Nearly 1/3 of women over 18 color their hair.  Over half of those chemical loving ladies make their natural color lighter.  Very few know how that happens, nor do they care.  Which is sad, really. I think you should know how your hair grows out of your head the color it does, and what happens when you go about changing it. Why does your dark hair fight so hard to resist your vigorous efforts to make it platinum?  Why can’t everyone have the color on the box if they all use the same box?  And why why why why is Gwen Stefani’s hair still on her head while Suzy tried to do the same thing and her’s is on the floor?  (I think one day we are going to find out that Gwen is an alien who sleeps in a pod…. there is no competing with that)

So… What’s in hair?  Like your skin and nails, hair is mainly made up of  a protein called Keratin. The natural color of your hair is made up of molecules called Melanin. Two of the pigments in Melanin are Eumelanin (brown color) and Pheomelanin (red color). Big words, I know. So, we’ll just refer to them as “browns” and “reds”.  Like it or not – Unless you are completely grey, those 2 pigments are present in varying amounts.

Fun Fact… Reds are way more stubborn than Browns. That’s why brass is the hardest thing to fight.

Every person’s hair is different.  Except for identical twins – no two people’s hair have the same chemical make up.  This is how Mulder and Scully can successfully pick apart a crime scene and eventually prove my theory about Gwen Stefani.  Seriously tho – only you have the hair you have. This answers the question of why everyone’s hair doesn’t turn the same color on the box of color when using the same box of color.  Additionally – I guarantee…..

<<<< this model DID NOT get this color with this box!!!

How does the lightening magic happen?  Hydrogen peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide is what make beach – bleach. It lightens the Melanin (the Browns and the Reds) by breaking the color bonds and destroying everything in its path. Color manufacturers try to manipulate this destruction with oils and conditioning agents because the Hydrogen Peroxide doesn’t know what to keep and what to leave behind – it has the same programing as a wrecking ball – without the catchy tune.

Lifting naturally colored hair vs dyed hair – Naturally colored hair ( the hair that grows out of your scalp that has not been touched with dye) is very easy to lift with bleach and lighteners.  Hair that has been dyed (yes, I’m also talking about the hair that has been dyed to match the natural color of your hair…. any kind of hair that has been tinkered with) it is very difficult to lighten – with anything.  Synthetic dyes have more pigment in them to keep them from fading. Anti fading hair color is awesome – until you want to take it out.

So… that’s some basic information for you.  I hope I was able to answer some questions for you. Please feel free to ask me questions in the comments.

Happy hair day to you. xoxo