THE PHAMILY HAIR COLORING SERIES

❤️ Faster Shipping Available • Weekly Live Support • 50+ Tutorials • Real Hair Growth Results. The only product you need to Restore, Style & Grow!

PHamily Hair Care

PHamily Hair Care

THE PHAMILY HAIR COLORING SERIES

By Emery McClendon

PHamily Hair Care

PART 1: HAIR COLOR 101 — UNDERSTANDING YOUR DIFFERENT CHOICES

Hair color can completely change the way you look and feel.

It can cover gray, blend gray, deepen your natural shade, add warmth, create dimension, or give you an entirely new look.

But before we decide what color we want, there is a more important question:

What kind of color are we actually putting on our hair?

Not all hair color works the same way.

Some options simply coat or deposit color. Others penetrate more deeply into the hair. Some gradually wash away. Others create a much more permanent change. And some require lightening the natural pigment before the desired shade can even be achieved.

Understanding those differences is one of the best things you can do before coloring your hair.

Throughout this six-part PHamily Hair Coloring Series, our goal is not to convince everyone to color their hair.

Our goal is to help you understand your options, protect the health of your hair, and make better decisions whether you color at home or work with a professional stylist.

WHAT WE’LL COVER IN THIS SIX-PART SERIES

PART 1: HAIR COLOR 101

Understanding the Different Choices

We begin with the foundation.

Temporary, semi-permanent, demi-permanent, permanent, plant-based color, henna, bleach and lightener are not interchangeable.

In Part 1, we are learning what these different options actually do so you can begin deciding which approach makes sense for your goals.

PART 2: KNOW YOUR HAIR BEFORE YOU COLOR IT

Your Starting Point Matters

Two people can use the exact same color and end up with very different results.

Your natural color, gray percentage, previous color, chemical treatments, porosity, dryness, breakage and overall hair condition all matter.

Before choosing a color, we need to understand the hair we're starting with.

PART 3: HENNA & PLANT-BASED HAIR COLOR

A Closer Look at a More Natural Approach

We'll take a deeper look at henna and other plant-based coloring options.

We'll discuss what pure henna can do, what it cannot do, what colors you can realistically expect, how it behaves on gray and darker hair, and what to look for when shopping for a henna product.

We'll also discuss why the word “natural” does not mean that every product labeled henna is identical or appropriate for every person.

PART 4: PREPARING NATURAL HAIR FOR COLOR

Healthy Color Begins Before Color Day

The condition of your hair before coloring matters.

We'll talk about moisture, conditioning, detangling, scalp health, damaged ends, previous chemical services and how to determine whether your hair is ready for color.

PART 5: COLORING AT HOME

Technique, Application & Avoiding Common Mistakes

For those who color at home, we're going step by step.

We'll discuss preparation, sectioning, strand testing, patch testing, application, roots versus previously colored hair, timing and some of the most common mistakes people make when coloring their own hair.

Even if you go to a stylist, understanding these principles can help you ask better questions and make more informed decisions.

PART 6: AFTER THE COLOR

Keeping Color-Treated Hair Healthy

Getting beautiful color is only half the job.

We'll finish the series by talking about moisture, conditioning, breakage prevention, retention, maintaining your color, caring for gray coverage and keeping your routine simple.

This is where the healthy-hair habits we've taught all along become especially important.

PART 1: LET’S START WITH THE BIG QUESTION

WHY ARE YOU COLORING YOUR HAIR?

Before choosing any color product, identify your actual goal.

Are you trying to:

  • Cover gray completely?

  • Blend gray without completely hiding it?

  • Make your natural color richer?

  • Go darker?

  • Go lighter?

  • Add red, copper, gold or another tone?

  • Correct an unwanted color?

  • Refresh faded color?

  • Experiment temporarily?

  • Make a dramatic change?

Those are different goals.

And they may require very different products and techniques.

The first lesson in healthier hair coloring is simple:

Choose the process based on your goal, not simply on the picture on the box.

TEMPORARY HAIR COLOR

Temporary hair color generally gives you the least commitment.

These products primarily deposit color around the outside of the hair and are designed to wash away relatively quickly.

Temporary color can include things such as:

  • Color sprays

  • Hair makeup

  • Colored waxes

  • Some temporary rinses

Temporary color can be useful when you:

  • Want to experiment with a shade

  • Want color for an event

  • Don't want a permanent commitment

  • Want to see how a certain tone looks with your complexion or style

The limitation is right there in the name:

It is temporary.

It is not generally intended to permanently cover gray, significantly lighten your natural hair or create a long-term color change.

SEMI-PERMANENT HAIR COLOR

Semi-permanent color generally deposits pigment without significantly lightening your natural hair color.

That means it can be useful for:

  • Adding richness

  • Deepening an existing shade

  • Adding visible tones

  • Refreshing faded color

  • Experimenting with a new shade

  • Blending some gray

Semi-permanent color gradually fades with washing.

One of the biggest things to understand is that your starting color affects the final result.

If someone with light brown hair applies a burgundy semi-permanent color, the result may be very visible.

If someone with very dark brown or black hair uses the same product, the burgundy may appear primarily as a tint or become more noticeable in bright light.

Same product.

Different starting point.

Different result.

That concept is going to come up again and again throughout this series.

DEMI-PERMANENT HAIR COLOR

Demi-permanent color sits between semi-permanent and permanent color in terms of longevity and processing.

It generally uses an oxidative process but is designed primarily to deposit color rather than dramatically lighten the natural hair.

Demi-permanent color may be used to:

  • Darken hair

  • Enhance natural color

  • Add tone

  • Blend gray

  • Refresh faded permanent color

  • Add richness or shine

For someone who wants more longevity than semi-permanent color without making the same commitment as traditional permanent color, demi-permanent may be worth understanding.

And this brings us to an important principle:

The strongest or most permanent option isn't automatically the best option.

The goal is to choose enough processing to accomplish what you want without putting the hair through unnecessary stress.

PERMANENT HAIR COLOR

Permanent color creates a more lasting chemical change.

Traditional permanent oxidative hair color typically uses an alkalizing agent and developer to help alter the natural pigment and deposit new color.

That gives permanent color capabilities that temporary and semi-permanent products generally don't have.

It can be useful for:

  • More complete gray coverage

  • Lasting color changes

  • Darkening

  • Changing tone

  • Some degree of lightening, depending on the product and starting level

But with increased capability comes increased responsibility.

Repeated chemical processing can contribute to dryness, brittleness and hair damage, particularly when hair is lightened substantially or repeatedly processed. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that lightening more than three shades from the natural color generally requires more peroxide and causes more hair damage. (American Academy of Dermatology)

That doesn't mean permanent color is automatically “bad.”

It means you need to understand what you're asking the hair to do.

COLORING AND LIGHTENING ARE NOT THE SAME THING

This is one of the most important concepts in the entire series.

There is a major difference between:

adding or depositing color

and

removing enough of your natural pigment to make your hair significantly lighter.

If your natural hair is very dark and you want a very light blonde result, simply applying blonde-colored pigment isn't enough.

The existing dark pigment has to be lightened.

And the farther you move from your natural level, the more complicated the process can become.

That's why:

Going dark brown to black is not the same as going dark brown to platinum blonde.

Adding a red tint to dark hair is not the same as creating bright copper hair.

Blending gray is not the same as lifting naturally dark hair several levels.

Once you understand that, many disappointing at-home coloring experiences suddenly make more sense.

WHAT ABOUT BLEACH OR LIGHTENER?

Bleach or hair lightener is used to remove or reduce natural or artificial pigment from the hair.

It is not simply another shade of hair dye.

Lightening can be part of achieving:

  • Blonde shades

  • Highlights

  • Vivid fashion colors

  • Dramatic transformations

  • Some corrective-color services

But lightening can also place substantial stress on the hair.

The greater the transformation, the more carefully the health and condition of the hair need to be considered.

This is one of those areas where professional assistance may become especially valuable.

WHAT ABOUT HENNA?

Henna deserves much more than a quick paragraph, which is why we're dedicating an entire part of the series to it.

Pure henna comes from the Lawsonia inermis plant and typically produces warm reddish, copper, orange-brown or reddish-brown results rather than the full range of shades available through conventional hair dyes. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

Henna is particularly interesting for our PHamily because it gives us an opportunity to explore a plant-based coloring approach that may appeal to people who want an alternative to conventional oxidative dyes.

But there are important things to understand.

Pure henna does not bleach dark hair blonde.

It does not produce every imaginable shade by itself.

And a product marketed as “henna” may contain other ingredients.

That is why we are going to spend an entire lesson learning what to look for instead of simply assuming that anything with the word henna on the package is the same.

HENNA AND GRAY HAIR

This is going to be particularly interesting for those of you who have been following our gray-hair conversations.

Gray hair does not contain the same amount of natural pigment as darker hair.

So a color that appears subtle on dark strands may appear much brighter on gray strands.

That can create:

  • Highlights

  • Dimension

  • Gray blending

  • More noticeable warm tones

Or it can create a result you weren't expecting.

This is another reason understanding your starting point matters.

We'll explore this much more deeply during our henna and gray-hair discussions.

WHAT ABOUT “BLACK HENNA”?

This is an important safety point.

Do not assume that something sold as “black henna” is simply pure henna that naturally turns hair black.

Some products marketed using that term may contain additional ingredients, including PPD (p-phenylenediamine), which can cause serious allergic reactions in some people. FDA specifically warns consumers about this distinction. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

Throughout this series, we're going to emphasize something repeatedly:

Read the ingredients.

Marketing language does not tell you everything that's inside a product.

PATCH TESTING MATTERS

Regardless of whether you've colored your hair before, don't assume that because you tolerated a product previously, you can never react to it.

FDA advises following the manufacturer's directions and performing the recommended skin test each time before using hair dye because sensitivities can develop over time and formulations can change. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

You should also follow all warnings and instructions provided with the specific product you're using.

Hair coloring should never be a guessing game.

PATCH TEST VS. STRAND TEST

These two tests serve different purposes.

PATCH TEST

A patch or allergy test is about your skin's reaction to the product.

Follow the manufacturer's specific instructions.

STRAND TEST

A strand test is about your hair's reaction and the potential color result.

It can help answer questions such as:

  • How dark will this become?

  • Will this color show on my hair?

  • How will my gray respond?

  • Will my ends grab the color differently?

  • How does my hair feel after processing?

A successful strand test doesn't guarantee your entire head will behave identically, but it can give valuable information before you commit.

NATURAL DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN RISK-FREE

We're going to talk a lot about plant-based options in this series, particularly henna.

But “natural” is not a substitute for reading ingredients, following directions, testing products and paying attention to your body.

Someone can be sensitive or allergic to naturally derived ingredients just as they can react to synthetic ones.

The goal is not to divide hair color into:

chemical = bad

and

natural = good.

That is too simplistic.

Our goal is to understand the benefits, limitations and risks of each approach and make an informed decision.

SO WHICH TYPE OF COLOR SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

We are not answering that question for everyone today.

That's intentional.

Because before recommending a color process, we need to know much more about your hair.

We need to know:

  • Your starting color

  • Your desired color

  • How much gray you have

  • Whether your hair has been previously colored

  • Whether it has been relaxed, bleached or otherwise chemically processed

  • Whether you're experiencing breakage

  • Whether your scalp is healthy

  • How dramatic a change you're trying to make

  • How much maintenance you're willing to do

That's exactly where we're going in Part 2.

PHAMILY HAIR CARE AND YOUR COLOR JOURNEY

Throughout this series, we're going to continue coming back to one principle:

Beautiful color isn't enough if we're sacrificing the health of our hair to get it.

Color-treated hair may require more attention to:

  • Moisture

  • Conditioning

  • Gentle handling

  • Detangling

  • Breakage prevention

  • Protective styling

  • Retention

That's why we're encouraging everyone participating in this series to have their PHamily Hair Care available.

Our goal isn't to give you a complicated shelf full of products.

PHamily Hair Care was created around a simpler philosophy:

Give your hair the consistent care it needs without making your routine unnecessarily complicated.

As we get into preparation and aftercare later in the series, we'll show you exactly where that care fits.

TODAY’S PHAMILY HAIR COLOR CHECK

Before Part 2, take a good look at your hair.

You don't have to color anything yet.

Just answer these questions:

1. WHAT COLOR IS MY HAIR RIGHT NOW?

Look at:

  • Roots

  • Length

  • Ends

  • Gray areas

They may not all be the same color.

2. WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE TO MY HAIR?

Think about:

  • Previous permanent color

  • Semi or demi color

  • Henna

  • Bleach

  • Highlights

  • Relaxers

  • Other chemical treatments

3. WHAT COLOR DO I ACTUALLY WANT?

Be specific.

Not simply:

“I want brown.”

What kind of brown?

Dark?

Medium?

Warm?

Cool?

Golden?

Reddish?

Do you want to cover the gray completely or simply blend it?

Your goal matters.

4. WHAT CONDITION IS MY HAIR IN RIGHT NOW?

Ask:

  • Is it dry?

  • Is it breaking?

  • Are the ends damaged?

  • Is the scalp irritated?

  • Does the hair feel strong?

  • Is it retaining moisture?

Sometimes the best color decision is to color today.

Sometimes the best color decision is to prepare the hair first.

THE PHAMILY COLORING SERIES ROADMAP

Here is where we're going together:

PART 1

HAIR COLOR 101
Understand your choices.

PART 2

KNOW YOUR HAIR BEFORE YOU COLOR IT
Understand your starting point.

PART 3

HENNA & PLANT-BASED HAIR COLOR
Explore our preferred plant-based approach in depth.

PART 4

PREPARING NATURAL HAIR FOR COLOR
Get the hair ready before coloring.

PART 5

COLORING AT HOME
Learn better technique and avoid common mistakes.

PART 6

AFTER THE COLOR
Maintain moisture, manageability, retention and healthy-looking hair.

BEFORE OUR NEXT LESSON

Don't rush out and color your hair just yet.

For now:

Look at your hair.

Learn your starting point.

Decide what result you actually want.

And if you're planning to follow the full series, make sure you have your PHamily Hair Care ready because we're going to be talking much more about preparing and caring for the hair as we move forward.

FINAL THOUGHT

Hair color should be fun.

It can be creative.

It can be expressive.

It can help us embrace our gray, cover our gray, completely reinvent ourselves, or simply enhance what we already have.

But the best decision begins with understanding what we're doing.

So before we ask:

“What color should I choose?”

Let's first ask:

“What type of color am I choosing, what does it actually do, and what does my hair need?”

That's Hair Color 101.

And now we're ready for Part 2:

KNOW YOUR HAIR BEFORE YOU COLOR IT.

PHamily Hair Care

Emery McClendon

Photogenic: the leave-in conditioning, styling gel.