The Ugly Duckling Hair Coloring Guide
Table of contents How does hair coloring work?...............................................................................................................1 What is the difference between permanent and demi-permanent hair color?................2 What are the benefits of Ugly Duckling Hair Color with Argan Oil?......................................3 What are the benefits of low ammonia hair color?.......................................................................4 What are the names and numbers of the hair color levels?......................................................5 What do the color numbers mean?......................................................................................................6 How can I get a Hair Color chart?.........................................................................................................7 Which Developer should I use?.............................................................................................................8 What is the right mix ratio for Ugly Duckling Color?...................................................................9 What is the right development time?...............................................................................................10 What is the best way to apply the color?.........................................................................................11 What about re-growth applications?................................................................................................12 How do I get shiny vibrant hair color results?..............................................................................13 What should I do to the hair before coloring?...............................................................................14 What do I do if my hair has color build-up?...................................................................................15 How do I change my customer’s hair color or strip it?..............................................................16
Can I apply color on hair that is already colored?........................................................................17 How can I use bleach?...............................................................................................................................18 Can I re-color bleached hair?.................................................................................................................19 Does coloring harm the hair?.................................................................................................................20
How does hair coloring work?
1.
Most hair color involves 2 ingredients: •
A color, which is normally in a cream form and generally comes in a tube,
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A developer, which is normally a creamy liquid and generally comes in a bottle.
When you mix the 2 ingredients together and apply on the hair, you • • •
Open the hair cuticle (in other words, the outer surface of the hair), Take out the melanin (the hair’s natural coloring) from the cortex Replace or add in composite color molecules.
By doing this, you “re-pigment” the hair. Then you wash the hair.. When you do so, you stop the re-pigmentation process and close the cuticle once again. Typically, this process takes around 30-35 minutes (a little bit more in the case of high-lift color applications, a little bit less in the case of refresh applications).
What is the difference between permanent and demipermanent hair color?
2.
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Both demi-permanent and permanent hair colors belong to the class of colors known as oxidative color.
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So they both contain alkaline agents which allow the coloring process to occur.
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In the case of permanent hair color, the alkaline agent in the color is an ingredient called ammonia.
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But in the case of demi-permanent hair color, the alkaline agent is not ammonia but another ingredient (very often, ethanolamine or sodium carbonate).
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So what’s the difference?
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Permanent hair colors typically lift the hair color much better, from 3 up to 5 levels. They are very flexible and give accurate color results and vibrant fashion effects. They also cover grey hair very well.
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But they do open the cuticle more. That is why it is important to use good quality hair color like Ugly Duckling, which contains Argan oil to condition the hair after the coloring process.
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Demi-permanents give good coverage for women who have less than 50% grey hair and give good “tone-on-tone” color results.
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However, they do not lift the hair level, and their color results are typically less vibrant than permanent hair color.
3.
What are the benefits of Argan oil?
Argan Oil is plant oil from Morocco. Green pressed Argan oil has been proven to have excellent revitalizing benefits for dry, dull or damaged hair. Argan oil gives 6 key benefits when applied to the hair during hair coloring: 1. Shinier hair 2. Softer hair 3. Repairs brittle hair 4. Makes ends stronger 5. Permits a more even color deposit 6. More vibrant color When hair stylists use Ugly Duckling hair color for the first time, they invariably comment on 2 things that they notice after coloring – hair softness and shine.
4. What are the benefits of low ammonia hair color? •
The Ugly Duckling hair coloring system is a low ammonia coloring system. The ammonia concentration in the color is of the order of only 1-1 ½ percent on the darker shades.
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Even on the higher shades and the high lift colors; the ammonia concentration never goes above 3%.
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This means that the hair coloring is exceptionally gentle compared to most permanent salon hair colors commonly available on the market.
5. What are the names and numbers of the hair color levels? 10 EXTRA LIGHT BLONDE 9 VERY LIGHT BLONDE 8 LIGHT BLONDE 7 BLONDE 6 DARK BLONDE 5 LIGHT BROWN 4 MEDIUM BROWN 3 DARK BROWN 2 DARKEST BROWN 1 BLACK
This system for naming and numbering hair coloring levels gives the stylist greater objectivity when describing his or her customer’s hair.
6. What do the color numbers mean? •
The color numbering system allows the stylist to identify color shades that he or she is working with.
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Unfortunately, different color manufacturers do have differences in their color numbering system.
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The Ugly Duckling color number system is fairly easy to learn, as it is similar to that of many big color brands.
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The first number refers to the hair level, and goes from 1 (Black) up to 10 (Extra Light Blonde).
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After that there is a decimal point and then either 1 or 2 more digits. These numbers give the primary reflect and the secondary reflect of the color, The reflects corresponding to the numbers are as follows:
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Let’s take some best selling Ugly Duckling Hair Colors to illustrate how this color numbering system works in real life:
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4.20 means Brown, with an intense violet reflect
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7.44 means Blonde, with an intense copper reflect
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8.31 means Light Blonde with a golden ash reflect.
When using Ugly Duckling hair colors, you will see that in addition to the number, we also provide the equivalent naming code using the commonly American naming system. These are given below. EUROPE
USA
0 Natural
N Natural
1 Ash
A Ash
2 Violet
V Violet
3 Gold
G Gold
4 Copper
C Copper
5 Mahogany
Rv Red Violet
6 Red
R Red
7 Chestnut
Br. Brown
7.How can I get a Hair Color chart? •
A good shade chart is a really essential tool for any stylist. It enables the stylist to check her customer’s hair color level and propose an attractive range of hair color choices.
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Ugly Duckling does offer a professional Hair Color Chart with 62 shades. This chart is NOT FOR SALE, but it is available from time to time as a special promotion, and is offered free to all customers who purchase 30 tubes of hair color.
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Please go to the Shop now page on www.uglyducklingcolor.com to see whether this offer is currently available!
8.Which Developer should I use?
Choosing the correct strength of developer is the first thing you need to get right if you want to get a really good color result. The basic principle is to choose the developer according to the level of lift you require. The general rules are as follows: •
For minimal lift, level on level coloring and level down, use 10 Vol Developer (3%)
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For 1-2 levels of lift and tone-on-tone coloring involving reflect changes, use 20 Vol (6%)
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For 2-3 levels of lift, use 30 Vol Developer (9%)
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For 3-4 levels of lift, use 40 Vol Developer (12%)
Note that a developer’s strength can be indicated either by 10/20/30/40 Vol, or by the percentage of hydrogen peroxide (3%, 6%, 9%, 12%). They mean the same thing. It is recommended that you use the weakest strength of developer possible. Use of excessive strength of developer is harmful to the hair condition and can also irritate the scalp.
9. What is the right mix ratio for Ugly Duckling Color? Most Ugly Duckling Colors: 1 part color to 1 part Developer
1:1 High Light Series (100): 1 part color to 2 parts Developer
1:2 Brilliant Blonde Powder Lightener: 1 part color to 2 parts Developer
1:2
What is the right development time?
10.
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For almost all Ugly Duckling Colors, the development time is 30 – 45 minutes without heat and 20-25 minutes with heat
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For the High Light (100) Series, and for Ruby Red and Fuscia Pink (which are also High Lift colors), add 10 minutes to the above times. DEVELOPMENT TIMES Most Ugly Duckling Colors
WITH HEAT 20 – 25 minutes
WITHOUT HEAT 30 – 45 minutes
High Light (100) Series
30 – 35 minutes
45 – 55 minutes
Ruby Red, Fuscia Pink
30 – 35 minutes
45 – 55 minutes
Brilliant Blonde Powder
30 – 35 minutes
45 – 55 minutes
11.
What is the best way to apply the color? •
Apply hair dye on dry, unwashed hair. The oil from your hair will protect the scalp while it is being colored.
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To prepare the hair for coloring, comb it finely so that you are ready to start sectioning.
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Measure the hair dye and developer carefully in the correct proportions and mix together in a non-metallic dye bowl (preferably with markers)
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Section the hair correctly before applying hair dye into at least 4 big sections.
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Tie up 3 sections with a clip.
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On the remaining unclipped section, start taking ¼ inch mini-sections in order to apply the color with your dye brush.
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Lift each strand up and apply color from just away from the scalp to the ends.
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Once you have completed 1 big section, pin up again. Then start on another section and do the same on all sections until you have finished coloring the hair.
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Use your fingers to do the coloring a second time, wearing gloves.
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Avoid using combs to color or re-color, as you can end up ruining the hair cuticles, which have been opened in the coloring process.
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Respect the processing time
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Emulsify. This means add a little water to the color and rub at the scalp area. Then rub well around the hairline first, then middle and nape. Then rinse with shampoo. This process helps lock in the color into the hair, and gives you really vibrant, long-lasting color results plus hair that feels full and very well conditioned.
12.
What about re-growth applications? • The re-growth area is where you need to apply the hair first, especially if you have grey hair (always staying ¼ inch away from the scalp). • However, a word of warning: When doing the regrowth area, you must stay well away from the scalp. Stay at least 1 inch away from the scalp. This is because this area gets the heat from the scalp. It is known as the heat band, and it processes more quickly. • When doing the re-growth coloring, you will need to make sure that your developer is of a sufficient strength to lift this portion to the target hair color. So, for example if your natural level is a 3 (dark brown) and you are aiming for a 6 (dark blonde), you will need to use 30 Vol developer to get the lift that you want. •
After applying on the re-growth area, allow 10 minutes of development time.
• Then apply on the mid-lengths and ends, which is the hair that has already been colored in a previous color application. You may need to make a fresh mix with a lower strength of developer if this portion is already colored to a lighter level. • Now return to the heat band area and apply some color closer to the scalp (although not on the scalp directly) • Wait a further 15 - 20 minutes, in order to arrive at 30 minutes of development time in all. But keep watching the scalp area to make sure it does not over-process. •
Emulsify, wash and condition.
Note: if the mid-length and ends haven been colored a very different tone, have been colored very dark, or if there is a lot of color build up, you will need to color cleanse this portion before starting on the coloring.
13.
How do I get shiny vibrant hair color results? •
You need to emulsify. Do not wash off and shampoo immediately.
• Instead, apply a SMALL quantity of water to your hair and rub your hair all over with this so that the water mixes in with the color solution and the cream turns into a foam. •
Then add some more water and repeat.
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Then rinse abundantly with water.
• This process is known as emulsification and it is what all professional stylists do to get really vibrant color results. • Once the rinsing is over, shampoo, ideally with a mildly acidic shampoo and conditioner. • Coloring is a highly alkali process, so the acid helps the hair to return its normal pH level and closes the hair cuticles.
14.
What should I do to the hair before coloring? •
In most cases the answer to the question is nothing!
• Hair color always works best on dry, preferably unwashed hair, as the natural oils in the hair do protect the hair during the coloring process. • Some stylists do apply pre-coloring treatments on the dry hair. These are typically Keratin treatments, usually spray-on, and they also do help protect the hair and scalp during the coloring process. •
They are recommended especially for customer with sensitive scalps.
What do I do if my hair has color build-up?
15.
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You will need to do some color cleansing in the following way.
• Use a mixture containing equal parts of shampoo, developer and Brilliant Blonde powder lightener. • The strength of the developer will depend on the extent of color build-up, but generally 20 Vol works well for most cases. • Apply and wait 10 - 20 minutes (the exact time will depend on the extent of color buildup). Then wash off.
How do I change my customer’s hair color or strip it?
16. •
Color stripping is essentially the same as color cleansing, except it is a stronger treatment.
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It is typically necessary when you need to do drastic color changes, especially when removing vibrant colors such as red, pink and when going significantly lighter (5 levels or more).
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In such cases, the recommended mix is 1 part Brilliant Blonde to 2 parts 20 Vol developer.
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Wait 20 minutes and then wash off.
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You can then apply a regular color to get the right reflect and tone that you are looking for.
17.
Can I apply color on hair that is already colored?
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Yes you can. In most cases, when you are recoloring hair that is already covered, all you need to do is to consider the rules for developer selection.
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So, for example, if you are refreshing the color or applying a color similar in level to the previous coloration, 10 or 20 Vol developer will be sufficient.
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If you are changing your reflect from cold to warm or warm to cold, or if you have a previous coloring that is very dark or very vibrant, you may need to do some color cleansing or stripping.
How can I use bleach?
18.
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Ugly Duckling’s bleach is called Brilliant Blonde.
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It has been developed for dark bases and offers 8+ levels of lift in a controlled, consistent way without damaging hair quality. It is one of the most popular products in the Ugly Duckling Hair Color Range.
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Mix 1 part Brilliant Blonde with 2 parts Developer. The strength of developer will depend on the level of lift that you are looking for.
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Remember, the mixture must be fairly moist. The mixture will stay active on the hair only as long as it does not turn dry.
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Use 20 Vol if you are looking to lighten up to 3 levels.
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Use 30 Vol if you are looking to lighten more than 3 levels.
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After you have applied the mix, watch the hair changing color and rinse out when you get the right color level (see lightening levels above)
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Do not leave the mix on for more than 30 minutes.
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If you have not attained the color level that you are looking for, it is better to wash off and make a fresh application.
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In general, we do not recommend the use of 40 Vol. Developer with bleach.
Can I re-color bleached hair?
19. •
If you have bleached your hair once, you can generally color it or tone it down again without any problem.
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But it is not recommended to do too many dramatic changes on your hair after that.
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Although you can color as many times as you want, it is better not to bleach too many times.
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Ugly Duckling recommends that one bleach in the life of a hair is enough!
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Stay with that color result until your hair has grown out and you have fresh hair. Otherwise it will affect your hair quality.
Does coloring harm the hair?
20. •
Hair coloring using oxidative dyes is not harmful if applied correctly, respecting coloring times and mixes.
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Ugly Duckling hair color contains Argan Oil, so it does help respect hair quality and make sure the hair is shiny and soft after hair coloring.
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As a result, many people using Ugly Duckling Hair Color do say that the hair coloring has actually improved the look, feel and condition of the hair.
Here are some general rules to keep the hair in great quality: •
1 bleach application only in the lifetime of a hair.
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Use the weakest strength of developer that you can get away with.
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Use good quality hair color with conditioning agents to protect the hair quality.
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Respect mix and development time recommendations.
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Do not wash your hair before coloring (the natural oils in your dirty hair protects it during coloring!)
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Emulsify.
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Wash with a mildly acidic shampoo and then condition after the coloration. This will help to return the hair to its natural condition.