Q. Does coloring or highlighting cause hair damage? Lindsey Jones; Louisville, KY A. Considering that hair color and bleaches are potentially damaging chemicals, the short answer is “yes.” By chemically altering the color or lightness of your hair you break down its cuticle (aka protective) layer leaving strands susceptible to breakage. That said, the condition [...]
Q. Should I color my hair then get a cut; or get a cut first then color? Toni Hamrick; Phoenix, AZ A. If you’re going for a straightforward single process color service (ie: all over color) then you can choose to either cut or color first. On the other hand, if you’re getting highlights, a [...]
Q. How should I prepare my hair for chemical lightening and care for it after the service? —Brooke Valdez; St. Petersburg, FL A. The strength, shine, vibrancy and longevity of your color is largely dependent on how you maintain the health of your hair. Being that it’s made mostly of keratin (that is, protein) and [...]
Q. My hair is getting gray. I’m thinking about adding lowlights and would like to know about this; especially the frequency of touch-ups. Jo Ann Herron; Tampa, FL A. Camouflaging your gray with lowlights keeps your maintenance pretty low, especially versus all over color. I would suggest a salon visit around every eight weeks, which [...]
Q. What are the benefits of a hair gloss treatment and for what type of hair is it appropriate? Lianet Alonso; Hialeaj, FL A. Most salons offer gloss treatments (in which a clear gloss is applied to the strands to boost shine) for hair that’s lost its luster. One of the best things about a [...]
Q. What products should I use to keep my hair looking its best between colorings? Mary Hoye; Mason City, IA A. I recommend using professional shampoos and conditioners for color treated hair between services. There are many to choose from, but some of my favorites are Matrix Biolage colorcarethérapie, Regis DesignLINE Color Care and Redken [...]
Q. I have a very sensitive scalp. Is it still possible for me to color my hair without causing some kind of reaction? Tracey Croswell; Charlottesville, VA A. Yes, coloring is possible, but it’s best to do a skin test before undergoing any sort of chemical process to make sure you won’t have an allergic [...]
Q. What is the best color of highlights for black hair (that won’t make them look orange)? Stephanie Perez; Navasota, TX A. When highlighting naturally black locks or strands that have been artificially colored black, the hair will go through several stages of “lifting” which is what the professionals call “exposing underlying pigment”. That’s generally [...]
Q. I have been coloring my hair “soft black” for six months. I hate it but am afraid to throw anything else on it. I would like to go back to the blonde I was before. What can be done, if anything? Anonymous A. This is a process the professionals call “color correction”. Although there [...]
