“It is the permanent colorings (=oxidation colos) that pose a problem for regrowth”, explains the colorist Romain. Why ? They work thanks to oxidation:the oxidant opens the scales of the hair to remove the natural pigments and fix the new ones (that's why the change is lasting). But, with shampoos, the color washes out despite everything and the "chemical" pigments go away definitively after four to six weeks. One would be tempted to think that it is enough to wait for them to leave to regain its natural color? Well no… As oxidized hair no longer has natural pigments, it is lighter than the base and a demarcation with the roots is visible. This is a parameter to take into account for regrowth.
To blur the difference in color between the rest of the color and the natural roots, a repigmenting treatment is regularly used (and until the hair has completely regrowth). How to choose the right shade? The idea is to make the existing color less visible by choosing a reflection that opposes oxidation. So, if you have an ashy reflection, opt for a golden or copper treatment, which you leave on for 5 minutes; if you have a yellow or orange tint, opt instead for an iridescent treatment (blue or purple formulas) to leave on for 10 to 15 minutes; finally, for the red/mahogany, we use a cold brown (ash) formula, to be applied between 10 and 20 minutes. The repigmenting care is used every 3 shampoos. It is generally associated with a nourishing mask formula, which combines direct pigments and care (which allows natural hair to shine, which is always duller than a colored fiber). In relay, we wash our hair with sulphate-free formulas, to prevent the pigments deposited on the surface from disappearing too quickly.
This is a good option if the coloring is very far from the natural color. The colorist can approach the base color (that of the roots, even if they are not very visible) via a permanent color if he wants to darken the lengths or a discoloration to lighten them. For a natural effect, you should not bleach all the hair but rather opt for “veil” sweeping techniques (ultrafine locks, barely visible to the naked eye, which illuminate the hair). In both cases, as a permanent change has been made, the color will lighten over time and a demarcation, even slight, is visible. There, two options:go back to the salon to ask for a direct color (the pigments are deposited on the surface of the fiber, and fade after a few shampoos) or do a home maintenance with repigmenting treatments.
4 products that work:
• Colors Mix, to be made at the Romain Colors XXVII salon, €38.
• Color Shader Treatment, Christophe Robin, €38 (5 shades).
• Nutri Color Creme, Revlon Professional, €12.60.
• Healthy Glow Hair Coloring Care, Farida b, €24.
Thanks to Christophe Robin, colorist and creator of L'Oréal Paris and to Romain, creator of the Romain Colors XXVII salon.
