthropologists have placed red-hair as a unique characteristic belonging to the Picts, who were characteristic to what is now regarded as Scottish.
As far as the world-wide distribution of red-hair is concerned, it would be fair to say that the majority may well have descended from this North-Western European region, although as with all variations between people, mutations in genes can occur and be maintained in any population provided there is no detrimentus effect to the populations growth.
Scotland has the highest proportion of redheads of any country worldwide with around 13% of the population having naturally red hair. A further 40% of Scots carry the Mc1r variant gene which results in red hair. Ireland has the second highest population of naturally redheaded people in the world, amounting to about 10% of its inhabitants.
The results of a 2001 study, by University of Edinburgh and University of Oxford teams of geneticists led by Harding and Rees caused some to speculate that the gene responsible for red hair may have originated among the Neanderthals some 100,000 years ago.[1] Red-haired people would then be descendents of Neanderthal admixtures to Cro-Magnon, and would have spread from the area of Neanderthal-Cro-Magnon contact.
More on Red Heads? Go to http://www.redheadedtrip.com/index.html
By Ginger Malone
Origins of Red Hair
In the UK red hair is generally associated with people of Celtic descent, i.e Scotland and Ireland. It is believed the people of Scotland came from 5 different ethnic groups who occupied or invaded northern Britain in the dark ages. In all of recorded history, red-haired people have never been mentioned as a group except by the Romans.
The 'Picts' where foes who the Romans fought and were described as having red-hair and 'large limbs' by Roman historian Tacitus. Modern historians with the help of anthropologists have placed red-hair as a unique characteristic belonging to the Picts, who were characteristic to what is now regarded as Scottish.
As far as the world-wide distribution of red-hair is concerned, it would be fair to say that the majority may well have descended from this North-Western European region, although as with all variations between people, mutations in genes can occur and be maintained in any population provided there is no detrimentus effect to the populations growth.
Scotland has the highest proportion of redheads of any country worldwide with around 13% of the population having naturally red hair. A further 40% of Scots carry the Mc1r variant gene which results in red hair. Ireland has the second highest population of naturally redheaded people in the world, amounting to about 10% of its inhabitants.
The results of a 2001 study, by University of Edinburgh and University of Oxford teams of geneticists led by Harding and Rees caused some to speculate that the gene responsible for red hair may have originated among the Neanderthals some 100,000 years ago.[1] Red-haired people would then be descendents of Neanderthal admixtures to Cro-Magnon, and would have spread from the area of Neanderthal-Cro-Magnon contact.
More on Red Heads? Go to http://www.redheadedtrip.com/index.html
Red Heads…. Other Interesting Facts and People By Ginger Malone
Queen Elizabeth I of England was a redhead, and during the Elizabethan era in England, red hair was fashionable. This was also the case during the rule of redhead Oliver Cromwell.
The famous children's book character Pippi Longstocking (Pippi Långstrump in Swedish) by Astrid Lindgren had bright red hair which she wore in pigtails that stuck out to the sides. Little Orphan Annie and Anne of Green Gables are also depicted with red hair.
In several Muslim countries such as Iran and Pakistan, henna is used on greying hair to give it a bright red appearance.
It is often the case that ginger hair can darken considerably as people get older, becoming a more brownish color, and if not, it may at least lose some of its vividness. This phenomenon leads some to associate red hair with youthfulness, a quality that is generally considered to be desirable.
This "gingerphobia"[ has been satirised on a number of TV shows. The British comedienne Catherine Tate appeared in a running sketch in an episode of The Catherine Tate Show in which she was forced to seek solace in a refuge for ginger people; the pejorative use of the word "ginger", and related discrimination, was used to illustrate a point about racism and prejudice in the "Ginger Kids" episode of South Park; and the British comedy Bo' Selecta! featured a spoof documentary which involved a caricature of red-haired Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall presenting a show in which celebrities (played by themselves) dyed their hair ginger for a day and went about daily life being insulted by people.
Go figure….In Australia, red haired people are often given the ironic nickname "Blue".
The Sherlock Holmes story "The Red-Headed League" (1891) was a favourite of its author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and included a sub-plot revolving around a pseudo-society restricted to redheads.
According to English legend, King Arthur had long red hair. Many Arthurian myths end with the promise of his return in Britain's hour of need. Important British figures like Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Winston Churchill, both redheads, are said to be the fulfillment of this legend.
In Pop Culture, the famous red heads include:
Nicole Kidman http://www.redheadedtrip.com/nicole.html,
Lucille Ball http://www.redheadedtrip.com/lucille.html ,
Julianne Moore http://www.redheadedtrip.com/julianne.html,
Lindsay Lohan http://www.redheadedtrip.com/lohan.html,
Jane Seymour http://www.redheadedtrip.com/seymour.html,
Rita Hayworth http://www.redheadedtrip.com/rita.html,
Marcia Cross http://www.redheadedtrip.com/Marcia.html,
Katherine Hepburn http://www.redheadedtrip.com/ann.html,
Ann-Margarethttp://www.redheadedtrip.com/ann.html.
See more on red heads @ http://www.redheadedtrip.com/index.html
Queen Elizabeth I of England was a redhead, and during the Elizabethan era in England, red hair was fashionable. This was also the case during the rule of redhead Oliver Cromwell.
The famous children's book character Pippi Longstocking (Pippi Långstrump in Swedish) by Astrid Lindgren had bright red hair which she wore in pigtails that stuck out to the sides. Little Orphan Annie and Anne of Green Gables are also depicted with red hair.
In several Muslim countries such as Iran and Pakistan, henna is used on greying hair to give it a bright red appearance.
It is often the case that ginger hair can darken considerably as people get older, becoming a more brownish color, and if not, it may at least lose some of its vividness. This phenomenon leads some to associate red hair with youthfulness, a quality that is generally considered to be desirable.
This "gingerphobia"[ has been satirised on a number of TV shows. The British comedienne Catherine Tate appeared in a running sketch in an episode of The Catherine Tate Show in which she was forced to seek solace in a refuge for ginger people; the pejorative use of the word "ginger", and related discrimination, was used to illustrate a point about racism and prejudice in the "Ginger Kids" episode of South Park; and the British comedy Bo' Selecta! featured a spoof documentary which involved a caricature of red-haired Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall presenting a show in which celebrities (played by themselves) dyed their hair ginger for a day and went about daily life being insulted by people.
Go figure….In Australia, red haired people are often given the ironic nickname "Blue".
The Sherlock Holmes story "The Red-Headed League" (1891) was a favourite of its author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and included a sub-plot revolving around a pseudo-society restricted to redheads.
According to English legend, King Arthur had long red hair. Many Arthurian myths end with the promise of his return in Britain's hour of need. Important British figures like Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Winston Churchill, both redheads, are said to be the fulfillment of this legend.
In Pop Culture, the famous red heads include:
Nicole Kidman http://www.redheadedtrip.com/nicole.html,
Lucille Ball http://www.redheadedtrip.com/lucille.html ,
Julianne Moore http://www.redheadedtrip.com/julianne.html,
Lindsay Lohan http://www.redheadedtrip.com/lohan.html,
Jane Seymour http://www.redheadedtrip.com/seymour.html,
Rita Hayworth http://www.redheadedtrip.com/rita.html,
Marcia Cross http://www.redheadedtrip.com/Marcia.html,
Katherine Hepburn http://www.redheadedtrip.com/ann.html,
Ann-Margarethttp://www.redheadedtrip.com/ann.html.
See more on red heads @ http://www.redheadedtrip.com/index.html
Lasting Hair Color
Below are ideas you can try for finding a great hair color you will love. Even us red heads need a little touch up.
Select the hair coloring product that is most compatible with your life style. If you don't have time to redo your roots every 3-4 weeks, you may want to select a hair color shade that is only 1-3 shades lighter than your natural color. The closer you go to your natural hair color, the less your roots will show as they grow out.
When your roots are less obvious, your hair color will last longer before you have to touch up your roots. Always select the type of coloring product that is easiest for you to maintain.
Apply a deep conditioning treatment to your hair a few days before coloring. The better conditioned your hair is, the easier the color will take and the longer it will last. Recently conditioned hair will also be softer and shinier. As an extra bonus, a deep conditioner will protect your hair against any possible damage from the color chemicals. See More Here--->http://www.redheadedtrip.com/last.html
Color hair that has not been washed for one day. The natural hair oils will assist in making the hair color application more successful. The color will cling better to hair that is not dry.
Use a color enhancing shampoo between applications to enhance and maintain the color. The color shampoos like Mine, Manic Panic, ARTec, Paul Mitchell and Aveda's color shampoos are specifically designed to keep your color fresh as long as possible. Be sure to use the color shampoos religiously to maintain your color. The color shampoos will help you keep your color looking good until it is time for the next application. If you don't wish to use a color enhancing shampoo then at least use gentle shampoo.
Avoid exposing your colored hair to the sun or chlorine in swimming pools. The sun may fade your hair color and the chlorine may damage the color. In some severe cases, if you have colored your hair a very light color the chlorine may leave a green tinge to your hair.
Keep your hair conditioned. Hair coloring will make your hair drier than normal. It is important to keep your hair conditioned and soft. Conditioned hair holds color better than dry, brittle or damaged hair. Conditioned hair also makes the colored hair shinier and brighter.
Add a temporary color to give you longer wear. There are several wonderful temporary hair colors now available on the mart that will give your hair a temporary color what washes out after a few shampoos. If the roots seem to be growing out a lot faster than normal, or the color looks a little faded, use a temporary color until your next permanent color application.
Use layered colors to prevent an overall faded color look. If your hair is colored all one color, or seems to fade rapidly after each color application, you may want to try a layered color look. The advantage to applying layered colors would be to have complimentary shades of darker and lighter colors which would reflect the light and give the color a multidimensional look. This would give your color a fresher, less faded look. It would also last longer because of the multiple shades woven into your hair.
A professional colorist would need to assist you with layered coloring since it can be somewhat complicated. Celebrity hairstylist Ken Paves also recommends using eye shadow in a matching color to your blonde hues and gently dabbing along the darker roots to camouflage new growth.
Couple of Notes: If you use a home hair color kit be sure to read all the instructions before you begin and always have an extra box on hand in case you run out of the mix, have an unexpected spill or the bottle is damaged in any way. If you visit a color professional, be sure that you carefully explain your lifestyle and time constraints.
http://www.redheadedtrip.com/growing.html
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Laws of Hair Color
Rules of Hair Color – Especially Red Heads
Most unwanted hair color disasters are due to the lack of understanding of the basic hair coloring "laws" of color and how they apply to hair color.
First Rule of Hair Color Color, as we perceive it, is actually the reflection of light off of the colored pigments in the hair shaft. This "reflection of light" is what we see as "color". This is why hair color appears different under fluorescent lights than in natural sunlight whether it is color from nature or from a bottle.
Levels: What They Are And How They Impact Hair Color Levels are the degree of "lightness or darkness" of a color that is "reflected or seen" by the eye. Hair color is assigned a Level 'number' from 1 to 10 with 1 being black and 10 lightest blonde. In other words, black reflects very little light and lightest blonde reflects the greatest amount of light. A level 10 blonde would be 'two steps lighter' than a level 8 blonde. This system of levels applies to all colors and almost all brands commonly found.
Different Varieties of Hair Color Permanent Hair Color Permanent is just what it means. This makes a 'permanent' change in the pigment of the hair shaft. It does not wash out! It will fade in time, but cannot be simply removed to "bring back" your natural color. All hair that has been colored in this way has the natural color pigments irreversibly chemically altered. It can be removed, leaving the "altered" hair shaft pigments, which can be "corrective colored" back close to the original color. This is a job which should be left to the Pros Only! It can be one visit or many visits to the salon to try to correct a bad color job, it is expensive and is hard on the hair to varying degrees. Single Process Color Single Process Color Is The ONLY Permanent Color That Should Be Attempted By The Amateur! Single process means that the color is lifted and deposited in one step. More info to make that color last ->http://www.redheadedtrip.com/last.html
Semi-Permanent Semi-Permanent color is what it says it is, it can cover gray and go darker, but cannot lighten. It lasts varying lengths of time depending on the product. Suitable for amateur colorists. Warning: Double Process (bleaching and toning to the desired color) should never be attempted by a home hair colorist!. This is definitely a pro-only process.
Deposit Only Color Deposit Only color can only "Deposit" color into the hair, there are many varieties on the market for the home user. These are very "User Friendly'' and usually condition and color in one step. The very popular color "glazes or translucent" colors are among the easiest to start with to enhance your color. Most use a very low 3% peroxide to activate them . Some are capable of lifting or lightening one level. Professionally, Redken SHADES EQ is my favorite, bar none! Second Rule Of Color - Do Your Homework Before You Color This means that you must be perfectly honest to yourself and about yourself and the factors that enter into hair coloring. If you are very dark haired and want to be a level 10 blonde, forget home hair coloring! While it can be and is done every day by people, some get the results that they wanted and some get horrible results.
If you don't believe me, just go to any beauty supply that is open to the public and stand around the hair color section for a while and listen to the customers’ comments. Or go to any mall or public place and just sit for a few minutes and take a silent count of how many botched color jobs you see! My heart goes out to these people because most people who color their hair are trying to improve their appearance not detract from it! There is nothing that will lower your self esteem of yourself worse than having a bad hair day whether it is a bad cut, color or perm that lasts for months.
Step #1: Select The Designed Color That You Want First you must select the desired color that you want to be, say an medium warm blonde level 8. Now that you have determined where you want to be color wise, you have to find out where you are now. By "now" I mean first the 'level' (there's that level word again) and the tone of your hair, whether it has reddish or blonde undertones considered "warm" colors or ashen "cool" undertones.
Lets say that you are a light ash brown level 6. Being a level 6 "ash" light brown means that you have an "absence of 'warm' undertones" in your hair now; but; you want to both "lighten and warm up"' the color to the desired level of an 8 warm blonde color. Doing The Math For Hair Coloring Don't panic when I say reddish or blonde undertones. Remember, I said that the color you "see" is a combination of colors reflecting off of the hair. Now you must do the math part of the 'homework'. You must use a swatch book or ring to compare your hair color as it is now to match levels and tones in natural light if at all possible. Not what you perceive, or think, or what your Aunt Flo called your color when you were a kid!!
Now that you know where you are now and where you are going, let's look at the following example of how to get there! Desired color-Warm Blonde Level = Level 8 Target color level X 2 = 16 Natural color-Light Ash Brown = Level 6 subtract this from target color level of 16 16-6=10 This gives you the number of levels to lift (= 2) and the level of color to use (=10). Note: If the total number for the level of color is 13 or larger, pre-lightening is required to achieve the desired color.
You need seek a professional for double process coloring. How Hair Is Lightened Since it has been established that the 'new' color is a combination of your old color level and tone (referred to as our 'base' color) and the new color that is deposited into the hair, you must take into account what happens when you lighten or lift the base color to another level and deposit the new pigments into the hair shaft. When hair is lightened it goes through several stages of lightening from the darkest to the lightest from a base of blue in the case of natural black to pale blonde with the palest of yellow as its base color. This lightening process fractures the color pigment creating undertones that are unwanted. To correct this, the opposite color is added to the formula to "cancel" out the unwanted tones or other secondary colors are added in varying amounts to add special effects or customize the color to an individual's desire.
Remember the color prism you were shown in grade school? It fractured light into distinct visible colors you could see. This is what you are doing with hair color except you are adding or subtracting colors to "correct or change from one color to another and change the undertones." Warning: Orange Hair When hair is lightened it produces warm or red and yellow undertones. When red and yellow are mixed they produce orange. Where have you seen orange hair? Remember the scary trip to the mall or grocery store check out line? Now you know! Referring to the 'color wheel' you know that you want to cancel out some of the red/orange undertones to prevent the dreaded orange headed affliction of the mall, but yet leave enough to keep the warm tones.
Since your natural color has a 'cool' base it will not turn as red/orange when lightened as a ' warm color' of the same level would. This is because that as the hair lightens on a ' warm' color it adds to the reds and yellows that are already present. When lightening the same level of 'cool' hair, it adds the 'missing' reds and yellows to warm up the end resulting color. This can only be checked by doing a strand test!. Always Do A Strand Test A strand test is the only reliable way to "preview" the new color. At this time adjustments can be made to the hair color formula to either add or subtract colors to enhance or cancel different undertones in the test strands. Do not be afraid of doing more than one test strand before doing overall color and always do it on uncolored hair. The length of time that the color mixture is left on can also be varied to change results. Always thoroughly dry the test strand to check for proper color and breakage/damage.
Warning: Do not attempt to color hair that has had henna or metallic dyes used on it. Tips Before Coloring Before coloring it is best to practice parting off thin parts of hair 1/4 to 1/2 inch in width depending on the density of the hair. Apply conditioner to your hair a few days before doing the actual coloring to get the hang of handling a hair color applicator bottle. In the case of thick long hair, get a friend to help. A clarifying treatment to remove buildup in the hair should always be done before coloring. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions. On long hair, the ends are always more porous than the rest. Apply color to the mid lengths from about 1 inch from the scalp and then the ends. Follow this procedure because the scalp will process faster due to the heat of the body and the insulating effect of long hair on the scalp. Here there is no help like experience. Even just doing the test strands or working on your friends will teach an amateur colorist a lot.....if you will be observant and patient.
Very thick, long hair, may have to be colored in sections, rinsed and the uncolored hair dried to allow color to be applied to the rest. Be sure not to re-color already colored hair and observe timing exactly. Study The Color Wheel! I don't expect the amateur colorists to soak all of this up in one session. However, you should read this article carefully and use it as a guide to understanding the relationship between cool and warm colors. You can also use this article as a guide to learn how to determine color levels in the products you use as well as tonal families to use to accent or suppress unwanted tones.
More info on http://www.redheadedtrip.com/last.html
Most unwanted hair color disasters are due to the lack of understanding of the basic hair coloring "laws" of color and how they apply to hair color.
First Rule of Hair Color Color, as we perceive it, is actually the reflection of light off of the colored pigments in the hair shaft. This "reflection of light" is what we see as "color". This is why hair color appears different under fluorescent lights than in natural sunlight whether it is color from nature or from a bottle.
Levels: What They Are And How They Impact Hair Color Levels are the degree of "lightness or darkness" of a color that is "reflected or seen" by the eye. Hair color is assigned a Level 'number' from 1 to 10 with 1 being black and 10 lightest blonde. In other words, black reflects very little light and lightest blonde reflects the greatest amount of light. A level 10 blonde would be 'two steps lighter' than a level 8 blonde. This system of levels applies to all colors and almost all brands commonly found.
Different Varieties of Hair Color Permanent Hair Color Permanent is just what it means. This makes a 'permanent' change in the pigment of the hair shaft. It does not wash out! It will fade in time, but cannot be simply removed to "bring back" your natural color. All hair that has been colored in this way has the natural color pigments irreversibly chemically altered. It can be removed, leaving the "altered" hair shaft pigments, which can be "corrective colored" back close to the original color. This is a job which should be left to the Pros Only! It can be one visit or many visits to the salon to try to correct a bad color job, it is expensive and is hard on the hair to varying degrees. Single Process Color Single Process Color Is The ONLY Permanent Color That Should Be Attempted By The Amateur! Single process means that the color is lifted and deposited in one step. More info to make that color last ->http://www.redheadedtrip.com/last.html
Semi-Permanent Semi-Permanent color is what it says it is, it can cover gray and go darker, but cannot lighten. It lasts varying lengths of time depending on the product. Suitable for amateur colorists. Warning: Double Process (bleaching and toning to the desired color) should never be attempted by a home hair colorist!. This is definitely a pro-only process.
Deposit Only Color Deposit Only color can only "Deposit" color into the hair, there are many varieties on the market for the home user. These are very "User Friendly'' and usually condition and color in one step. The very popular color "glazes or translucent" colors are among the easiest to start with to enhance your color. Most use a very low 3% peroxide to activate them . Some are capable of lifting or lightening one level. Professionally, Redken SHADES EQ is my favorite, bar none! Second Rule Of Color - Do Your Homework Before You Color This means that you must be perfectly honest to yourself and about yourself and the factors that enter into hair coloring. If you are very dark haired and want to be a level 10 blonde, forget home hair coloring! While it can be and is done every day by people, some get the results that they wanted and some get horrible results.
If you don't believe me, just go to any beauty supply that is open to the public and stand around the hair color section for a while and listen to the customers’ comments. Or go to any mall or public place and just sit for a few minutes and take a silent count of how many botched color jobs you see! My heart goes out to these people because most people who color their hair are trying to improve their appearance not detract from it! There is nothing that will lower your self esteem of yourself worse than having a bad hair day whether it is a bad cut, color or perm that lasts for months.
Step #1: Select The Designed Color That You Want First you must select the desired color that you want to be, say an medium warm blonde level 8. Now that you have determined where you want to be color wise, you have to find out where you are now. By "now" I mean first the 'level' (there's that level word again) and the tone of your hair, whether it has reddish or blonde undertones considered "warm" colors or ashen "cool" undertones.
Lets say that you are a light ash brown level 6. Being a level 6 "ash" light brown means that you have an "absence of 'warm' undertones" in your hair now; but; you want to both "lighten and warm up"' the color to the desired level of an 8 warm blonde color. Doing The Math For Hair Coloring Don't panic when I say reddish or blonde undertones. Remember, I said that the color you "see" is a combination of colors reflecting off of the hair. Now you must do the math part of the 'homework'. You must use a swatch book or ring to compare your hair color as it is now to match levels and tones in natural light if at all possible. Not what you perceive, or think, or what your Aunt Flo called your color when you were a kid!!
Now that you know where you are now and where you are going, let's look at the following example of how to get there! Desired color-Warm Blonde Level = Level 8 Target color level X 2 = 16 Natural color-Light Ash Brown = Level 6 subtract this from target color level of 16 16-6=10 This gives you the number of levels to lift (= 2) and the level of color to use (=10). Note: If the total number for the level of color is 13 or larger, pre-lightening is required to achieve the desired color.
You need seek a professional for double process coloring. How Hair Is Lightened Since it has been established that the 'new' color is a combination of your old color level and tone (referred to as our 'base' color) and the new color that is deposited into the hair, you must take into account what happens when you lighten or lift the base color to another level and deposit the new pigments into the hair shaft. When hair is lightened it goes through several stages of lightening from the darkest to the lightest from a base of blue in the case of natural black to pale blonde with the palest of yellow as its base color. This lightening process fractures the color pigment creating undertones that are unwanted. To correct this, the opposite color is added to the formula to "cancel" out the unwanted tones or other secondary colors are added in varying amounts to add special effects or customize the color to an individual's desire.
Remember the color prism you were shown in grade school? It fractured light into distinct visible colors you could see. This is what you are doing with hair color except you are adding or subtracting colors to "correct or change from one color to another and change the undertones." Warning: Orange Hair When hair is lightened it produces warm or red and yellow undertones. When red and yellow are mixed they produce orange. Where have you seen orange hair? Remember the scary trip to the mall or grocery store check out line? Now you know! Referring to the 'color wheel' you know that you want to cancel out some of the red/orange undertones to prevent the dreaded orange headed affliction of the mall, but yet leave enough to keep the warm tones.
Since your natural color has a 'cool' base it will not turn as red/orange when lightened as a ' warm color' of the same level would. This is because that as the hair lightens on a ' warm' color it adds to the reds and yellows that are already present. When lightening the same level of 'cool' hair, it adds the 'missing' reds and yellows to warm up the end resulting color. This can only be checked by doing a strand test!. Always Do A Strand Test A strand test is the only reliable way to "preview" the new color. At this time adjustments can be made to the hair color formula to either add or subtract colors to enhance or cancel different undertones in the test strands. Do not be afraid of doing more than one test strand before doing overall color and always do it on uncolored hair. The length of time that the color mixture is left on can also be varied to change results. Always thoroughly dry the test strand to check for proper color and breakage/damage.
Warning: Do not attempt to color hair that has had henna or metallic dyes used on it. Tips Before Coloring Before coloring it is best to practice parting off thin parts of hair 1/4 to 1/2 inch in width depending on the density of the hair. Apply conditioner to your hair a few days before doing the actual coloring to get the hang of handling a hair color applicator bottle. In the case of thick long hair, get a friend to help. A clarifying treatment to remove buildup in the hair should always be done before coloring. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions. On long hair, the ends are always more porous than the rest. Apply color to the mid lengths from about 1 inch from the scalp and then the ends. Follow this procedure because the scalp will process faster due to the heat of the body and the insulating effect of long hair on the scalp. Here there is no help like experience. Even just doing the test strands or working on your friends will teach an amateur colorist a lot.....if you will be observant and patient.
Very thick, long hair, may have to be colored in sections, rinsed and the uncolored hair dried to allow color to be applied to the rest. Be sure not to re-color already colored hair and observe timing exactly. Study The Color Wheel! I don't expect the amateur colorists to soak all of this up in one session. However, you should read this article carefully and use it as a guide to understanding the relationship between cool and warm colors. You can also use this article as a guide to learn how to determine color levels in the products you use as well as tonal families to use to accent or suppress unwanted tones.
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