For attractive lips , speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes , seek out the good in people. For beautiful hair , let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise , walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
Hair Dye
To dye or not to dye isn’t much of a dilemma in Australia, it seems. According to L’Oreal Paris, the number-one home-hair colour brand, 8 out of 10 Australian women colour their hair to turn back the clock or simply experiment with different shades for the thrill of trying something new.
Australia is a nation of hair colour junkies. Only four companies – L’Oreal Paris, Garnier, Clairol and Schwarzkopf – dominate the Aussie home hair colorant market, estimated to be worth $180 million a year. With more women concerned about damaging their hair, says Bronwyn Fraser, national education manager for L’Oreal, the major trend in colouring is towards more natural shades. “Highlights are still in,” she says, “but are being done using similar shades so there’s is less contrast and a minimized light-and-dark effect.”
It is often asked whether regular colouring thins hair – and it’s not surprising that this is a popular query. Women aged 40-54 are the main colorant-buying age group, according to a Roy Morgan Research study in 2003, and many only begin to colour their hair once it starts to turn grey. By this time, their hair has also started to thin – a natural part of the ageing process. Some who do start colouring their hair at a younger age, may notice that their hair starts to thin during their 30s and 40s. Again, this is quite normal. While a bad colour job can cause breakage, this should not be confused with hair loss.
If you are new to colouring or have hair that is less than 15-percent grey, it may be better to start with s semi-permanent that washes out after six to eight shampoos. A semi-permanent colour is applied over the whole head each time because it fades more rapidly. Hair grows at the same rate of 1.2cm per month, so if your main aim is to colour greys, the end of your hair would be subjected to a colour treatment they don’t need every few weeks and could end up being a darker than the roots.
If you are looking to cover greyer, permanent colour is best because it is mainly applied to new growth at the roots, briefly overlapping previously dyed hair. Look for good buys in permanent colour.
There’s been a spate of horror stories about people suffering from allergic reactions to hair dyes. But it is estimated that only one in 250,000 people is sensitive to some ingredients in hair dyes. This is why colorant manufacturers tell you to perform a patch test 48 hours before using their products, just in case you are that one in a quarter-million person.
Colouring hair regularly does not tent to dry it put. To keep hair in tip-top condition, choose a moisture-balancing or hydrating shampoo and conditioner.
The problem you’re most likely to encounter is uneven colouring – and it’s often not the product that is at fault but the state of your hair. A week before you dye your hair, treat it to an intensive conditioning treatment, then it will most likely look as lustrous and shiny.
Top tips for colouring success
. Always carefully follow the instructions on the packet.
. It can take up to 48 hours for an allergic reaction to develop so schedule your patch test well ahead.
. Don’t shampoo before colouring or you will strip your hair of its protective natural oils.
. Never lighten or darken your hair by more than three shades.
. Smear your hairline and ears with Vaseline to stop the colour from staining your skin.
. Remember that the colour depicted on the box is only approximate.
. When repeating a colour, put it on the roots for 15 minutes, and then comb it through the rest of your hair.