Hair Coloring for Men (2)
Permanent Hair Color with Lift
Permanent hair color with lift comes in different formulas depending on how much your natural color needs to be lifted or lightened to reach the desired color. Use this type of hair color if you want lighter hair than your natural color, typically within one to four levels of your natural shade.
Hair Lightener
Hair lightener is a separate product that is used to lighten dark hair sufficiently to accept a much lighter shade (usually when the hair needs to be more than 3-4 levels lighter or more). A man with medium brown hair who wants to have blonde hair will need to have his hair lightened using this product, followed by the application of the desired hair color.
It's important to know that some gray hair is resistant to hair color. In these cases, a special additive must be included in the hair color formula to allow the hair color to penetrate the denser cuticle found on gray hair. If the strands of your gray hair are especially shiny (even when they aren't freshly shampooed) you probably have resistant hair.
In addition, you must also note that the color you choose to use to cover partially gray hair depends on the amount of gray hair you have. If you have less than 10% gray hair, choose a hair color that is three shades lighter than your desired color. If your gray makes up 10-30% of your hair, go with two shades lighter. If you're 30-50% gray, use an equal mixture of one part two levels lighter and one part one level lighter.
However, you should be aware that in the cases of people with more than 90% gray hair or hair that is completely white (and even in some people who have areas of the hair that are completely white) the color you apply can look flat or brassy. This is due to the lack of variation in color, and can be corrected by adding highlights or lowlights to the areas where needed.
Whatever your reason for wanting to try hair color, you shouldn't hesitate. Just think carefully before making your choices and doing something permanent. Or, adopt the attitude expressed by one of my male clients who likes to experiment with hair color. When I cautioned him against making a drastic change in his hair color, he looked me in the eye and said, "Hey! I'm a guy! If I really hate it, I can always shave my head and start over."
©Hairfinder.com
See also:
More about hair coloring
Why hair turns gray
Hair care for men
Are only gay men coloring their hair?