What is ammonia and what effect does it have on hair, what types of dyes exist with and without ammonia, the rules for choosing a dye based on the condition of the curls. Ammonia is a chemical compound that is used as an additive in hair dyes, curling aids, and more. Its main task is to create an alkaline pH of the product, which will provoke hair swelling and trigger the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. This is an essential component of permanent hair dyes.
Features of the effect of ammonia on hair
The ammonia in hair dye is in the form of a compound with water. Its correct name is ammonium hydroxide. By causing a strong swelling of the hair, it promotes the maximum penetration of chemical coloring particles into the hair, which guarantees a long-lasting effect after coloring.
Ammonia in combination with an oxidizing agent has a specific odor that can cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, it is recommended to test cosmetics containing ammonia before using.
The main advantages of ammonia are its volatility and small molecule size. It is thanks to this that it is well washed out of the hair, without leaving an unpleasant odor after use. Even if after dyeing and washing the hair, ammonia particles remain in the hair, they will easily evaporate after a short time and will not contribute to further damage to the hair.
The effect of using cosmetics with ammonia also has a negative side. The structure of the hair completely changes, the surface becomes rough, and the pores cannot close on their own. For this reason, the curls after dyeing with ammonia paints become dry and break. This can be corrected only by high-quality professional hair care cosmetics, which retain moisture in them.
Which hair dye is best
Currently, professional cosmetic brands offer to minimize the negative effects of ammonia on hair when dyeing and curling. For this, a line of ammonia-free cosmetics was created. However, before opting for a particular type of paint or curling product, it is worth examining the pros and cons of products with and without ammonia.
The best hair dye with ammonia
Ammonia paint is also called permanent. It is a long-lasting and strong cosmetics that is used to permanently color hair and paint over gray hair. It is most often found on the shelves of modern cosmetic stores; permanent paint has the widest assortment.
Dye containing ammonia lasts longer than others and makes it possible to radically change hair color. One of the main components in such paint, in addition to ammonia, is hydrogen peroxide. It destroys natural pigment. Together with ammonia, it allows the dye to penetrate into the hair structure.
These two chemical compounds act quite aggressively, opening the scales in the hair and fixing the dye molecules in the depths of the curl shaft. The higher the color fastness level, the deeper the hair dyes and the composition penetrates into the scalp.
The peculiarity of ammonia paint is that it cannot be washed off. Of course, gradually it is washed out of the hair structure, and the color becomes dull. However, it is worthwhile to approach the choice of color responsibly, since it will not be possible to change it in the near future. Perhaps dyeing your hair a different shade, but this is a big load on the curls, which can lead to serious damage to them.
Also, a significant disadvantage of such a paint is that even with proper use, it damages the hair. It is completely impossible to restore them. Only care products are used to help the hair look healthy and maintain its condition after dyeing.
The group of permanent ammonia paints also includes blonding agents. They also remove pigment from the hair, but they are not a dye in the full sense of the word, since they do not dye the hair, but only bleach it. The advantages of these funds are considered the ability to radically change the color of the hair, to make them completely white. But among the disadvantages is severe damage to the curls, which requires careful treatment.
Ammonia-free hair dye
Many women, having experienced ammonia dye on themselves and having learned all the "charms" of damaged hair, seek to find a coloring agent that will carefully dye the curls and have a gentle effect on them. Ammonia-free products have become an alternative to traditional permanent hair dyes.
Among their advantages are the following:
- After applying such a paint, the hair does not split, it becomes more moisturized and lively, and does not lose its natural shine.
- The process of painting with ammonia-free paint is reversible. After such exposure (without ammonia and with a reduced amount of hydrogen peroxide), the natural hair pigment is not able to completely collapse. This means that you can easily return the "native" hair color or dye your hair in a different shade.
- Professional ammonia-free paints contain nourishing oils, useful herbal ingredients and extracts.
- Hair color after exposure to ammonia-free dye becomes more natural than when dyeing with permanent means.
All these advantages contribute to the growing popularity of such paint among women and professional hairdressers. However, it is worth mentioning the weaknesses of such cosmetics:
- Ammonia-free paint is less resistant than permanent paint. If you wash your hair without a special tool that protects the hair from washing out the shade, then it will change after 6-8 times of washing.
- It is almost impossible to lighten curls with such paint.
- This paint is ineffective with a large amount of gray hair. She simply will not paint it over, since a product without ammonia will not be able to penetrate deep into the gray hair.
- It is advisable to dye your hair with ammonia-free paint in a beauty salon, since such cosmetics have a complex composition, and you need to mix it in strict proportions.
Ammonia-free products belong to the category of professional hair dyes. Hair dyeing with such a composition will cost a little more than ordinary permanent dye containing ammonia.
Tint products for hair coloring
This group of hair dye products includes various gels, shampoos, foams, tonics that have a color nuance. They cannot completely dye the hair, since they only envelop their top layer with a special direct-acting pigment. Such products also do not contain ammonia.
Tint dyes give a light shade to the hair and are washed off, as a rule, in 1-2 shampoos. Often they are used after dyeing the hair with permanent dyes to fix the result, give the hair shine and a richer shade.
The advantages of such funds include:
- The ability to slightly change the appearance for a short time.
- Hair is not damaged.
- No special skills are needed in hair dyeing.
There are also disadvantages to such tint preparations. First, paint stains can remain on clothing and bedding. And the hair is sometimes colored unevenly.
Herbal hair dyes
The most popular herbal hair dyes are henna and basma. Preparations based on them do not contain ammonia and carefully dye the curls, without damaging them, but caring and moisturizing.
Henna in its pure form gives a bright shade of copper. Basma is blue-green. Therefore, it is recommended to mix them in order to obtain the optimal shade. If you do not have knowledge in what proportions to do this, it is better to purchase a ready-made composition. Its packaging will indicate the color that you will receive in the end.
Also, herbal hair dyes are infusions of tea, chamomile, coffee, a decoction of walnut peels. Like tint paints, vegetable paints are only able to give a certain tone to the hair for a short time.
Among the advantages of such dyes are low cost and environmental friendliness. It is also believed that such natural dyes are hypoallergenic and help strengthen, restore and nourish hair.
And among the shortcomings, a short effect can be distinguished. In addition, after dyeing hair with henna, followed by a transition to chemical dyes, you can get an unpredictable color of curls.
What hair dye to choose
Choosing a hair dye is necessary, taking into account the type of your curls and the goals you are pursuing. To get the right shade and not cause serious damage to your hair, follow these rules:
- Determine your skin tone … If you belong to a cold color type, then choose a dye for hair in muted tones - ash-blond, pearl blond. If you have “warm” golden skin, then chestnut color and its shades would be an excellent option.
- Pay attention to the amount of gray hair … If you have less than 30% gray hair, then use ammonia-free dyes or tint products. If more than half of your hair is gray, then the only option that suits you for dyeing is permanent dye.
- Start with small experiments … If your hair is in good condition, then you may well be able to experiment a bit with it. Choose a tint and color your hair to determine if a particular color is right for you. Even if it doesn't suit you or you don't like it, you can easily rinse the product out of your hair.
- Choose a shade lighter if using permanent paints … Remember that the color on the packaging and the hair is always different in one way or another. If the color turns out to be darker than you planned, then it will hardly be possible to fix it. But if the shade is lighter than expected, then it can be painted over with a tint.
- Consider your hair type … Remember that thick and dense hair takes longer to dye, smooth hair quickly loses color, and curly and porous hair practically does not lose pigment. Consider these factors when choosing your paint type.
- Read the composition carefully … Of course, not everyone can figure out the name of chemicals, but you can find useful compounds. A good hair dye should contain proteins, oils, and biotin.
- Check the paint release date … Expired chemicals cause irreparable harm to hair and can cause allergic reactions from the respiratory system.
- Don't buy cheap dyes … Some, in pursuit of cheapness, believe that, for example, a cheap product can evenly stain black. However, cheap cosmetic preparations may contain toxic substances, for example, heavy metal salts, formaldehyde. They are very dangerous to health.
How to choose a hair dye - watch the video:
When choosing a hair dye, remember that you can get the optimal color and good condition of the hair only if the dyeing is done according to all the rules. If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to contact a professional hairdresser so as not to harm your hair with the wrong procedure.
