Chemical Services

We all love to see a fresh color or perm. Hair coloring and perming is an art. Did you know that it’s also science? Every time your stylist perms, colors, or even shampoos your hair, they are applying chemicals to your hair. This is why it is so important to be open and honest about your hair history!

I have a lot of clients that ask me questions about what I’m using, mixing, and formulating when I color or perm their hair. Of course, I love answering all of my client’s questions and thought I’d make this blog for those that may want to know but are not comfortable asking!

Did you know that the ancient Egyptians were the first people to enhance new hair colors? They used henna to color their hair for spirituality, social class, income class, and more. But we aren’t here to talk about history. Let’s get into the facts. Every hair color or lightener is activated with a chemical reactor. When mixing color, lightener (bleach), toners, or any other kind of hair color, hydrogen peroxide is added to activate the color. There are different volumes and strengths to hydrogen peroxide, but even if it’s just 5 volume, that chemical is going on your hair.

Once that chemical is on your hair, it may fade, but it will stay on your hair until it is cut off. Say you decide to go blonde and then 6 months later you decide to go dark. A year after going dark, you decide you want to go blonde again. It is important to let your stylist know that you used to have blonde on your hair. Even if it’s possible it is all cut off, it is best to play it safe and explain your hair history so your stylist knows how to mix their chemical without damaging your hair! Hair history is one of the most important conversations in your consultation!

Perms, also known as Chemical Waving or a Body Wave, is the process of wrapping the hair around rods and applying a chemical to change the shape and texture of the hair. Some people get perms for the wave or curl it provides. Others may get a perm for some added volume and texture to their hair for styling purposes. Whatever the reason, perms are even more important to share your hair history with your stylist. There are many different kinds of perms and chemicals for specific hair types to ensure little to no damage is done to your hair. Without knowing your hair history, your stylist may use the wrong perm resulting in a very bad way to end a service.

Most perms include a chemical called ammonium thioglycolate. This is the chemical that breaks the disulfide bonds in the hair creating the wave or curl desired. After checking the test curl and seeing the ammonium thioglycolate has done its job, the chemical is usually rinsed off the hair. After rinsing, a neutralizer is applied to the hair. Most neutralizers are made of hydrogen peroxide. This chemical stops the other chemical from continuing to process. If neutralization is not applied, the hair will become very brittle and eventually break off.

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So what happens if you mix these two chemical services? Is it possible? Yes, it is possible, but it is highly recommended that a licensed professional be the one to apply such a harsh chemical service to your hair. These two chemicals actually counteract with one another and can result in “frying” your hair completely off.

Personally, I advise my clients to have one service done one day and wait at least two weeks before providing the other service. This will also depend on the client’s hair integrity and hair history! Our goal as your stylist is to ensure your desired look while maintaining hair health. Sometimes it may take longer or it may not be possible to have your desired look. It is important to listen to the professional and maintain your chemical service at home!

There is so much more to these services and these chemicals. This was just barely hitting the subject, but I hope it made sense and you learned more about what is being done to your hair during your service! Like always, feel free to reach out with any questions!

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