The natural color of the hair depends on many different factors, in particular, on the pigment melanin, which is responsible for the intensity and saturation of the shade. In addition, the production of a coloring matter by melanocytes is of great importance.
Hair pigmentation depends on eumelanin and pheomelanin. The latter gives yellow-red hues. Eumelanin is responsible for black and brown tones. It is thanks to the combination of these two pigments that the whole gamut of shades arises. However, it is worth noting that they are distributed unevenly.
Melanin Properties
Melanin is responsible for hair pigmentation. Dark tones of the lock are present in people in whom eumelanin predominates. Redheads are carriers of pheomelanin. The more it is in the hair structure, the brighter the red color will be.
Owners of fair hair have a minimum amount of melanin. It is because of this feature that blondes have pale skin and are prone to the frequent appearance of a vascular network.
Pigment varieties
There are two types of hair pigmentation, on which their main color largely depends. The first species has a dark brown, almost black tint. This pigment is responsible for color saturation, that is, for a dark and light tone. This is eumelanin.
In addition, there is pheomelanin. Under the microscope, this kind of pigment looks like a ball, on which thin plates can be distinguished. He is responsible for light blond and red hair.
What affects the shade
There are certain factors that affect pigments, which means that there are quite a lot of shades of hair. Among the main causes of hair pigmentation are the following:
- condition and functioning of the endocrine system;
- genetic predisposition;
- age-related changes;
- some diseases.
Color in many respects depends on the shade of the parents, as well as on the state of the organs that directly affect the production of melanin. With age, the functioning of the cells responsible for the synthesis of pigments gradually slows down, as a result of which the hair loses its pigment and gray hair forms.
Sometimes in the body due to the occurrence of certain diseases, disorders appear in the process of melanin production, as a result of which the hair throughout the body becomes completely colorless.
Repigmentation
This is a special cosmetology procedure, its essence is to saturate with a pigment close to natural. A similar technique is used if for some reason the hair has lost its natural coloring matter.
As a result of such a procedure, pigmentation of the hair returns, but the color becomes darker or vice versa. Repigmentation should be done if you need to color bleached or lightened locks in darker tones.
The thing is that after the bleaching procedure, natural is washed out of the hair and only a persistent yellow color remains. In this case, the hair structure becomes brittle and porous. For this reason, the particles of applied paint can not fully consolidate themselves inside the locks and quickly wash out. In addition, when staining bleached hair in light brown and black, they simply can turn green. This is due to the mixing of yellow pigment and blue, which is present in the chemical dye. Thanks to the preliminary pigmentation of the hair before dyeing, such effects can be avoided. Such a procedure must be carried out if it is required to perform:
- fine highlighting instead of wide;
- Ombre staining
- give an even color instead of highlighting.
The process of hair pigmentation is that initially they need to be treated with a special composition that contains a combination of pigments. After this, an ammonia dye mixed with an oxidant can be applied. Ammonia, which is contained in the paint, interacts with hydrogen peroxide, slightly raising the scales of the hairs and allowing the paint to penetrate much deeper into their structure.
Thus, artificial pigment particles fall into the lock, giving the curls the desired shade and providing a stable result. The methods for performing pigmentation of the hair on the head largely depend on the type of coloring composition used by the master. For this, one of three types of chemical compositions is used, namely:
- semi-permanent;
- permanent;
- physical hair dyes.
Their choice largely depends on the preferences of the stylist and the manufacturer's technical recommendations. When choosing a color, you need to focus on what in the end you need to achieve a depth of tone. When applying the coloring composition, it is important to consider the degree of damage and porosity of the hair.
Gray hair pre-pigmentation
Some stylists use this term to saturate gray hair with coloring pigments, which are difficult to color. For this, golden and natural shades are used.
You need to use paint, which is one tone lighter than the desired shade. Those hairs that are difficult to color should be treated with dye without an oxidizing agent. Keep the composition for pre-pigmentation needs 10-15 minutes. Do not rinse this mixture, but just comb it out with a comb. At the next stage, you need to apply the paint of the tone that you want to get as a result. An oxidizing agent must be added to the paint.
Age-related changes in hair color
In most people, hair color becomes constant by the age of 5-6 years. But sometimes this happens much later, around the time of puberty. And after 20 years, a change in hair color occurs. They begin to lose their pigmentation and gradually turn gray.
The main reasons for the appearance of gray hair are considered to be the cessation of the production of melanin and the formation of many air bubbles. Initially, the hair roots lose their pigment. The strands first turn gray, and then finally turn white.
The early appearance of gray hair provokes: a genetic predisposition, stress and past illnesses. To suspend the graying process, many use mesotherapy. To do this, drugs containing a large amount of vitamin B are injected into the scalp.
Hair color change in children
Hair pigmentation in a child can occur at different ages. The hue will largely depend on the genes of the parents and distant relatives of the baby.
In fair-haired children, in the first year of life, curls do not differ in density. Do not worry about this, as the formation of hair will continue for 5 years. The density of hair is not related to the frequency of haircuts. The only thing they contribute to is the coarsening of the hair.
Often in the first five years, a child’s hair darkens. Doctors say that this can happen due to changes in the distribution of pigment melanin in the body. Sometimes it happens that dark little babies begin to lighten, and this happens due to a decrease in eumelanin.
The early appearance of gray hair
Early gray hair - hair pigment loss in people under 25 years old. The occurrence of a similar problem may indicate various pathologies that occur in the human body. In addition, early gray hair at a young age can appear for hereditary reasons. Loss of hair pigmentation depends on the disruption of certain organs and systems and the appearance of diseases such as:
- anemia;
- vitiligo;
- disorders in the thyroid gland;
- gastrointestinal problems;
- neurological disorders;
- cerebrovascular disease.
Anemia develops with the loss or inadequate formation of blood cells. Vitiligo is a specific disease that does not respond to therapy. As a result of this disease, the skin and hair lose their pigment, white spots appear on the limbs and body.
Against the background of severe stress or fear, the hormone adrenaline is released into the blood. It disrupts the relationship between the pigment and the hair shaft protein. There is a complete elimination of melanin.
Early gray hair may appear with medical treatment. Some drugs block the production of melanin.
Diseases Affecting Pigmentation
Violation of hair pigmentation can occur as a result of certain diseases, which include:
- vitiligo;
- albinism;
- Werner syndrome.
As a result of the course of vitiligo, the color of hair and skin can be lost. Albinism is a genetic pathology. It is characterized by a lack of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes. Basically, albinos have very pale skin, white hair, gray or even a reddish shade of the eyes. Werner syndrome can also lead to premature graying.
When performing depilation or epilation, pigmentation from ingrown hairs may appear. You must know for what reason a similar problem arises and how you can deal with it. Hair most often grows due to improper preparation for depilation. You can get rid of pigmentation with the help of bodyagi, salicylic and ichthyol ointment. In addition, it is necessary to remove ingrown hair, as they can lead to the occurrence of inflammatory processes. The body fights against a foreign body, because of which pus accumulates in the affected area. After opening a purulent neoplasm, scars may remain on the skin.