This document discusses the basic principles of hair color, including: 1) It describes the inner structure of hair including the cuticle, cortex and medulla layers. 2) It explains the concepts of melanin, porosity, texture and how they impact hair color results. 3) It provides an overview of color theory principles like primary/secondary colors, tone, level and how to formulate hair colors.

1. BASIC COLOR PRINCIPLES
HAIR STRUCTURE
Understanding The Inner Structure of Hair
CUTICLE
Is the external layer composed of cuboidal (cube like) cells that lay flat as they ascend the follicle. At the
same time they overlap each other like shingles or roof tiles.
CORTEX
Is the thickest layer of the hair strand. It consists of keratin fibrils surrounded by a matrix of protein and
cross-linked by disulfide bonds.
MEDULLA
Is the inner most layer. It may be intermittent, leaving off and starting up again, or in fine hair, entirely
absent.

2. THE CUTICLE
The cuticle cells membranes are comprised of three major layers:
 The A layer, a resistant layer with high cystine content (more than 30%)
 The exocuticle is also rich in cystine
 The endocuticle is low in cytsine (3%)
The cuticle layer on an individual strand can range from 4 to 12 layers, The cuticle layers provide
protection of the inner core as well as provide strength and flexibility.
Normal wear and tear on the cuticle naturally occurs during dry combing, thereby chipping away at the
cuticle edge in small pieces, leaving sharp fragmented edges. These edges impact comb-ability and
smoothness

3. THE CORTEX
 Occupies the greatest proportion of the hair’s cross-sectional area (75%)
 Accounts for 90% of the hair’s total weight
 Consists of elongated cells filled with cystine cross-linked and hardened cells
 Provides the hair with its flexibility, elasticity, strength, resilience and color
The cortex of hair’s fibers are formed from elongated cortical cells packed tightly together and are
positioned parallel with the direction of the fiber.

4. THE MELANIN
Melanin is responsible for not only the color of hair, but also plays a key role in skin, eyes and whole
body.
 Melanin pigment provides hair with its natural color
 The majority of melanin is located in the cortical layer of the hair shaft.
 Hair color depends on quantity and quality of melanin that is located at the cortex level
During keratinisation, melanin is infused into the protein that becomes the hair strand, in the form of
pigment granules, or melanosomes.
 Natural hair color tone will depend on the type of melanin or combination of all.
 The lightness or darkness of the hair depends on the amount of melanin in the hair.
 There are three types of melanin within the hair. They consist of the 3 primary tones that make
color.

5. THE MELANIN
The three types of melanin are: EUMELANIN, TRICOSIDERIN, and PHEUMELANIN
The natural tones of hair are made up by these three melanin in varying percentages.
EUMELANIN
Is a black/blue melanin. It is responsible for dark skin tones and hair as in people of African origin. This
type of melanin move through the stages of decolonization relatively quickly exposing red tones.
TRICOSIDERIN
Is a red melanin. It is responsible for warm, copper in the skin and hair as in Native Americans, Latin
Americans or red heads. It moves through the stages of discoloration at a moderate pace generally
exposing warm orange or gold tones.
PHEUMELANIN
Is a yellow melanin. It is responsible for the blonde tones in people of European origin. It moves through
the stages of decolonization at a slower rate thereby exposing strong warm yellow tones. As a rule, it is
impossible to live without melanin and yellow melanin can never be removed.

6. TEXTURE
Hair texture is described as the diameter of the hair strand. Coarse, medium and fine are used to
differentiate between large, medium and small diameters. Texture has an effect on haircolor because
the hair’s natural melanin pigment is distributed differently in the different textures. Each diameter also
has a different resistance to the haircolor chemicals have on the hair shaft.
FINE ATEXTURED HAIR
 Lacks body, but is easily molded
 Pigment is grouped more tightly together
 When depositing color, finer hair can take on darker result
 Lightens quickly and easily: therefore, a gentle lightener will produce the best result
MEDIUM TEXTURED HAIR
 Is bouncy and has good body
 Will have average responses to haircolor products
 Hair around the face-line tends to be finer than hair father back on the head
COARSE TEXTURED HAIR
 Is thicker in appearance and has firm full body
 More pen grouping of hair pigment due to the larger diameter in the hair shaft
 When depositing color, you will have a slightly lighter result
 Greater resistance to lightening because there is more structure to the hair
 When lightening, a stronger lightening product may be needed

7. TENACITY AND POROSITY
Closely related, Tenacity is determined by how much the cuticle resists penetration. Porosity
Is the hair’s ability to absorb and hold moisture? Tenacity and porosity affect how haircolor
Products will react on the hair.
For effective color penetration on tenacious, non-porous hair, maximum processing time is
Recommended. Grey hair is often very tenacious and generally requires maximum processing
Time. Different degrees of porosity can also exist on the same head of hair, ranging from nonporous
at the scalp area to very porous on the ends.

8. NON-POROUS / TENACIOUS HAIR
Non-porous hair has difficulties accepting color molecules; therefore tends to resist the
Coloring process. Some degree of porosity may need to be created for a successful hair
Coloring service. Pre-softening or pre-pigmenting of grey or resistant hair may be necessary for
even coverage.
• Often described as resistant
• Has a glassy look and feel
• Does not accept moisture quickly
• The cuticle is smooth and compact and reflects more warm tones

9. POROUS / NON-TENACIOUS HAIR
Mechanical and environmental influences
affect the hair cuticle and will create a
slightly abraded, rough hair fiber resulting in
a loss of its flexibility, body and shine.
Hair may be lighter and more faded out
toward the ends. Some variation in color
depth and tone from strand to strand and
from the scalp to the mid-shaft and ends
may exist.
• Accepts moisture readily
• Has a dull look and feel and a more open
cuticle
• Porous hair is easier to lighten and often
accepts hair color faster
• It is also more susceptible to fading

10. OVER-POROUS HAIR
• Will accept moisture very quickly
• Hair looks dull or flat and reflects more
cool tones
• Porous hair will appear lighter in color and
rougher in texture
• Generally longer and older hair that has
been exposed to multi-chemical services
• Responds differently to a hair color
product than the new hair closer to the
scalp
• A strand test will determine the different
responses

11. DETERMINING POROSITY AND
TENACITY
Hold several strands of hair away from the
scalp by the ends. With your fingers, lightly
rub the strand from the hair ends down to
the scalp area. This will help to identify any
variations in the surface texture.
• If the hair ends feel smooth and slick to
the touch, it indicates the cuticle is closed
tight and the hair is non-porous or in a
resistant state

12. • If the hair is extremely shiny or glassy, it is
also tenacious
• If the strand feels rough to the touch and
there is friction, the hair has some degree
of porosity
• If the hair is dull in appearance, it is non-
tenacious
FORMATION OF HAIR
The formation of the hair as it grows from the follicle is a genetic trait and is described as being straight,
wavy, or curly.
Formation directly influences the end result of any haircolor.
• The smoother the hair, the more light reflection
• Curlier hair will diffuse light. Hair colors may not reflect as strongly as it does on straighter hair forms
• For excessively curly hair, a more intense or stronger tone may be used
• The texture of your hair is controlled by the size and shape of the follicle.
• Besides the shape of the hair follicle other Straight, Wavy or Curly hair factors are:
• Viewing a cross-section of hair reveals that straight hair tends to be round, wavy hair tends to be oval
and curly hair tends to be kidney-shaped.
• Roots that have the same keratin cells distributed all around the follicle form straight hair.
• Wavy and Curly hair is formed by an uneven or varied distribution of keratin cells, with more cells on
one side
than the other at various stages of growth. The fluctuations in cell growth cause wavy or curly hair to
grow in one direction and then the other.

13. • A basic rule in hair color is that cool tones
neutralize warm tones and warm tones
Neutralize cool tones.
• The cooler the tone of color, the more
effectively it can eliminate warmth
• It is easy to identify the warm and cool
colors if you understand color principles

14. CHARACTERISTICS OF NATURAL HAIR
COLOR NATURAL HAIR LEVEL AND TONES
• Natural hair color is determined by
melanin and the proportion of pigments
• Natural hair color is characterized by the
tonal value that corresponds to the color
that is reflected from the hair and the level

15. which refers to the lightness or darkness of
the hair
• The natural colors (basic colors) all
originate from brown, which in turn, comes
from a mix of the three primary colors
The Law of Color is a system of understanding
the relationship of color. When combining
colors, you
will always get the same result from the same
combination.
• Equal amounts of red and blue mixed
together will always make violet

16. • Equal amounts of yellow and blue mixed
together will always make green
• Equal amounts of red and yellow mixed
together will always make orange
This system is called the Law of Color
because these relationships have been
tested over and over and have proven to be
true.
In order to fully understand the art of hair
coloring, you must first fully understand the
basic Law of Color.
Optically, color is a reflection of light. When a
beam of white light strikes a prism, it is
separated into six different colors that can be
seen with the naked eye.

17. Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet
These colors are divided into two groups:
Primary and Secondary
PRIMARY COLORS
All primary colors are pure colors pigments (colors that can not be created by mixing colors
together).
All colors both natural and artificial are created by the three primary colors; Blue, Red and
Yellow.
BLUE: COOL PRIMARY TONE
• Adds cool tone, depth and darkness to any color
• Largest molecular size and the heaviest pigment concentration
• Closest to the outer cortex, positioned just below the cuticle
layers

18. • First to leave the hair
RED: WARM PRIMARY TONE
• Makes a color richer and warmer in appearance
• Second in molecular size and positioned deeper in the hair
shaft than blue
• Difficult to lift due to high levels of sulphur
• Holds the internal strength of the hair
• Second pigment to leave the hair
YELLOW: WARM PRIMARY TONE
• Makes a color lighter and brighter in appearance when added
to color
• Found deepest within the hair shaft
• Hardest to remove from the hair
EXAMPLE:
• Equal portions of blue + red + yellow = a neutral tone
(brown)
• Unequal portions of blue, red and yellow with:
1. Blue as the dominant color will create a drab tone
2. Red as the dominant color will create a reddish tone
3. Yellow as the dominant color will produce a golden tone
SECONDARY COLORS
Colors that are created by mixing equal parts of
primary
colors

19. Example:
Blue + Red = VIOLET
Red + Yellow = ORANGE
Yellow + Blue = GREEN
• Green and violet both have blue in them,
so they
are cool tones
• Orange has red and yellow, so it is a
warm tone

20. The Color Wheel

21. TERTIARY COLORS
• Colors that are made by mixing equal
parts of a primary color with a secondary
color
• Colors that are created by mixing equal
portions of a primary color with their
immediate adjacent secondary color
NEUTRAL COLORS
• When all three primary colors are present,
a neutral color is created
PRIMARY COLOR SECONDARY COLOR
TERTIARY COLOR TONAL FAMILY
BLUE GREEN BLUE-GREEN ASH
BLUE VIOLET BLUE-VIOLET BROWN
RED ORANGE RED-ORANGE COOL COPPER
RED VIOLET RED-VIOLET MAHOGANY
YELLOW ORANGE YELLOW-ORANGE WARM
COPPER
YELLOW VIOLET YELLOW-VIOLET BEIGE

22. COMPLIMENTARY COLORS
Colors that are positioned on opposing
sides of the color wheel divide the wheel
into warm
and cool. When complimentary colors are
mixed together, they neutralize each other.
Blue + Orange = Neutral Tone
Red + Green = Neutral Tone
Yellow + Violet = Neutral Tone
WARM
COOL

23. FORMULATING HAIRCOLOR
When coloring hair only three options are available;
depositing darker, lightening the hair, or coloring at the
existing level.
Although depositing darker tones seems easier than
lightening the hair, both applications require an
understanding of natural
underlying pigments for optimum results. The first step to
a successful end result is to determine if you are looking to
enhance the
natural underlying pigments or neutralize the underlying
pigments. One of the most important rules to remember
when coloring
hair is that the natural hair color must always be treated as
warm. This is identified on the underlying pigment chart:
Notice that all of the natural tonal values present as the hair
gets lighter are warm tones (red, orange and yellow) this
means that at
certain levels cool tones can be very difficult to achieve.
LEVEL TONE TONAL FAMILY UNDERLYING PIGMENT
1 BLACK DARK DARK RED BROWN
2 BRUNETTE DARK MEDIUM RED
3 DARK BROWN MEDIUM MEDIUM RED BROWN
4 BROWN DARK RED
5 LIGHT BLONDE MEDIUM RED ORANGE
6 DARK BLONDE MEDIUM ORANGE
7 BLONDE MEDIUM ORANGE GOLD
8 LIGHT BLONDE LIGHT YELLOW GOLD
9 VERY LIGHT BLONDE LIGHT YELLOW
10 ULTRA LIGHT BLONDE LIGHT PALE YELLOW

24. EXPLORING THE LIGHTENING PROCESS
Lightening is the process of partially or totally eliminating the pigments that give natural color to
hair. An ammonium or alkaline agent is responsible for activating the oxidation process. This
action releases oxygen and is responsible for oxidizing the melanin in natural hair. In other
words, lighten the hair. The natural pigments are eliminated, leaving visible
under tones that correspond to a variety of underlying pigments as identified in the previous
table.
When the lightening process is started, initially the granules of pigments that are responsible for
dark tones are eliminated.
Secondly, the diffuse pigments are eliminated until reaching a pale yellow tone. At this point,
there is no natural pigmentation present. This process is present in both decolorization
(bleaching) and lightening with an oxidizing color. When
the natural level of the hair is lightened with color or a decolorizer (bleach), we refer to this as
lifting 1, 2, 3 or more levels.
For Example:
• Lifting the hair by 1 level: hair beginning at a level 4 will result in a level 5
• Lifting by 4 levels: hair beginning at a level 5 will result in a level 9
• In both cases we need to consider the natural underlying pigment at the target level
• Level 5 will project a Red/Orange underlying pigment
• Level 9 will project a Yellow underlying pigment
Please note: Not all hair will travel through all 10 stages of lightening to reach pale yellow. Each
individual hair color starts the lifting process at a different stage. Only black hair could potentially
pass through all 10 stages of lightening although this is not recommended and severe damage
and/or breakage could occur.

25. LIGHTENING APPLICATION TECHNIQUE
Here we cover the most interesting part of coloring due to the fact that there are more clients
who wish to lighten their hair than darken it. Here are some important rules that should always
be kept in mind:
• Artificial color will not lighten another artificial color
• Any previously colored hair that is being lightened will require either a color wash, or lightening
with a decolorizer (bleach or powder lightener)
• Guidelines for neutralizing or enhancing underlying pigments must always be considered
• The level of lightening is the level that is obtained when the hair is decolorized
• The underlying pigment directly affects the choice for toning and balancing the tonal value of
the hair after decolorizing.
Therefore, referring to the color wheel from the previous section and the table below will help to
identify the applicable rules for each end result.
• To enhance the underlying pigments you will be working with colors on the same side of the
color wheel. This is generally the warm side of the color wheel.
• To neutralize or soften the underlying pigments, you will be working with the complimentary
colors on the opposite side of the color wheel opposing the unwanted pigment. This side of the
color wheel has all of the cool tones.