Having posted the topic on. The Colour Wheel and the law of Colour I think that we also need to cover the important role that understanding Ph chart and the role that it plays in the hair colouring process and indeed the chemistry of all chemical services performed on the hair.
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| review of aPh balance chart. |
When we do any chemical service on the hair be it. Colour. Perming. Relaxing. We have to create an environment that enables us to get below the surface layer the cuticle layer of the hair ,
This is the outer layer that serves to protect the inner structure from both damage and moisture loss,
the inner layer being the cortex and Medulla.
Once we have decide on the service we are going to perform in this case colour. The formulation we choose will dictate the amount of deposit the more we open the cuticle the deeper the deposit.
So understanding Ph, lift, deposit, are key to being able to perform outstanding colour services.
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| Three layers of the hair structure. |
Healthy hair should have a Ph of 5 to 5.5 when we introduce an alkaline be it Ammonia which comes in many different strengths the stronger the more it will open the cuticle. The same can be said for other colour drivers MEA, Dealcoholised grain products. All serve the same purpose to manipulate the Ph of the hair to create an environment for performing any chemical service. The stronger the product the more the cuticle will be opened and the more damage can be done.
It is essential after a process to re balance the hair and close the cuticle and restore that natural balance of 5.5.
This can be done with a chemical balancing product these normally have a Ph of 2.5 when introduced to the hair it will close the cuticle and restore the ph balance of the hair to 5.5.
Always be aware to consider the hair condition and assess during consultation before deciding on any chemical service knowing and understanding the Ph of hair is key to keeping it healthy and allowing colour retention or retaining moisture after the perming process.
Part of the consultation process should address the condition, porosity, moisture level. issues of fading. colour retention. These are all things effected by the hair's Ph level being at a correct level.
It is also during this consultation process to not only assess the hair both by touch and visual inspection. but through communication getting a fully in depth history of past products used and indeed products being used at this time.
With so many products that manipulate our Ph mantle opening the cuticle to deposit anything from stains to silicone based products that over time will build up in the hair, note they can cause issues when trying to get even deposit in the colouring process.
This is why it is essential that as stylist's we have a good all round knowledge of products and how they work on the hair during any chemical process.
In closing it was brought to my attention by someone who sent me a question via a hair site about Ph saying that they could not find any information on the subject, I thought this very odd but having looked through the NVQ the offcial guide [Hairdressing foundation] I have to say i find it very odd that this topic is not covered in some depth.
If you want information on topic's to ask question go ahead use the section on the Blog.
I hope this is found useful MikeB2MR
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