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TEN MINUTE HAIR COLOR - Options and Limitations

Most of us are aware that almost every hair color manufacturer has launched.. or is

planning to launch, their own brand of permanent hair color that processes in ten

minutes at room temperature. I believe these products, and others, expand what we are able to deliver as meaningful options... but like most everything, these are not "magic". It's up to you to decide how you might include these shades in your dispensary. Here are a few of my

thoughts.. and I welcome hearing how you might incorporate these into your colorful world.


FIRST: We sometimes welcome clients who have scheduled for a hair cut or a blow out. And, upon their arrival, we observe that they could certainly benefit from a root touch up. These often busy people are usually in a hurry. So, recommending that you refresh their color, with a processing time of only ten minutes.. before cutting or styling their hair, creates

a business opportunity that benefits everyone.


SECOND: If you work as I do, you usually apply a retouch, and immediately begin wrapping or painting dimensional highlights or lowlights into the hair. It can be of concern that while

the foil wraps or painted strands might be ready to rinse, that, (in the past) those "roots" might not yet be "covered". Now, however, you can rinse, wash and condition the client without worry! Those roots will be REFRESHED, and any gray will be COVERED. AND,

as these ten minute options are not "progressive", you need not fear that the shade will

develop "too dark" or "too drab".


THIRD: "Highlights In A Hurry" - If you attended Rusk's Rewind event last week, San Antonio, Texas, you saw me highlight a model's naturally light (level 7, medium blonde), hair. Her formerly placed highlights had grown out over the past year.. so only the ends of the hair lengths remained blonde. I was delighted to use a brand new shade of Rusk in Ten Permanent Creme Color... 10S. Available this coming January from Rusk. I mixed one ounce of 10S with. 2 ounces of 40 volume developer. And, I employed my new "Foil Painting"

technique to create a new light blonde look for our model. Her 'after' photo is up on my Facebook Group Page, as well as on Instagram. It is beautiful, and was ready for Max Maisano to shampoo, style and photograph this beautiful result after processing for only ten

minutes of processing at room temperature. TAA DAA!


Now: You are probably aware that in addition to Rusk, Schwartzkopf, Joico, and (soon),

L'Oreal, are all offering this type of color. It is NOT a replacement for the traditional brands

of permanent color you currently use. It is an additional coloring option. Remember, ten

minute color must be powerful in order to do its "thing" in ten minutes. It is often powered by ammonium thyoglycolete (perm solution)... So... best to restrict contact to the virgin

root retouch or virgin hair color areas only. And, PLEASE... you already know my answer

to your question: "Can I lower the volume and turn this intense permanent color into a demi

permanent hair color?" NO! Permanent hair color is of sufficient alkalinity to both lift and deposit tone into the hair. Demi permanent color is much less alkaline and cannot "lift" ... it is a deposit only situation here. Developer volume has nothing to do with how these two different types of hair color behave..... and so it goes.


Stay tuned for more color posts, and feel free to comment here on what I am sharing.

See you on November 1st, for our day long IMMERSION INTO COLOR, Newtown, Ct.

I look forward to seeing you there! Beth

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