Gray camouflage: how is it different from coloring and how to do it?
Let's figure it out
In recent years, the procedure for camouflaging gray hair has become a full-fledged salon and even barber procedure. What is the difference between regular painting and camouflage and how is it done? Let's talk!
Gray hair camouflage is a procedure that allows you to “mute” the intensity of the color of gray hair using dye in a short period of time (if we talk about the time of salon procedures). This is a fairly effective way to “disguise” age-related changes in hair.
On average, this procedure takes up to 30-40 minutes, and the coloring composition itself is left on the hair for up to 10 minutes. Despite the short exposure time, the paint manages to penetrate the upper layer of the cortex and the tinting is permanent, due to which the camouflage effect lasts up to 5-6 weeks.
For camouflage, special dyes are used that do not contain ammonia; they do not affect the natural pigment of non-gray hair. The compositions applied to the strands are gentle and soft. But their main task is to make the contrast between gray hair and hair that has retained its natural pigment as unnoticeable as possible. Also, due to this, the dye is washed out gradually, and there are no clear boundaries between the previously camouflaged hair length and the already regrown roots.
Many are sure that there is no difference between camouflage and regular dyeing, but there are still differences between these two procedures. Here they are:
- the color palette used to camouflage gray hair includes mainly only natural shades that will suit and match the clients’ natural hair. Thanks to the excellent selection of shades, camouflage will not look like dyed hair. Everything is as invisible as possible;
- since the compositions are ammonia-free, the procedure is safe and less harmful to the hair structure;
- in most camouflage compositions, the active ingredient is ethanolamine. It changes/mutes the shade of gray hair, but does not color the remaining, non-gray curls;
- the effect of camouflage will last less than that of painting, because camouflage paint is washed out faster. But if after dyeing you can see how the roots grow, then after camouflage there will be no sharp contrast.
The most important thing for the master is to choose the most suitable shade of dye for the client’s hair color.
How is gray hair camouflaged?
It is the selection of the appropriate one that can be considered the first important stage of camouflage.
The next step is to thoroughly rinse your hair with shampoo. Then pat dry with a towel. Camouflage can be carried out on both wet and dry hair.
Next, mix the required dye with the activator in a 1:1 ratio (the proportions may differ for each manufacturer).
The next step is to apply the resulting composition to the entire length of the hair, distributing evenly.
After 5-10 minutes of exposure, you need to rinse the composition from your hair with warm running water.