So, you’ve decided to take the plunge and dye your hair a vibrant shade of pink or purple. But have you ever wondered how exactly that color magically appears on your strands? Well, let’s dive into the science behind this mesmerizing transformation.
The Magic Behind Hair Dye
When it comes to transforming your hair color, hair dye works its magic by penetrating deep into the shafts of your hair. The main ingredient in most dyes is a group of chemicals called oxidative dyes. These dyes contain molecules that are small enough to enter the cuticle layer and reach the cortex, where they can work their colorful wonders.
Once inside the cortex, these tiny molecules undergo a chemical reaction with melanin – the natural pigment responsible for giving our hair its original hue. This reaction alters both the size and shape of these molecules, resulting in an entirely new color being formed within each strand.
The Science Behind Pink and Purple
If you’re wondering why specifically pink or purple shades appear when you dye your locks, it all boils down to basic chemistry. Different colors correspond to different wavelengths of light that are either absorbed or reflected by objects.
In this case, pink and purple hues are created through a combination of absorption and reflection properties. As certain molecules from oxidative dyes interact with melanin in your hair’s cortex, they absorb specific wavelengths of light while reflecting others back outwards.
Pink tones occur when certain red pigments reflect back more than other colors present in white light (which contains all visible wavelengths). On the other hand, purple shades result from blue pigments absorbing shorter wavelengths like green and yellow while reflecting longer ones such as red and blue-violet.
Why Does the Color Fade?
Now that you’ve achieved your dream pink or purple hair, you may have noticed that the vibrant color gradually fades over time. This happens because oxidative dyes are not permanent and will eventually break down due to various factors like exposure to sunlight, washing, and heat styling.
The fading process occurs as these molecules slowly lose their ability to adhere firmly within the cortex of your hair. As a result, they begin to leach out with each wash or exposure to external elements, causing the color intensity to diminish gradually.
In Conclusion
So there you have it – the secret behind how hair dye can transform your locks into that amazing shade of pink or purple! Through a chemical reaction between oxidative dyes and melanin in your hair’s cortex, new colors are formed within each strand. And while these vibrant hues may fade over time, don’t let that stop you from rocking those fabulous shades!
