Chemistry of Permanent Hair Color

It is the combination of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia (or another oxidizing agent), which causes the natural hair to be lightened. This provides a ‘blank canvas’ for the dye. Ammonia opens the cuticle and cortex so that the dye can actually diffuse inside the fiber. Then, the dye intermediates and the coupler compounds undergo oxidation and coupling reduction. — thereby being trapped inside the hair.

The primary intermediates are aromatic para compounds.

The coupler compounds are meta-substituted derivatives of aniline.

COUPLERS are chemical compounds that define the color of the hair dye. Red. Yellow-Green and Blue.

Including the coupler resorcinol creates a greenish (ash) brown dye.

Heavy chemistry here, but a deep look inside how hair color works

Next class: Monday, August 19th. Meet me at Anushka salon, west Palm Beach, Florida. Tickets: 800-247-1660