Every now and then we come across men and women who wish to dye their hair Blue. This color when it is done well will have everyone from little kids to grandmas going WOW!
So, the question is, how do we create an amazing Blue?
An awesome Blue is created with hair that has been stripped back to the palest yellow. The best Blues are created on a base that is basically platinum blonde.
Blue is quite a tricky color to get right. We need to remove all of the colors and supporting pigment that occurs naturally as well as any synthetic pigment that the client may have added to their hair in the form of box dyes, purple shampoos, colored mousse or salon colors.
What is Natural Pigment?
All naturally colored hair has a natural pigment. The natural pigment is what actually helps give the hair color its color or the lack of pigment.
And when the hair is no longer creating the melanin (natural pigment)the hair becomes grey. When we apply bleach to natural hair, it exposes the underlying pigment (otherwise known as underlying reflect).
What is Synthetic Pigment?
Synthetic pigment is anything that has been applied to the hair over the lifetime of that hair (sometimes that’s 4 or 5 years if the hair is long). It includes salon colors, box colors, purple shampoos and colored mousse. These all leave residue in the hair which needs to be completely removed to give the best possible Blue color.
The natural hair color of the client and the synthetic pigments that have been applied over the life of the hair will absolutely determine the amount of time or chemical applications it will take to get to the perfect Blue.
If the client is a natural blonde with very little synthetic pigment, it would potentially be possible to achieve a beautiful Blue in one sitting.
If the client has been dyeing her hair with dark box dyes, it may take 3-4 sittings to save the integrity of the hair and achieve a beautiful Blue.
As a professional hairstylist, it’s a big decision to make a careful choice between creating the perfect color and saving the integrity of the hair.
Please note also if the integrity of the hair is compromised the Blue color will not hold the way it should also.
What Happens If You Don’t Adequately Lighten Hair Before Applying Blue?
So, we have discussed the different pigments that need to be removed before applying the blue, what happens if the hair is not adequately lightened before applying the Blue?
Well, back in pre-primary we all learned that when you add blue to yellow it equals green. Your hair is no different. And this is definitely not a good outcome. Not to mention it’s a very difficult outcome to correct.
How to Create The Desired Blue Hair Color?
To create our desired blue hair color possible we need to first create the most even hair type and color we can, even though different parts of the hair may have needed to undergo different hair treatments to get to a level 10 blonde.
Once we have pre-lightened to ascertain the perfect base to apply the blue color to-it’s a good idea to balance the porosity by applying porosity equalizer to the mid-lengths and ends. This fills in any little microscopic holes in the hair shaft and enables an even and equal distribution and outcome of the color on the hair shaft.
Pro tip: Select a well-known brand for your blue color. There are plenty of cheaper brands out there but the quality of the color absolutely shows in the outcome and longevity of the color.
Take Care of Your Beautiful Blue Hair
You have invested a lot of time and money into your perfect color. Protect your investment (and your awesome color) and use a Color care shampoo conditioner and/or treatment that is prescribed by your stylist or the same brand as the Blue color, as they are designed to help hold the color.
This will give you the best longevity of your Blue color. Well-hydrated hair holds the color pigment the best. So it pays to keep your hair in good condition. It’s also a good idea to have a haircut after the Blue has been applied as all the pre-lightening will have damaged the tips of the hair. So it’s best to trim after the color is completed not before.
To maintain the blue color, you do not need to go thru the whole process again- you can actually just top it up as you need to or the blue starts to fade or become undesirable colors.
Pro tip: The lighter the desired blue is -the closer to platinum blonde you will need to achieve. The integrity of the hair is also paramount to maintain the hair color as the pigment is not a natural pigment.
It’s purely synthetic the application needs to be on a clean blonde in well-hydrated hair to achieve the best results.
Pro tip: if box color has been used in the lifespan of the hair it creates color bands that may need to be removed separately as they adhere to the hair shaft differently from salon colors and will affect the outcome of the color.