Hair Dyes And Lightening Agents – Technical Differences For A Layperson
                     Hair Dyes And Lightening Agents – Technical 
Differences For A Layperson
Anil Kumar
Writes on functional and active ingredients for 
personal care, home care, hair dye 
intermediates, sun filter ingredients, FD&C 
sun care products and dyes.
    Commercial hair dyes have been in use for more than 110 years. 
Consumers now have access to an extensive range of hair dyes and 
lighting agents. They are free to choose the product that best addresses 
their given requirements.
 
    It needs to be noted that the dyes that are now available have greatly 
improved when compared with their predecessors. These present-day 
products are easier to use and they don’t emit any foul smell, as well. 
Here, it won’t be inappropriate to succinctly speak about different types 
of hair dyes and how they work.
Temporary hair dye:
    As indicated by the name, this dye colors the hair only for a short 
duration. To be clearer, the color will go away soon as you wash the hair 
once or twice. But, if you are looking for just a short-term solution, 
these products are the best. They act very fast in giving a new color to 
your hair.
    If you want to immediately hide gray hair, the temporary dye won’t 
disappoint you. The chemicals found in these dyes have big-sized 
molecules, which ensure that the color doesn’t go deep inside the hair 
shaft. The temporary hair dyes are free of ammonia.
Semi-permanent hair dye:
   When you want to give a new color to your hair without much impact on 
the natural color, then this product is for you. This hair dye includes 
small molecules that pass through the cuticle and penetrate the cortex 
of your hair. This color, which covers almost half the gray hairs, remains 
intact until about 8- 10 shampoo washes. These dyes are devoid of 
hydrogen peroxide and ammonia.
Demi-permanent hair dye:
   We can consider this hair dye as belonging to the level after the semi-
permanent variant. This is in terms of the duration for which they last. 
These products have only a small quantity of ammonia, and they are 
combined with a developer before usage.
    The dye softly opens up the cuticle and then enters the shaft just to a 
little extent. It has to be highlighted that these kinds of dyes cannot give 
a new color; they are confined to improving the natural color of your 
hair. You can easily wash the hair 15- 20 times before the color starts to 
fade away.
Permanent hair dye:
   This hair dye product can be treated as being the most effective one. 
This is about both covering the grays and lasting for a very lengthy 
timespan, too.
   These dyes, containing peroxide as well as ammonia, fully permeate into 
the hair cortex. The hydrogen peroxide then makes the PPD (P- 
phenylenediamine) molecules undergo oxidation. Subsequently, the 
new color gets strongly attached to the cortex. Once the process is 
completed, just a small touchup has to be given to the hair once in one- 
and- half to two months.
Hair lightening:
    Many people opt for hair lightening; bleach is the primary ingredient 
here. It leads to the oxidation of melanin and this process lightens the 
hair. Upon completion of this procedure, the hair attains a slight 
yellowish shade.
   It’s extremely crucial to mention that not all the above hair dyes are 
suitable for everyone. Which is the most appropriate one is dependent 
on factors such as hair texture and skin health. A knowledgeable and 
competent professional at a quality salon can provide you with apt 
guidance. So do make the effort to find a good professional to help you.
About Vinner Labs
   Vinner Labs specialises in the supply of 
functional and active ingredients for 
personal care, home care, hair dye 
intermediates, sun filter ingredients, FD&C 
pigments and dyes․ We have global reach 
and focused approach towards providing 
our customers with best products via our 
networked manufacturing and R&D 
facilities․ Vinner Labs aims to provide a 
wide range of functional active ingredients 
from a variety of technological platforms․ 
We are one of the unique players in this 
niche segment of specialty chemicals from 
India․ We consider ourselves as value-
unlockers in a variety of personal care 
categories including beauty care, skin care, 
and hair care․