You and your blonde hair
Have you ever wondered why your beautiful blonde locks can start to look a little bit brassy after a few washes?
Let’s explain why. Technically it’s all to do with light reflection and refraction, and the artificial colour we apply and your natural hair colour.
When we lighten your hair, the developer opens up the cuticle and penetrates inside the cortex, that’s the inner part of your hair structure. When it enters it has two jobs to do.
1: Remove or enhance your natural colour. When removing, which is what happens when you go lighter, hair exposes its natural colour combination, this is a blend of black/brown and red/yellow pigments. Everyone has these in their hair in differing degrees, it’s what makes your own hair colour what it is and depending on how light or dark you are naturally determines how much of each your hair contains. Removing black/brown and red is relatively easy, but yellow pigment is very small and harder to eliminate.
2: The artificial colour molecules expand in the hair creating the tone you have chosen. This either works with your natural colours or neutralises them to create the shade you are having. However, the artificial colours can rinse out of your hair if there is damage to the cuticle, and when they are rinsed away, the stubborn natural yellow is exposed again.
Fortunately, the care products, shampoos, conditioners, and treatments we use in the salon and recommend for you to maintain your blonde at home can counteract all the negatives, leaving you with salon fresh blondes for longer.
Light reflection and refraction can also cause your blonde to look brassy. Reflection is caused when light hits the hair and bounces off. If the cuticle has allowed some of the artificial pigments to escape, the colour reflected will have a yellow hue. Refraction is when light is absorbed by the hair and broken up, creating a dullness to the hair. This happens when the cuticle is damaged and broken which means the artificial colour is escaping and the light is refracting off your natural yellow undertones, creating a dull, dry, dirty looking blonde.
Fortunately, once again, the styling and finishing products we use can help keep your cuticle smooth, locking in the colour and creating fabulous, true to tone shine.
Speak to your Rhona McCallum Hair stylist about the best in salon and home use products for your blonde locks.
