What does relaxed hair mean when dying hair

Thinking of lightening your client’s relaxed hair? With patience and time, it CAN be done safely, says Alfaparf Master Artisan and Texture Expert Jeannetta Walker.

Thanks to blonde beauties like Beyoncé and J-Lo, the demand for hair color is massive these days. Clients with every natural shade and texture are keen to explore the world of bronde and milk tea and mushroom blonde hues—even those with relaxed hair. But can relaxed hair be lifted safely? It can…with a few big “ifs.” Like, “if” you understand the difference between coloring naturally curly and chemically relaxed textures, says Alfaparf Master Artisan and Texture Expert Jeannetta Walker, @watchmyhairbounce. And “if” you understand the biology of hair and how certain chemicals affect textured hair. And “if” you always ask yourself, “Will this be beneficial, or will it harm the hair?” before proceeding with any service. Once you’ve factored in the “ifs,” notes Jeannetta, you will have the confidence to lift every hair type. Here are Jeannetta’s key dos and don’ts for combining color and relaxing services.

Get more curly insights from Alfaparf’ Texture Expert Jeannetta Walker.

Don’t…think that relaxed hair can’t be colored.
“That’s a huge misconception,” says Jeannetta. “It really depends on the health and integrity of the hair. Investigate the texture carefully. If it’s ready, which is rare, go ahead. If it’s not ready, you can prepare the hair with the right treatments. Everyone wants color these days, and with time and patience, it can be done safely, even on relaxed hair.”

Do…understand exactly how much and what type of relaxer has been applied.
“When you straighten hair with a relaxer, you’re breaking down the hair’s disulfide bonds,” explains Jeannetta. “Some stylists relax hair to the point of being bone straight, and it becomes lifeless. What’s more, the hair is weaker and more porous at this point. If you were to apply bleach, the hair would be on the floor. So the first thing I ask a client is if they have been applying relaxer at home. If so, or if she is coming from another stylist, I will work with the hair for awhile to see how it behaves. I won’t color the hair on the first appointment.”

Don’t…lift relaxed hair if here is evidence of breakage, split ends or extreme dryness.
The condition is too compromised to handle the lightener at this point. Treat the hair to restore protein with a regimen like the Alfaparf Semi di Lino Emergency S.O.S. Treatment and the Reparative Mask, which builds hair integrity from the inside out.  You can restore moisture with a Semi di Lino Nutritive regimen. Repeat as necessary to restore the hair to health—it may take several weeks or even several months.

Do…use a mild or medium-strength relaxer and never take the hair to bone straight if you are also planning to lighten or color your client’s hair.

Do…color the hair two weeks after the relaxer application.
“I relax the hair, then wait two weeks to apply the color or lightener.” says Jeannetta. “This schedule reduces the likelihood of any overlap onto the colored hair. I never color the hair first and relax hair the too soon after.” One exception is demi-permanent color. With a no-ammonia product like Alfaparf Colorwear, used with 5-volume activator, it’s possible to enhance tone, and blend or cover grey hair on the same day as it is relaxed.

Do…add a bond strengthening formula to the relaxer.
“If I’m doing a relaxer touchup and preparing the hair for color, I will add Alfaparf The Hair Supporters Bond Rebuilder to the relaxer cream,” says Jeannetta. “It contains Biomimetic Quarternized Keratin that re- attaches and re-builds bonds in the hair, proportionate to the level of damage. Bond Rebuilder strengthens the hair during the chemical process. I’ll also add it to the color formula if needed. Bond Rebuilder is a universal product than can be used with any chemical service and is compatible with all brands.”

Do…be prepared for quick processing.
Bleach will move fast on relaxed hair, even if you’re using 10-volume developer, so be prepared. Jeannetta often removes foils and rinses the hair before an entire section is complete to avoid over-processing. “You have to work quickly,” she says, “or you run the risk of melting off the hair.”

Don’t…neglect proper after care.
“That means treatments every week or every two weeks in the salon,” declares Jeannetta. “And protect the hair from heat at all costs. Just because the hair is relaxed doesn’t mean the client won’t blow dry or flat iron her hair. Formulas like Alfaparf Style Stories Thermal Protector and Blow Dry Cream are essential for relaxed clients with colored hair.”

Explore the world of Alfaparf Italian hair color and products for textured hair. 

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I think that we all can agree that we love changing up our hair from time to time, and changing hair color is no exception. From deep plums to raven black there is no better way to spice up your look than with some a brand new color.

But for us ladies that have relaxed strands, we have to be careful about the type of hair coloring agents that we choose. Unlike our natural haired chicas, for most of us it wouldn’t be wise to use permanent hair dye on our fragile strands.

This would definitely lead to broken strands and heartache. Although platinum blondes and Rihanna reds aren’t attainable for most of us that want to maintain healthy long relaxed hair, there are other ways to achieve banging, blinging colored stands. Read on to find out how.

1.  Semi-Permanent Hair Color

Semi-permanent color or rinses are a great way to play around with different hair colors. Although they do not last as long, nor as they as vibrant as permanent hair color, it is a great way to play with color without the damage.

What is semi-permanent hair color and how do I use it?

Semi-permanent hair color is basically hair dye without ammonia or peroxide. Commonly it is used to darken hair but those with relaxed strands will also have relatively porous hair so you can get a subtle change with darker pigments like plum reds or purples or blues.

To use semi-permanent hair dye,  just apply it to your freshly washed hair and let it sit for the time it states in the directions of whichever brand you are using, then simply rinse and style. This is typically the directions for most semi-permanent dyes, but again they may vary.

How long does semi-permanent color last?

Semi-Permanent hair color usually last for 3 months or up to 28 washes.

What are the cons of semi-permanent hair dyes?

The only cons with semi-permanent dyes is that they’re not permanent and the color achieved is not vibrant. When you are ready to touch up your favorite hair color, you would have to re-color your whole head again.

Where can I buy semi-permanent hair color?

You can buy semi-permanent dyes/rinses at your local beauty supply store and online.

2. Hair Chalk

The idea of hair chalking has been on the rise again lately as an alternative to adding highlights, an ombre effect, or even coloring your entire head (this would take some patience especially if you have a lot of density) to your hair. But before you ask, hair chalk is totally different from regular school board chalk!

What is hair chalk and how do I use it?

Hair chalk is in a way an easier version of a temporary hair rinse. To use hair chalk, you would have to make sure that your hair is either semi dry or really damp. Then you rub the hair chalk along the length of your strands in which ever fashion you may like, then air dry. You can also blow dry if you are pressed on time.

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Zoë Kravitz. Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Fiji Water

I remember the first time I had my hair dyed blonde. I was in the 11th grade, and had printed out photos of Keyshia Cole and Kelis to take to the hairdresser. I sat in her chair and showed her the photos, never having had a color in my hair other than a black-blue rinse that my mom called "bold." She looked at the photos, and then at me — without hesitation, she told me "being blonde is cute and all, but you are going to have to work for it."

Almost a decade later, her words still hold true: Being a blonde is a lot of fun, but it also requires a substantial amount of work, especially for a Black girl. It's not that race or ethnicity technically plays a factor in hair coloring, but the texture of Black hair can impact the process and results involved in dyeing, protecting and preserving hair.

For starters, Black hair naturally hair tends to be dry and fragile. "Kinky hair tends to be more coarse, which tends to leave the hair feeling more dry and brittle," explains Kiyah Wright, a celebrity hairstylist whose clients include Ciara, Laverne Cox and Jennifer Hudson. "This means that if you want to color textured hair, you need to take it slow, especially if you are going up levels [the ranking system colorists use for how much the hair is being lightened]." So, where to start? With these key tips from the experts.

Make sure your hair is healthy before you color it.

"Make sure that your hair is healthy and in good condition before you begin coloring it," says Wright, who suggests taking into account chemical processes and relaxers before you begin. "Make sure that you are considerate if you are using a relaxer. Wait two-to-three weeks after your relaxer before you start to do any color. Coloring your hair with a relaxer will cause a lot of damage."

It's also smart to leave the coloring to the pros, especially if you're going lighter. A non-negotiable, to Wright, is a skin test, which will determine your scalp's sensitivity to the color formula. "Some people are allergic to color, so you always want to be sure that you can handle it," she explains. "To do a skin test, just test the color on your inner wrist to see if your skin reacts. If it does, you may need a hypo-allergenic color."

If you've previously colored your hair, you'll want to strip that before putting a new one on top to avoid altering the results. If you can, wait a few months to allow new growth to come in, and then use a pre-lightener to remove the color. "If you do have pre-existing color, make sure you use a pre-lightener such as Pravana's to lighten the hair and remove any existing color. This will allow you to re-color the hair off a fresh start."

This tip is especially crucial for those looking to go blonde from darker tones; the lighter you go, the more processes and higher developers your colorist will need to use.

Be sure to take color processing slowly to avoid damaging your curl pattern.

Many people, but especially women with kinkier hair, have seen the undeniable catastrophe of heat-fried or bleach-gone-bad hair. Whether it's permanently-straightened strands, immediate thinning and shedding, or just the eternal feeling of being dry, brittle strands that have been rushed through the lightening process will show damage, and it can require a lot of work to reverse it.

Rather than attempting to lighten hair dramatically in one fell swoop, Wright suggests starting with a slightly lighter brown shade, and then working up to highlights. "The key is to gradually lighten your hair, like every three to six months. Be sure to let the color sit and then graduate up a few levels. When coloring kinkier hair, you need to color it in stages," she advises.

Keep hair hydrated.

Whenever I get my color touched up, I opt for protein treatments and moisturizing masks to restore hydration into my hair. Since many kinky and tightly-coiled hair textures are naturally dry, you will want to be extremely intentional and aggressive in moisturizing and hydrating your hair. Two products Wright loves to use on her clients are the Head & Shoulders Royal Oils Deep Moisture Masque and Moisture Boost Shampoo, which both soften the hair and restore moisture. "I love these two products because they are not only great for an itchy, dry scalp, but also for hydrating color-treated hair. They really soften and add that much-needed moisture to color-treated hair," she says."

Wright is also a fan of steam treatments in-between washes and styles: "To treat dehydration, a good steam treatment is definitely recommended. Be sure to pair it with a deep-conditioning hair mask, too." She recommends adding nutrient-rich oils, like olive and coconut, into your daily routine at least once a week. "Olive oil and coconut oil are great alternative ways to hydrate your hair. Coconut oil can be melted down in seconds, applied to the hair, and then you can wrap your hair with saran wrap to lock in the moisture. You can do the same thing with olive oil and let it sit overnight."

Using a color-preserving shampoo and conditioner can boost longevity and vibrance of hair color (a purple shampoo will do wonders for blonde hair), and getting frequent trims to snip away any split ends is helpful for maintaining overall health.

In the galley below, we've rounded up treatments and masks to help hydrate and protect colored hair.

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