This time, we will explain the difference between hair coloring agents from beauty salons and commercially available coloring agents.

Basics of coloring agents

First of all, the coloring agent is divided into agent 1 and agent 2, which come in a tube.
One agent contains a dye and an alkaline agent. This one agent determines the color.

The second agent is hydrogen peroxide.
The concentration of hydrogen peroxide is limited to 6% in Japan, and the damage to your hair varies depending on the concentration of hydrogen peroxide.
Hydrogen peroxide has the effect of opening the hair cuticle and removing the black melanin pigment.
When dyeing, mix agent 1 and agent 2 and apply it to your hair, and it will be effective for about 20 minutes.
The effect of the coloring agent wears off about 20 minutes after application, but the damage to your hair becomes more and more damaging as time passes.

The longer you leave the colorant in, the more color it will get in your hair.
When the hairdresser comes to check your hair during the coloring process at the hair salon, they are also checking to see if the color is still there.

 Is there a difference between beauty salon and commercially available colorants?

What is the difference between the coloring agent used at a beauty salon and the coloring agent available on the market?
In fact, the ingredients are almost the same, just the treatment ingredients are different.
One agent contains an ammonia agent and a coloring agent.
The ammonia agent contained in commercially available colorants is called "monoethanolamine," which is a relatively irritating ammonia agent that tends to remain in the hair. However, both products contain hydrogen peroxide, which opens the cuticle and destroys the pigment, so hair damage is inevitable.

Advantages of dyeing your hair at a salon/beauty salon

I feel like it would be cheaper to use commercially available colorants, but what are the benefits of dying your hair at a salon/beauty salon?

At a beauty salon, professionals will choose the best one for your desired color from a variety of chemicals, and their technical skills when dyeing are also an advantage. It is difficult for amateurs to choose a color that is close to your desired hair color among the many colors available.
Also, since the roots and ends of the hair have different colors, it is necessary to use different chemicals, but it is difficult to dye them separately by yourself.
At beauty salons, hair with a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide (about 6%) is selected for the roots, which have a strong black pigment, to remove the black color, and for the tips, a hydrogen peroxide with a weak concentration of about 2% is selected.
Doing so will prevent damage.

Also, you cannot dye your hair right away even if you go to a beauty salon, and a patch test is required.
I would apply a little medicine to my skin and wait for 48 hours to see if any irritation occurs, then go to the beauty salon two days later.
Although there is no law requiring patch testing, there are some regions where it is required by ordinance.
However, it is impractical to take 48 hours for a patch test due to the cost and congestion, so the current style is to check for stains before coloring.
In my experience as a hairdresser, many people with dry scalps are more prone to stains.

Summary

① The coloring agent itself is not much different whether it is a commercially available product or a beauty salon product.

② “Hair diagnostic ability” and “drug selection ability” are the decisive differences.