Dictionary of Hair Coloring Terms

DICTIONARY OF
HAIR COLORING TERMS


Allergy - A hypersentivity to certain foods, cosmetics, tints or other substances.
Aniline - A coal tar derivative used in penetrating tints.
Bleach - A preparation which lightens the hair by removing the pigmentation.
Bleach Pack - A bleach solution prepared in a thick consistency.
Blending - The process of evening color throughout the hair strand during retouches.
Breakage - A condition in which hair splits and breaks off. Caused by overbleaching, improper per-manent waving.
Certified Color- A temporary coloring which coats the hair.
No patch test is necessary when certified colors are used.
Coating - Residue left on the outside of the hair shaft.
Color Mixing - Mixing two shades of Miss Clairol together for an in-between color.
Color Test -The process of washing or drying a strand of hair to determine progress during tinting or bleaching.
Coverage - Coloring gray or white hair.
Decolorization - Removal of color from hair.
Developer Clairoxide, Pure White Creme Developer or a 20-vol. peroxide which is mixed with tints, dyes and bleaches to produce final results.
Development Time Time needed to develop the color or the
bleach. It begins at completion of applica-tion.
Discoloration Development of an undesired color.
Drab - A shade which contains no red or gold tones.
To drab hair means to remove red and gold tones from hair.
Frosting Lightening small sections of hair through out the head.
Hair Color Bath .... Miss Clairol—a permanent color. Lightens,
colors, conditions and shampoos in one ap-plication.
Highlighting Brightening the appearance of hair by adding color tones.
Line of Demarcation . . A streak caused by overlapping on previous-ly tinted hair. Not possible with Miss Clairol.
Metallic Dyes Permanent color which contains metal salts.
Over-lap The condition caused when the bleach or
tint runs down the hair strand during a re-touch.
Oxidation The development of the tint after Clairoxide
or Pure White Creme Developer is added.
Patch Test A test given 24 hours prior to a tint treatment to ascertain whether or not a patron
is allergic or hyper-sensitive to the tint. It is required by law.
Penetrating Tint A tint which penetrates into hair shaft and deposits color permanently.
Pepper and Salt . A term used for hair that has a mixture of pigmented and white strands.
Peroxometer A device which measures the strength of hydrogen peroxide.
Plastic Applicator Pliable, squeeze bottle used for the appli-cation of Clairol tints, toners, bleaches and shampoos —■ eliminating the use of dish, comb, brush or swab. Nozzles are available to suit product consistency.
Porosity The condition of hair that makes it absorb moisture easily.
Powder Bleach A strong, fast-acting bleach used for spe-cial bleaching.
Pre-Bleaching The process of removing some color from the hair before a tint. Not necessary with Miss Clairol Hair Color Bath. The term is also used when highly decolorizing before applying the Blonde Toners.
Pre-Softening .... The application of a bleach solution for a short period of time in order to make hair more porous and less resistant to color. Not necessary with Miss Clairol Color Bath.
Problem Hair .... Hair difficult to tint, bleach or permanent wave.
Reconditioning .... The process of improving the condition of the hair.
Resistance The condition of hair that makes it difficult for solutions to penetrate the hair strand.
Retouch The process of coloring the new growth on tinted or bleached hair.
Rinse A temporary haircoloring such as Come Alive Gray.
Shampoo Tint .... A penetrating tint which contains, in addi-tion to color, a superfine liquid shampoo that cleanses the hair as it colors.
Skin Test Same as Patch Test.
Soap Cap The process of diluting tint with shampoo or water and working it through the head like a shampoo.
Spot Bleaching Applying bleach only to dark areas to even out color.
Spot Tinting Applying tint to areas insufficiently colored in order to produce even results throughout.
Strand Test A preliminary test given before a coloring
treatment on a single strand of hair. It is used to predetermine the mixture and development time required during the treatment.
Streaking Lightening from two to four strands at the hairline.
Streaks Dark or light areas on hair caused by improper application of tint or bleach.
Stripping The removal of artificial color from the hair.
Sun Tips An exclusive Clairol method of lightening
hair around face. Combination of tipping and streaking.
Texture Refers to the thickness of hair, and whether it is soft, harsh or wiry.
Tint A preparation which colors hair permanently
Toner A delicate tint which is applied to highly
bleached hair to produce blonde shades.
Towel Drying Removal of excess water with towel.
Vegetable Color A coloring which coats the hair and is de-rived from henna, sage or indigo.
Virgin Hair Hair not previously treated with tints, bleaches, or permanents.
White Henna A magnesium carbonate added to hydrogen peroxide in order to thicken the bleach solution into a pack.
Conditioner Any product applied to hair to restore oils, sheen, elasticity and manageability.
Filler Tint or other product used to temporarily
provide fill for porous spots in hair during chemical treatments such as permanent waving, bleaching.
Hair Lightener Bleach product used to decolorize hair to varying degrees.
Hair Shaft Visible part of each strand of hair. It is made up of an outer layer called the cuticle, an innermost layer called the medulla, and an in-between layer called the cortex. The cortex layer is where color changes are made by modern penetrating tints such as Miss Clairol.
Pigment Coloring matter, either natural or artificial.
Red, gold, brown, or a combination thereof.
Tipping Tiny strands of hair to the front of the head are lightened to blend in with the darker hair.

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