5 minute read
Colouring Tips For Different Hair Textures By Kristie Kesic
COLOURING FINE HAIR
Everyone with flat, fine hair longs for va-va-voom volume! Luckily, colouring fine hair can be extremely beneficial when it comes to making the hair look and feel thicker than it actually is. Hair colour swells the hair shaft which makes it appear visibly thicker. So, for those clients with natural hair that find it’s always falling flat, explaining the benefits of adding colour to the hair during your consultation is a really worthwhile exercise.
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The best tip I can give when it comes to colouring fine hair, is to add highlights. Highlights will add instant volume and, by using varying shades, can create dimension that gives the optical illusion of movement and volume. However, if you colour the hair too light it can have the opposite affect, appearing thinner. Always remember the following four tips when colouring fine hair;
1. Less is more 2. Add in lots of dimensions 3. Avoid going too blonde 4. Add in a plex for extra protection
Highlighting fine hair is a great technique to subtly elevate the colour, resulting in a natural, fresh finish, and it gives the bonus benefit of thicker locks.
COLOURING CURLY HAIR
Curly hair naturally needs a lot of moisture, so you need to be extra mindful that you take this into consideration when consulting your curly hair clients. If the hair is too dry, adding colour will change the natural shape and texture pattern of the curl.
The biggest tip you can follow when is comes to curly hair, is to work with colours that will add moisture and shine, rather than make the hair appear dry and brittle. Semi permanent colours are great for achieving this. Semi’s coat the outside of the hair cuticle, smooth it down and help the curls appear bouncy and shiny. No frizz here!
My next tip is simple, don’t reach for the bleach! We all know bleach isn’t bad, but it’s not a curly client’s best friend, so reach for an alternative. If the hair is natural, try using tint colours to lift the hair only a few shades rather than striving for an intense blonde. If you need to use bleach to achieve the desired result, lift using the rule; Low & Slow. Low level peroxide, slow processing time. Freehand options are great for this and allow you to personalise visual placement of the colour. Don’t forget to add in a plex for extra protection. One of the most effective tricks for curls if you decide you want to foil the hair, is to use a thicker weave than you would when colouring fine hair. A thicker weave in curly hair will help ribbon colour around the curl, whereas a fine weave will get lost.
Lastly, keep it simple! Our curly hair clients can absolutely play with fun, fashion colours, but keep in mind when you look at curly hair there is already a lot going on with all that texture. Don’t overdo it, keep the colours and shades within the same tonal family or take the ‘less is more’ option if you are creating contrast.
COLOURING AFRO HAIR
Now I’m a very experienced colour specialist but when it comes to afro textured hair there are extremely talented hairdressers with more knowledge than me. So, for this one I called upon Chrissy Zemura. Chrissy owns Zemura Hair and is a passionate educator who is currently campaigning for the hairdressing curriculum to be changed to include afro textured hair education. Chrissy has kindly offered up some exert tips, as well as a few things to steer clear of, when colouring afro hair.
According to Chrissy, the biggest mistake most will make when preparing to colour afro hair is thinking it is extremely strong and difficult to colour. The reality is quite the opposite. Afro hair is the most fragile hair type, and it is therefore the easiest to damage. So, the first thing you’ll need is a change of mindset, remember afro hair it is actually very fine and fragile. With that in mind, a thorough consultation is a must.
Hair By CHRISSY ZEMURA
Apart from accessing the quality of the hair, it’s important to understand its history. Understanding if natural hair dyes like henna have been used on the hair is really critical. Henna dyes are quite commonly used in some cultures to colour this hair type, but when mixed with other products you could be in for a real hair disaster. Henna is a particularly hard substance to colour, adding bleach will turn the hair green for example, not cute. Chrissy’s best advice with this is to do a strand test. Remember, it’s not up to the client to know exactly what product their previous hairdresser has used. So, if in doubt, ALWAYS strand test.
When it comes to colour for afro hair types, Chrissy’s go to technique for a soft, natural, sun-kissed effect is to use a 9-10 level tint in foil and a balayage in between with a high lift tint. (Note, there’s no mention of bleach in that sentence!) Remember fragile, fine hair = avoid bleach wherever possible.
Now we can’t share all of Chrissy’s handy advice in one article, and it would be totally naive to think everyone can understand this incredibly textured hair with just this advice, so if you would like to learn more, Chrissy offers in-salon training and workshops in both colour and cutting. Contact Chrissy via email for 2022 training dates: hello@zemura.co Also follow her great work on Instagram; @chrissyzemurahair @zemurasalon
Hair By CHRISSY ZEMURA
As mentioned, Chrissy is campaigning to have afro textured hair incorporated into the Hairdressing Certificate Qualification. I wholeheartedly stand with her on this cause and you can too, sign the petition; www.change.org/p/tafe-include-afrotextured-hair-education-in-certificate-iii-hairdressing
We’ve only briefly touched on three different texture types here, there is so much more to share but for now, remember the biggest take away; each hair texture is different and requires a different colour approach and technique to ensure the best colour result. Consultation and knowledge is key. Keep educating yourself in order to give each client the best results possible!
