Hair Coloring Havoc

Hair salon client choosing a new hair color
Photo: Shutterstock
You go to the local Target or Walmart, walk directly to the hair coloring section, and spend the next hour or so trying to decide which color you want to be, what type of technique you want to use, or what texture you would like your mixture to be, e.g. crème, mousse, gel, or liquid? You name it, they now have it. It's a miracle, and let me tell you why...
 
I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s. We had yet to see anything that even remotely resembled a mouse or non-drip cream anything! The 1960s had just seen the dawn of hair coloring shampoo. Before this, a popular spray was used, as was henna. Hair coloring with Henna also re-emerged as a favorite at this time.
 
In the 1970s, hair coloring was an all-day affair. Young children or teenagers were rarely allowed to color their hair. It was usually something reserved for mothers, favorite aunts, or the best friend or neighbor down the street. The reason for this, I believe, was that it was expensive and also nothing less than a messy, ammonia-laced, drippy nightmare, and people did not suffer through it lightly.
 
By the 1980s there was a choice of temporary, permanent, semi-permanent, and now demi-permanent color, which combines the semi-permanent properties with the no-fade properties of permanent color. It was at this time that you really saw an influx of hair coloring, and some very bizarre hair colors and styles were born!
 
No one is choosing to look like themselves. If you are a brunette, you may want to be a blonde, and if you are blonde, you may want to have highlights of gold, purple, or green. Whatever strikes your fancy is now available to you on store shelves for a minimal cost. There are even vegetable dyes available for those who love nature and the natural style.
 
Hairdresser wearing gloves and mixing hair dye
Photo: Getty Images Pro via Canva
Hair coloring is not just for women. In the 1990s, men started to see the benefits of coloring their hair and now create some of the more sophisticated "tipping" styles around. One minute you will see Bruce Willis without hair, and the next time around he is a blonde with a bad haircut. Men also use hair coloring to change their entire appearance, from their eyebrows to their beards and moustaches, creating a more youthful look and reducing the amount of gray in middle age.
 
Given all these new and exciting choices of hair color, the only question now is "What's right for me?" While you might be tempted to choose a rebellious or outrageous color, you might want to stick to something more neutral for your eye and skin color, such as ash for cool tones and reds for warm tones. You will be happier with your choice these days.
 
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See also:
 
The different sorts of hair color
 
Choosing the right hair color for yourself
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