Hair Coloring and Chemical Texture Services
Coloring and texture questions combine color theory, developer choice, hair analysis, and chemical safety. You must predict lift, deposit, and damage before mixing.
Core rules
- Hair color levels run from 1 (black) to 10 (lightest blonde). Tone describes warmth or coolness; complementary colors neutralize unwanted tone.
- Developer strength controls lift and deposit. Lower volumes deposit more; higher volumes lift more and increase risk. Follow the manufacturer’s mixing ratio and never substitute developers between lines.
- A patch test checks allergy; a strand test checks timing, porosity, and expected result. Apply retouches to new growth only unless the formula is designed for refreshing ends.
- Relaxers break disulfide bonds in the cortex and require thorough neutralization. Permanent waves reduce and then rebuild bonds; overprocessing causes breakage.
Worked example
A client has 2 inches of new growth and relaxed ends. For a retouch, apply relaxer to the new growth, keeping product off previously relaxed hair; process, rinse completely, then neutralize. Pulling relaxer through the ends would overlap and risk breakage.
Traps
Believing a higher-volume developer always gives better color; applying a relaxer over a previously relaxed scalp; skipping neutralization; and double-processing without a strand test.