Hair coloring, in one common method, works by introducing tiny color molecules into the hair structure that temporarily change its appearance without chemically altering the natural pigment.
Understanding this process involves looking at how these specialized color molecules interact with the hair shaft.
The Coloring Process
The mechanism for this type of hair coloring focuses on physically depositing color within the hair's outer layers.
Here's a breakdown of the steps:
- Entry into the Cuticle: The hair color product contains tiny color molecules. These molecules are small enough to enter the cuticle, which is the hair's protective outer layer made up of overlapping cells.
- Penetration into the Cortex: After passing the cuticle, the tiny color molecules continue their journey into the cortex. The cortex is the main, inner part of the hair shaft, containing the hair's natural pigment (melanin).
- No Interaction with Natural Pigment: Crucially, in this type of coloring, the tiny color molecules don't interact with your natural pigments. They simply reside alongside the existing melanin without changing its color.
- Temporary Presence: Because the molecules are small and haven't chemically bonded or altered the hair structure, they don't stay permanently.
- Washing Out: The color molecules eventually exit the hair shaft. This typically happens after several shampoos as the molecules are gradually washed away from the cortex and cuticle.
- Return to Original State: Since the natural pigment wasn't changed, the hair returns to how it was before treatment once all the temporary color molecules have exited.
This method provides a temporary color change that washes out over time, making it a flexible option for trying new shades without a long-term commitment or significant chemical processing.
