If you also dye your hair at home, you are one of those 8 million Italian women who choose DIY to cover white threads, give new light to the natural color or completely change the look.
These products have been on the market for many years now and are very successful because they are cheap and easier to use than in the past. However, you may still have some doubts: why do you have to do the coloring on hair not washed fresh? How do I recognize an allergy? And why can't you go from blonde to blackberry with DIY products? Here are the answers of the experts to these and other questions.
1) Why is it better not to dye freshly washed hair?
"To allow the sebum, which envelops the skin and hair, to protect them from the aggression of the colors. Even if the formulations are the subject of continuous research to develop recipes that are increasingly less aggressive and more respectful of the structure of the stem, it is still advisable to respect this simple rule," warns Christophe Robin, expert colorist L'Oréal Paris.
2) In the packages I find the conditioner "final treatment": how come?
"Because after rinsing the coloring product thoroughly, it is a good idea to apply a treatment enriched with nutrients that gives brilliance and softness to the hair," says the expert.
3) Do the ammonia-free versions last less than the others?
"No. Thanks to new technologies, today the color is as opaque and long-lasting as that of ammonia dyes," says Vittorio Masciarelli, hair color consultant at Garnier. "The reason for the coexistence of the two versions is that many customers who have been using ammonia colors for years (without any problems), continue to prefer them and therefore to buy them. They feel good and have no reason to change.
4) On which hair do the blondes give the best result?
"On those with blond and brown bases. They are the right choice to give volume and size to the cut, making it seem fuller and softer. Giving light to the face, they are also ideal to enhance the features and look younger. For a natural and glamorous result, the secret is to create ultra-thin highlights", reveals colorist Christophe Robin.
5) Why aren't strong changes possible with home products?
"The DIY coloring is designed to act with a variation of two tones from the original color, so you can not make "extreme" steps, which must be performed by the hairdresser," explains Christophe Robin.
"Professionals take into account the condition of the hair and plan the next steps, as is the case, for example, with a turn from blonde to black. Instead, to "light up" a brunette or a blonde in red, you can work with DIY shades and highlights, obtaining pleasant and natural results".
6) If I don't like the nuance made by the hairdresser, can I correct it at home?
"Yes, if your hair is too dark, you can immediately apply shampoo to dry hair, wrap it in a film or cap, heat it with a hairdryer for 10 minutes, wait a quarter of an hour before rinsing it and complete it with a mask," Robin recommends again. "If they are too light, use ammonia-free coloring in the desired shade to give them natural, shiny reflections.
Finally, to brighten up the uniform color, the products for sunburn are perfect, so as to lighten the hair strand by strand, applying them from the roots to the ends to obtain natural reflections".
7) Does the home-made coloring cover all white hair?
"It covers a percentage of white hair of 100, 70 or 50: this precious information is always indicated on the box and it is useful to look for it to find out which color is suitable for your case," recommends the expert colorist Vittorio Masciarelli.
8) What are the symptoms of an allergy and how to remedy it?
Dr. Maria Rosa Gaviglio, specialist in dermatology in Milan and Pavia, explains: "It can be an irritative form, a consequence of a period of psycho-physical stress: the scalp becomes sensitive, irritated, a form of seborrheic dermatitis may appear accompanied by itching and consequent inflammation, conditions that make the skin particularly reactive in contact with the dye. Don't worry: within a few minutes, everything usually returns to normal.
In the presence of allergic contact dermatitis, however, the reaction occurs shortly after application and is usually violent: itching and burning are intense and may arise swelling, edema, visible especially on the forehead and behind the ear.
It can last for hours or days and is intervened with targeted therapy. The advice is to carry out allergological tests to exclude the incriminated allergen and be able to choose a well-tolerated tincture.
9) Is there a formula more suitable than others for those who are expecting a child?
"Any product can be good because today the formulations marketed in Europe are controlled and do not contain teratogenic substances, ie harmful to the fetus," says Dr. Gaviglio. "However, it is strongly recommended to test the skin of the forearm to rule out a potential allergic reaction, which is difficult to manage during pregnancy.
10) Oily hair and dandruff: can DIY make the situation worse?
"In general, after dyeing, the greasiness decreases a bit but as the days go by it becomes normal again. Dandruff, on the other hand, often due to dry and hypersensitive skin, can worsen immediately after application because the skin, to defend itself from contact with the tincture, increases the exfoliation", warns the dermatologist.