Chapter 13 - Combining Tinting With Permanent Waving

Since almost every salon patron, except those with naturally curly hair, has a permanent wave, the chances are that most of your tint patrons will be permanent-wave customers as well.

Both permanent waving and haircoloring involve changes in the chemistry of the hair so it is important to know how these react on each other, and how to schedule permanent-waving and coloring treatments.

A tint or a permanent — which comes first?

One of the questions most frequently asked by hairdressers in connection with permanent-waving and tinting is, "Which treatment shall I give first — the permanent wave or the tint?"

Give the permanent wave first because permanent waving always changes somewhat the color of tinted hair. This rule applies both to hair that has never been tinted or bleached, and to tinted or bleached hair in need of a retouch.
If it is absolutely necessary, it is possible to give both permanent-wave and haircoloring treatments on the same day. It is preferable, however, to allow at least a day or two to elapse between treatments.

If a patron must have a permanent wave on the same day her tint treatment has been scheduled, it can be done, but greater care than usual should be taken—with the permanent wave given first, of course.

Frequent strand tests should be taken during the color treatment because the color will develop more rapidly after a permanent wave. It is also advisable to dilute the tint with a greater quantity of shampoo when giving the final soap cap. Development time and the degree of dilution can be pre-determined in the preliminary strand test.

If pre-bleaching is required, it is advisable to bleach first, then give the permanent, then apply the tint.

If a situation should arise where the patron has had her hair tinted and then decides to have a permanent wave, it is advisable to wait at least 24 hours before giving the permanent. During this 24-hour period the color has a chance to set. This reduces the possibility of the waving solution or neutralizer causing too great a change in color.

For best results wait a week after the permanent wave before applying hair color.

Permanent-Wave Lotions For Tinted And Bleached Hair

More and more beauticians are faced with the problem of giving permanent-wave treatments on hair that has been previously tinted or bleached. Since tinted and bleached hair is usually more porous than normal hair, it will have a tendency to curl more quickly. For this reason, manufacturers of permanent-wave lotions have developed special products designed to overcome this problem.

Cold-wave manufacturers offer a permanent-wave lotion for normal hair and a special permanent-wave lotion for bleached and tinted hair. The lotions for bleached and tinted hair are weaker than those for normal hair. This compensates for the tendency of the hair to curl quickly. Some cold-wave manufacturers offer another special lotion for highly bleached hair. This is even weaker than the first two.

Sometimes when taking a test curl on tinted or bleached hair, you may find that even the weakest lotion causes the hair to curl too quickly and too much. In this case, the lotion should be diluted even further with water.

In hot waving there are two different kinds of lotions. One is for normal hair and one is for bleached and tinted hair. In the case of hot waves, your test curl will determine the length of time the heat is to be applied. It should be remembered that less heat is needed for tinted and bleached hair.

Permanent Waving On Problem Hair

1. HIGHLY BLEACHED HAIR. It is important to determine to what extent highly bleached hair has been over-bleached, before a permanent wave is given. There are two ways of doing this:


a) Over-bleached hair is recognized by its gummy texture when wet; it becomes matted easily.
b) If the test curl shows hair breakage, over-bleaching is indicated. In either case no permanent should be given until after hair has been reconditioned.

(See Chapter 15 — "Reconditioning Damaged Hair.")

It is possible that a permanent wave can be given in some cases of over-bleached hair. Your test curl will determine this.

2. PURE EGYPTIAN HENNAED HAIR. Permanent waving may be done successfully on hair that has been treated with Egyptian Henna. However, since Egyptian Henna coats the hair, this coating may become excessively heavy and make the permanent wave difficult to achieve.
   
   
By taking a test curl, you can discover if hair has been coated with henna. If this is the case, when you take the test curl you may find that the coating interferes with the penetration of the waving lotion and an unusually long processing period will be required. Another possibility is that the hair may discolor and go dark. This is particularly likely to happen during a hot wave treatment. In either event, some of the coating must be removed before the permanent wave treatment is given. This can be done through either one or a series of Metalex treatments. (See Chapter 15 — "Reconditioning Damaged Hair.")


3. HAIR COATED BY METALLIC PREPARATIONS. Hair that has been treated with metallic preparations, such as compound hennas, hair restorers, or metallic dyes, are usually coated and rarely respond successfully to a permanent-wave treatment. The chemical reaction of these preparations with the permanent-wave lotion will cause the hair to discolor and break. Your test curl will help determine if these preparations are present in the hair.

If the test curl shows discoloration or breakage, the coating must be removed before the permanent wave is attempted. This may be done with a series of Metalex treatments. Be sure, however, to give another test curl after the reconditioning treatments are completed before attempting to start your permanent wave.

Occasionally the hair is so badly coated and damaged by these preparations that no wave should be given until new hair grows out.

The Test Curl

As you have seen, the test curl plays an important role in determining the type of permanent wave to be given, particularly on tinted and bleached hair. Just as the strand test can save you a great deal of time in predetermining the type of coloring to be used and the amount of development time to be allowed in tinting, so does the test curl help you predetermine the final results of your permanet-wave treatment. The test curl can also help you determine what preliminary steps, such as reconditioning, are necessary before the application of the permanent-wave lotion. Many of the problems in permanent waving may be avoided through proper use of the test curl.

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