Hair Coloring Principles: Underlying Pigment, Tone, and Chemical History

Vocabulary flashcards covering underlying pigment progressions, tone and reflect distinctions, and principles regarding previously colored hair.

Underlying Pigment

The natural pigment underneath that becomes exposed when hair is lightened, serving as the reason hair looks warm after lightening.

Simplified Progression of Underlying Pigment

The sequence of warmth exposed as hair becomes lighter: red $\rightarrow$ red-orange $\rightarrow$ orange $\rightarrow$ orange-yellow $\rightarrow$ yellow $\rightarrow$ pale yellow.

Tone / Reflect

The color quality seen in the hair, commonly described using terms such as ash, gold, beige, copper, red, violet, and neutral.

Hair Level vs. Tone

The concept that two people can share the same hair level (e.g., two level 7s) but look very different depending on warmth and the color placed over the hair.

Chemical History Consultation

The process of asking whether hair has been colored, lightened, relaxed, permed, or otherwise chemically treated, as previous color affects both the final result and the condition of the hair.

Key Principle of Lightening Artificial Color

The rule stating that hair color generally cannot reliably lighten artificial color, meaning previously colored hair needing significant lightening may require a different lightening or corrective-color approach.