Hair Coloring Products

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Hair coloring products are either temporary or permanent. Temporary hair colors attach to the surface of hair and wash out after repeated shampoos. A dye is considered permanent if it penetrates into the hollow hair shaft. Coloring of hair starts with a treatment of substances such as hydrogen peroxide and ammonia. The ammonia causes hair shafts to swell and open, allowing dye intermediates and couplers to penetrate. Dyes applied during the second step of coloring react with the precursors to form pigments that remain in the hair.

Melanin compounds may appear brown, black, or red. The type of melanin determines hair color, and the density of melanin granules determines the shade. Dark shades of dyed hair contain higher concentrations of dyes. Most hair colors are combinations of organic compounds chosen to produce particular shades. Resorcinol produces a yellow color; aminohydroxytoluene produces a redder hair, and nitrophenylenediamine dye results in very red hair. Graded dyes favored by men often contain lead acetate. The lead ions penetrate into hair and form lead sulfide (PbS), a dark-colored compound.