Taste the Rainbow...Coloring Natural Hair

There has been a long time question as to whether or not color is good for natural hair? My answer is, any hair that is chemically altered in any way is not good, but proper care will make it okay. Make sense?? Plus, if you are afraid of chemicals you can always use a rinse, which just deposits hair on top of the hair strands. With that being said, let's talk about your options.
There are three main types of color--permanent, semi or demi, and temporary.

Permanent hair coloring products consist of two components that are packaged separately and mixed together...hydrogen peroxide and an ammonia dye solution.
As soon as the ammonia dye solution and the hydrogen peroxide solution are mixed together, they are applied to the hair. The ammonia in the mixture (less than 1% concentration) causes the hair to swell and the cuticle scales to separate a little. After this happens, the dye is able to penetrate the cuticle before they have fully reacted with each other and with the hydrogen peroxide. This is why even when brown hair coloring is first applied it looks whitish. This is also why you have to wait a half hour or more for the color to develop. Long story short...the hair cuticle is lifted and the proteins that give us our natural hair color are altered. Sound pretty damaging? Permanent coloring definitely has an effect on the moisture protein balance because there is a chemical reaction that is taking place inside the strand weakening the cuticle layer causing the hair to be more porous. The more porous the quicker your hair absorbs moisture. If it’s too porous the hair doesn’t retain any moisture and remains dry to the touch.  This is always a risk with permanent coloring hair. 

Semi permanent hair color is good for first-time dyers or for people who aren't looking to make a drastic change. Semi permanent dye has no ammonia and no developer, so no color is deposited inside the hair shaft. Instead, it coats the hair, which is why it's often referred to as a "stain" or "wash." Semi permanent is good for changing or enhancing tones but not for changing colors. It generally washes out in 6 to 12 shampoos. While

Demi permanent hair color is good for people who want more of a change but do not want to damage their hair or do anything drastic. It contains no ammonia but does have a small amount of peroxide, which opens the hair cuticle slightly so that some color will sit in it. Demi permanent does a better job of darkening hair than semi permanent does, but it doesn't lighten hair. Demi permanent hair color will fade and typically lasts 12 to 24 shampoos.

The third type of coloring is temporary. Temporary hair colors are applied in the form of rinses, gels, mousses, and sprays. They coat the surface of the hair and usually wash out within two or three shampoos. Temporary hair color is typically brighter and more vibrant than semi-permanent and permanent hair color. It is most often used to color hair for special occasions like Halloween or costume party.

There is also a "natural" hair color that a lot of naturals swear by and that's Henna. Henna is a plant native to subtropical regions of Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australia. You may know it as a way of doing body art. Natural henna is said to make your hair knockout glossy and give it a rich red tint. If the package claims to color hair blond or black, it is not natural henna.  Compound hennas, which make the other color claims, have additives, they also contain metallic salts and chemical lighteners that can wreck your hair. So unless you're going any color besides true red, be sure to read the box carefully. Body Art Quality Henna is what you’re looking for. Henna is also said to provide a deep conditioning treatment. Some say it “loosens up the curl.” Everyone’s experience will be different. 

If your hair has been previously dyed or bleached with regular drugstore or salon dye, the remaining chemicals and pigment molecules from your last dye job can interfere with the henna, causing uneven color and even weird pigment results, like green hair. If you've been dyeing your hair with anything other than henna, you'll need to do a couple of strand tests to make sure.

Henna comes in a powder form and must be mixed with an acidic liquid to form a paste. Also, unlike chemical dyes, henna can be messy, and it may take a long time to dye your hair. Some people leave it on as long as 24 hours and wrap their hair in plastic wrap to keep in the heat and speed up the dyeing process.

I'll do a whole post concerning Henna in the near future...

Now that you have decided on the type of  hair color that is best for you, how do you take care of it? You need to understand that every time you apply permanent and semi-permanent hair color, you subject your hair to a chemical process and we all know chemicals are damaging to the hair cuticle. 
 Use a shampoo and conditioner specially formulated for color-treated hair. These products have extra moisturizing ingredients to hydrate brittle strands and make color brighter. The harsher shampoos can strip the color from your hair, making it look dull and faded.  Deep condition your hair often. My hair is color treated and I deep condition every week, rinsing with the coldest water that I can stand. While hot water raises the cuticle, releasing the color from your strands, cold water will seal the cuticle, closing the color in.
Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Find something that works for you and keeps your hair from drying out, like a good daily leave in conditioner. Dryness will lead to breakage.

Stretch out the time you re-apply your coloring, if you re-apply too soon you may suffer from over-processing.

When you do your retouch, start your application at the root. If you feel that your ends are dull apply the color from the root down during the last few minutes of the process.

Trim your hair up to 1/2 inch every 6-8 weeks, to avoid splits and breakage.

Implement protective styling to protect the ends of your hair from damage.

Hair dye is only as damaging as you make it out to be, maintaining healthy color treated hair is all in the care you provide. Keep in mind that most women with kinky or tightly coiled hair suffer from dry hair and hair dying can add on to this issue if the proper measures are not taken.

With all that being said Happy Coloring and LOVE YOUR HAIR!!!!