Color Theory

What is color?

What is it?

• Color is the visual perception of the reflection of light.

Law of Color

• Only three colors, called primary “pure” colors

Yellow, red and blue

Secondary Colors

• Two primary colors mixed in varying proportions =

OrangeGreen Violet

Color Wheel

• 12 –hue color circle created from the three primary colors

• Name of a color referred to as tone or hue, identified by its position on the color wheel.

• Tone can be described as warm, cool or neutral.

Warm and Cool Colors

• Colors can be classified as either warms or cool colors

Complementary Colors

• Opposite one another on the color wheel.• When mixed

equally they neutralized each other

Characteristics of Color

• Color has three main characteristics– Hue- identified based on

it’s position on the color wheel

– Value/level degree of lightness or darkness of a color relative to itself and other colors

– Intensity- the vividness, brightness or saturation within its own level

Identifying Existing Color

Contributing color +Artificial

Color=Final color

result

Melanin

• Two types of melanin in the cortex of the hair

• Eumelamin-black pigment

• Pheomelamin- red pigment

Gray Hair

• Melanocytes slow down production

• Strands lose color• Heredity• Different patterns of

gray• Percentages of gray vary

with individuals

Applications for Gray

• 75-80% gray hair; adjust color formula to one level darker than desired level

• 25-30% gray; apply a color one level lighter than the desired shade

Gray Hair

• Pre-soften resistant hair or pre-lighten to increase porosity

Hair Color Chemistry

• Types of hair color– Non-oxidative-non-

reactive, direct dyes that only coat the surface of the hair shaft/ nothing to lighten and no chemical changes occur. Certified colors used in foods, drug and cosmetics last until shampooed out

Non-Oxidative Color

• Semi-permanent– Last through several

shampoos, dye molecules in solution capable of penetrating the cuticle layer, smaller in size, slightly alkaline.

Oxidative Hair Color

• Demi-uses low volume peroxide developer, only add color to the hair, cannot lift hair color

Permanent Hair Colors

• Combined with peroxide, chemical reaction occurs

• Small molecules penetrate the hair, oxidize in the cortex and link to form a permanent colored molecule

Permanent Hair Colors

• Also referred to as aniline derivative tints/ penetrate the cuticle and cortex, remain until they are removed by chemical means, hair grows out and is cut off.

• Main ingredient is paraphenylene diamine

24 hour patch test mustBe given before any permanentHair color applicationTo ensure the client is notAllergic to the product

Lighteners

• Bleaching or de-colorizing, used when a lighter hair color is desired

• Involves the oxidation of the natural melanin in the hair.

• Hair goes through several stages of color changes as it is lightened

Types of Lighteners

• On-the-scalp lighteners– Gentle can be applied

directly on the scalp• Oil lighteners pH 9• Cream lighteners pH 9

Off- the- scalpPowder bleach, alkaline

salts and strong oxidizing agents. Stronger than oil or cream

Developers

• Hydrogen peroxide (H²O²) most common oxidizing agent

• Volume = amount of oxygen gas removed from solution. Also called developer

Vegetable, Metallic and Compound Dyes

• Not professionally used• Contain vegetable dyes• Metallic salts and or

combination of the two• Henna• Interfere with other

professional beauty services

• Can be toxic to the client and the operator