Another important aspect of hair glamour is hair
colouring. There are two types of hair dyes -
- vegetable dyes
and
- chemical dyes.
Vegetable Hair Dye Information and Facts
Vegetable Hair dyes have many disadvantages,
such as:
(1) The exposure time of the dye on he hair is inconveniently
long.
(2) Colouring, obtained is unattractive.
(3) They are not water-proof.
The vegetable products used for hair dye are henna,
indigi, kohl, walnut bark, camomile, sage and red oak bark.
Dyeing Hair with Other Vegetable Products
The leaves of the indigo tree are crushed into a fine powder
,and used as a dye which gives the hair a blue-black colour.
A mixture of henna and indigo powder is widely used.
The colour obtained varies according to the proportion of
the two elements in the mixture.
Kohl powder is dissolved in water and applied to the
hair with a brush. Years ago kohl was used to blacken
the eye lashes, but it has now been abandoned as it is not
water-proof or tear-proof.
Mix walnut bark with a dilute ammonia solution (one
part ammonia to two parts water) to make an extract. It
gives the hair an attractive brown colour.
Comomile tea gives a golden tint to the hair but is not
capable of covering up grey hair. Make an infusion of red
oak bark and rinse your hair in it. It gives a lovely dark
sheen to the hair.
If your hair is getting grey try darkening it with sage
leaves. Make a strong 'infusion with the leaves by mixing
about 4 tablespoons to one cup of water. Apply this water
to the hair roots every day, and you will find a magic
change after some days. When the desired colour is obtained
use it once a week. The other way to use leaves is to
mix the infusion with kaolin to make a paste. Apply this to
the hair and leave it on for about half an hour, then wash
it off. To increase the darkening effect mix in it tea instead
of water.
Chemical Hair Dyes Information and Facts
These are mixtures of para (paraphenyle-ondiamine or
paratoluendiamine), and some other chemicals (such as
pyrogallol and resarcin). Hydrogen peroxide is also
used in dyes to accelerate the oxidization of the hair.
Chemical dye forms a kind of lacquer which settles on the
cuticle or outer part of the hair and penetrates it. This
lacquer does not reach the hair root.
Chemical hair dyes
overcome all the disadvantages of the vegetable dyes, such
as they require short exposure time on the hair, provide
natural colour, are obtainable in many shades, and are
water-proof or shampoo-proof. However, the biggest disldvantage
of the chemical dyes is that they may have
an adverse effect on some skins. The symptoms of such
ill-effects are violent itching all over the scalp which starts soon after the dyeing or any time within 48 hours after
dyeing. This is quickly followed by swelling of the scalp,
the ears, the eyelids and also the face. Should such a misfortune happen to you, do not be too upset. The swelling
will go down rapidly and the eczema is cured quite quickly
if the correct treatment is given. You should immediately
consult a dermatologist.
Remember,
you should not, go on a chemical hair dye, if-
(a) You had an itching of the scalp at the time of the
previous dye,
(b) You suffer from asthma,
(c) You have had or at present have eczema or urticaria
on any part of your
body,
(d) You suffer from kidney complaint,
(e) You have any sort of skin problem,
(f) You are pregnant,
(g) You have hair in bad condition and excessively dry,
(h) You are feeding a baby,
(i) You have menses.
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