The number of consumers who’ve dyed their hair has increased noticeably for the last two years. Consumers are choosing custom colors that are unique, colorful, and bold. While some prefer to rely on professionals to dye the hair successfully without flaw, others are following the DIY suit and testing the limits themselves. With the rise of wanting these unique, colorful looks, companies like KISS and Schwarzkopf have released new lines of hair coloring, specific to the ladies wanting the trendy looks in beauty supply stores. In all, hair color is one of the hottest trends for 2018. Let’s take a look at the past, present, and future trends of hair dye.
The Trends
Compared to now, few people colored their hair in the past, especially not the custom colors we see now. Many consumers already had relaxers and their hair was not healthy enough to dye. Repeating chemical processes several times on already damaged hair would result in too much damage to the hair. If consumers attempted to color over their already damaged hair, it would frequently result in dried out hair that was prone to breakage and needed to be cut short. It is also important to note that wearing colored hair in the workforce was not always acceptable. Natural hair colors were often used as a guideline for what the acceptable hair colors to wear to work were. Now, the market has changed. Consumers can avoid relaxers and dye their healthy virgin hair.
Now there is a wide market of dyes that are specifically meant to be used at home. Almost everyone has tried their hands at dying at home rather than heading to the hairdresser. With the wide variety of new educational resources (for better or worse) for consumers to learn how to do their own hair, more people are willing to give DIY a go.
What are the trending colors from past and present? If you dyed your hair universal colors such as brown, blonde, red, and violet, you are more likely to boldly express bright and funky curls like pink and blue. These bold colors were once considered to be the colors of celebrities or stylists, but, with consumers repeatedly exposed to colorful dyed images through the Internet, these colors are no longer regarded as special colors, but as part of the norm.
In the summer, the rate of dying hair is increased compared to other seasons. As summer is the season of glamor, we’ve seen a jump in numerous boldly colored styles. This summer, the trend is mixing two vivid colors instead of just one color. Schwarzkopf, famous for its Got2b brand, and many other well-known chemical brands, have launched products with multiple colors instead of the usual single color formula.
The Science of Dying Black Hair
There is a study at Yonsei University that notes that black hair is the most optimal for dying. In fact, black hair is thinner than others, and also has a thinner cuticle. The study also notes that black hair is more resistant to irritation, including staining, when compared to others. This is because there is a difference in how the cuticle is destroyed. Black hair is relatively strong against dyes in comparison to other types, but it is natural to be damaged when repeatedly dyed.
Like relaxers, dye has a high alkaline content. The cuticle is damaged when put in contact with strong alkalinity, which means that after dying hair will be more prone to moisture and protein loss. If you use a shampoo with a weak acidity or a pH-matching product after dying, you can get a somewhat relaxed feeling, but in reality, the hair is damaged and does not have the ability to retain any nourishment or moisture, so the damaged cuticle is not closed. This makes it important to keep the hair intact and if damaged, to be careful to avoid any further damage.
For consumers who want to try dying at home, deep conditioning two days before dying is important for maintaining hair health. After dying, the cuticle is opened and cracked, so the hair is more prone to tangling and breakage. After dying, applications of moisturizing products should be increased. Likewise, the hair should be treated more gently.
