REDUCE TOXICITY ,GO GREEN! 

Q: I am in the middle of changing my hairstyle from short to shoulder. My hair is salt and pepper and I have recently begun using a flat iron. But my hair turns yellow from the heat. I have turned the heat way down but it still happens. Is there any solution to this problem? My husband calls it "nicotine hair" and I don't even smoke! I use shimmer lights shampoo and conditioner on a reg. basis.

A: The first thing I would suspect as a cause of the yellowing is that some hair product you are using in conjunction with the flat iron is causing this yellowing that has become troublesome. Some products, when exposed to heat can become yellow. If the hair is naturally pigmented, this is usually unnoticeable. However, in silver or salt-and-pepper hair colors, it becomes problematic. If you are not using any styling product while you flat iron your hair (no styling gel in the blow drying stage, or hairspray to smooth the hair during ironing) then this is obviously not the case. However, if you are using a styling product (apart from shampoo and conditioner) then try blow-drying the hair and ironing it without product to see if this helps to resolve the issue.

The second thing to check is for residue on your flat iron. Using a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol on a cool iron, or a water-dampened cloth on a hot iron should remove any residue left behind by products that were used before which could transfer to the hair and cause yellowing.

The final possibility is that your hair is simply sensitive to the heat of a flat iron. (It would react the same way to a curling iron.) This happens among fine to medium hair types as the last vestiges of pigment in the hair are oxidized by the heat of the flat iron, breaking down the melanin and leaving the underlying pigment (pale yellow). You might try continuing to lower the heat of your iron, but it may not be enough and will probably not get you the straight results you want. If your hair is heat sensitive, then you will probably be best served by giving up the use of the flat iron altogether.

Once you’ve identified and eliminated the cause of the problem, continued use of the Shimmer Lights shampoo and conditioner should restore your hair to its silvery, shiny luster.

Check your diet. High concentrations of sulfur based foods and drugs can have this effect. Usually it is temporary, and will change if your diet changes.

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Gray hair may have a yellow tinge as the result of internal or external causes. Medication, food, and health conditions can turn the hair yellow from inside the hair shaft. Products used on the hair, such as shampoo, conditioners, hair spray, mousse, and gels can leave a yellowish residue on the hair shaft.

Hair turns gray or white due to a loss of melanin. Melanin provides hair and skin with its color or pigmentation. Yellowing from inside the hair shaft or on the surface of the hair is visible as the hair becomes increasingly colorless.

You will want to evaluate the cause of yellowing. Are you taking medication that is known to change hair color? Do you have liver disease or another condition known to make skin and eyes yellowish? Do you eat an abundance of carrots or other foods that are high in carotene, an orange compound that can make skin and hair yellowish? Are you a smoker whose hair has been yellowed by nicotine? Does the water you use to wash your hair have high iron content? Do you swim in a heavily chlorinated pool? After you answer these questions, you'll want to look at the products you are using on your hair.

If possible, you'll want to eliminate the cause of the yellowing. If this is not possible, some of the remedies below may be helpful in eliminating the yellowish tinge in your hair.

Why Blue or Purple?

Commercial products and some home remedies add blue or purple pigment to the outside of the hair shaft. These remedies work on a principle well-known to artists: complementary colors tend to neutralize their opposites. Blue is a complement to yellow and purple is a complement to orange. Use of these complementary pigments on yellowish or orangish (brassy) gray, silver, or white hair neutralizes those unwanted colors. Care must be taken, however, not to overdo the blue or purple.

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•Reveal younger-looking haircolor in only 5 or 10 minutes

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•Leaves hair with natural-looking results that fade gradual

Camo FAQs

What can I expect as my hair grows out?

Camo will gradually fade over time. You won't see any major difference or off-color results. It's a formula designed specifically for men.

How much gray will it cover?

Camo doesn't cover the gray completely; it just reduces the amount of gray in a very believable way. You'll see more "pepper" among the salt and pepper.

How much time will it take each visit?

Ten minutes is all it takes. And color camo applies so quickly it can be done at the shampoo bowl.

Will it damage my hair?

Like all Redken For Men products, Camo contains ingredients that actually improve the condition of hair such as protein for strength and quinoa oil for healthy shine.

http://www.redken.com/redken-for-men/mens-services/phase-out-gray/

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5 MINUTES

10 MINUTES

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AFTER

February 17, 2008