Colouring Of Hair With Natural Colours

Colouring of the hair with natural colours is not really new. Since the ancient times, Henna, Walnuts and Indigo have been used to colour the hair and add shine. Today, hair colouring has caught on in a big way and various types of semi-permanent and temporary colouring methods are available. Henna is a natural hair colour that has long been in use. Henna colours white hair a reddish brown colour, but it does not colour black hair. Most people are reluctant to use Henna in winter, due to the cold. The same problem arises with indigo powder, because one has to make a paste with water, like a henna paste. Therefore, it may also present a problem in winter. Before going in for colouring the hair, it is essential to know what methods are available and how they affect the hair. It is also necessary to know how to limit the damage. For colouring the hair without henna, it is better to go for natural hair colours, like Herbal Hair Mascara, which is made from vegetable dyes and is a temporary method of colouring the hair. Hair mascaras are somewhat like crayons, which are used to “streak” strands of the hair, either to disguise grey hair, or to add a different colour to some strands of hair. They are easier to use and remove, as the effect lasts only till the next shampoo. The main advantage is that they assure safety from chemical colurs and damage to hair structure and texture. Herbal Hair Touch-up in Black and Brown are also available, to help touch up a few gray strands and hide the white hair. There is also Natural Hair Colours. The advantage is that it is 100% free of chemicals. It helps to colour the hair and saves the hair from the harmful effect of chemical dyes. Amla is said to control graying. It is said that having the juice of one raw amla added to a glass of water daily helps to control graying. It is necessary to dilute it with a glass of water for proper absorption. Colouring the hair with chemical colourants has become popular. But, however glamorous it may look, hair colourants and dyes can cause a lot of hair damage.So one should find out about how to limit the damage. Permanent dyes and colours work by changing the structure of the hair. They actually strip off the outermost layer, the cuticle, in an uneven manner, in order to penetrate the inner layer. Damage to the cuticle makes the hair more vulnerable to breakage and loss. Semi-permanent methods, like hair rinses and creams, cause less damage. It is best to use colourants that do not contain ammonia. The effect lasts for 4 to 6 shampoos. They usually work by penetrating the cuticle, or outermost layer of the hair. They do not cause as much damage as the permanent dyes, which actually enter the middle layer and change the pigments. Semi-permanent methods are suitable for disguising grey hair, or for lending a richer colour to dull hair.
Hair colours and dyes wear off. This means that the procedure has to be repeated from time to time and the more you colour, the more damage there will be. So, here’s some advice about how you can reduce the damage. You can try frosting. This is a method which is extremely popular in the West. The idea is based on the fact that colours wear off. It doesn’t take long for roots of your original colour to show up and you are ready for your next visit to the salon. This means repeating the entire process at shorter intervals. With frosting, you can avoid this problem. It is best done at a salon, where you are made to wear a tight plastic cap, with tiny holes all over. With a device which resembles a crochet needle, the hairstylist pulls out the particular strands which need colouring and applies colour. This saves the rest of the hair where colour has not worn off. Streaking also helps to limit the damage. A few streaks of colour can save the rest of the hair from damage and yet, give you a new and glamorous look. You could have about four streaks in front, which means that some strands in front are coloured. This can really look attractive and certainly cause less damage. Of course, this is suitable for those who have no grey hair and are mainly looking for a colour change. All said and done, after using chemical colourants, one has to take more care of the hair, by conditioning it and giving it hot oil therapy.
( The author is a beauty expert of Int’l repute. Views are exclusively her own)