What grows out of our head and has the potential to be the color of a banana?

You got it! Our hair. The cuticle and cortical layer of each hair is yellow. Darker the natural hair the darker the yellow and the lighter blond you are naturally, the paler the yellow. OK, so we aren’t all walking around looking like yellow finches.

What makes our natural hair brown, red, blond or black?

There are 2 colors of melanin stored inside of the cortical layer, called Hue-melanin and Pheo-melanin. One is a red melanin and the other is black. The darker our natural hair the more black melanin you carry in the cortical layer.  But, that does not mean the pale ashy blond has no black melanin, it just means that Hue and Pheo are paler. The black tends to be a shades of gray and the red is a flatter red. No not pink!

So why does our hair tend to have this red or gold tone to it?

Because the first melanin to dissipate when hit with heat or H2O2 (peroxide) is the black melanin. So, we are left with red melanin inside a yellow cutical and cortical layer. and what does red + yellow = ORANGE! Different shades of orange from dark red brown to orange gold to gold to yellow.

What if I don’t want any warmth in my hair?

Good luck! Stay out of the sun, by living in a cave. Who doesn’t look good with a little warmth in their hair ,eyes or body? Warmth is what your hair donates to living, except for black or pale blond hair. So these are things I suggest:

• Shampoo and blowdry your hair every 2nd or 3rd day.
• Wear a hat when in the sun.
• Use sunscreen hair care products. (ask me I’ll investigate for your hair type/price range)
• Ask your colorist to combine a green. neutral and blue based tint to do your brown hair.
• Lastly, Understand your own hairs color donates THE WARMTH!
• Hair color put on by you or the colorist only controls, uses or lightens the warmth you donate.