GLOSSARY FOR CLIENTS
Brassiness: Brassiness is used to refer to hair that is overly warm or yellow in tone. This can be the result of color buildup, color that is not processed properly or improperly formulated color. Brassiness is generally corrected by applying a toner or a color glaze to counteract the yellow.
C
Condition: Your hair's condition can affect the final color result. Your stylist will evaluate your hair's condition in order to determine if you need special pre- or post-color conditioning services so they can create a color formulation that is best for you.
Colorist: See Stylist.
Consultation: Before every color service, you should expect an in-depth consultation with your stylist. This conversation is where you will exchange information and ideas about your hair and the look you want to achieve in order to get your color recommendation. During the consultation your colorist will assess the condition of your hair to help determine what kind of color product is most appropriate for your hair's needs.
Contrast: Contrast is a value applied to highlights. High-contrast highlights are much lighter than the surrounding hair and provide a dramatic look. Lower contrast highlights result in a more natural look.
Cool: Cool is a tonal value that can apply to blonde, brunette, and red shades. A color is said to have "cool tones" if it tends toward blue or violet. Cool colors include platinum blondes, ash browns, and plum reds. See also warm.
Coverage: Coverage is a measure of a haircolor's ability to cover gray. Some haircolor formulations are too transparent to effectively cover gray hair. Covering gray also requires a special color formulation in order to avoid flat or unnatural results.
D
Decolorizing: Removing natural or artificial haircolor with a lightener (bleach). This is the first step in a double-process hair service. There are on-scalp decolorizers and off-scalp decolorizers.
Demi-permanent haircolor: Demi-permanent haircolors deliver incredible color, shine, and condition to hair with little or no lightening of the natural pigment. They do not remove or lift color. They are ideal if you want to enrich your natural color, brighten dullness, or refresh previously colored hair.
Depth: The depth of a haircolor shade is determined by the amount of darkness in the color. Deeper shades contain more pigment and absorb more light, while lighter shades are more transparent and reflect more light.
Dimension: Dimension is a function of the range of tones in your hair. A head of hair that is all one color is said to be "flat" or lacking dimension. Your stylist can add dimension to your hair with highlights or lowlights.
Double-process: A double-process hair color technique is used to achieve dramatic color changes, such as going from very dark to very light hair. First, the hair is lightened with a decolorizer. Then the new color is deposited on the hair. Your stylist will determine if a double-process is right for you.
F
Fading: Hair color fades for a variety of reasons, including exposure to water, air, sun, and harsh shampoos. To counteract fading, use color maintenance products such as Color Care Shampoos.
Finish: The appearance of the hair's surface, the polish or texture. Different haircolor products result in a different finish.
Formulation: The formulation is the mixture of hair colors your stylist applies to your hair. Your unique formulation will be created by taking into account your hair's condition and your desired results.
G
Gloss: A color gloss, delivers shiny color with no ammonia. It is a demi-permanent color.
Gray coverage: See coverage.
H
Highlights: Highlighting hair means isolating select strands in the hair and treating them with a haircolor, lightener or toner. Highlights can add dimension by contrasting with the rest of the head of hair and are created with foils, a cap or special combs or brushes used for "painting."
I
Integrity: The overall strength and condition of the hair. Hair with poor integrity may require pre-treatment before a color service.
L
Lift: Lift is the chemical process of lightening the color of the hair. Different hair color formulations have different lifting abilities
Lightener: A lightener is a lifting agent—it lightens the color of the hair. Bleaching, decolorizing, and lightening are all terms used interchangeably by stylists to describe the lifting process.
Lowlights: Adding darker strands to the hair to balance a too light look. Lowlights are typically created with foils, caps, or combs. The effect complements the natural color and can add dimension to your hair.
M
Maintenance: Color "maintenance" includes periodic salon visits for color touchups and refreshing and regular at-home support with post-color care products. Be sure to ask your stylist how to best maintain your color.
O
Off-scalp decolorizer : An off-scalp decolorizer works quickly and is stronger than many other decolorizers. It's typically used in highlighting.
On-scalp decolorizer: An on-scalp decolorizer is a lightening agent typically used for double-process hair services and for some types of highlights.
Overprocessed: Hair that has been overprocessed via bleaching, straightening, or other services can be porous and challenging to color. If your hair is overprocessed, your stylist may suggest that you choose pre-treatments and a gentle color product.
P
Permanent haircolor: Permanent hair color does not wash out. It can be used to achieve subtle or dramatic color changes, to lighten hair, and to color hair that is up to 100% gray.
Porosity: Your hair's porosity determines how it will absorb color. Hair that is very porous, due to overprocessing or other chemical exposures such as swimming, will absorb color more readily.
Protein: Hair is 70-80% protein. Proteins provide strength and resilience.
S
Single-process: Single-process haircolor will permanently transform your hair in one application—there is no separate decolorizing step, versus double-process hair color. Single-process haircolor is generally used to boost or lighten natural color and to cover gray.
Stylist: Your salon stylist is your partner in achieving your haircolor goals. In order to best benefit from his or her expertise, give your stylist as much information as you can about your hair and the haircolor look you want to achieve during your consultation. A stylist who specializes in color services is a "colorist."
Semi-permanent haircolor: Haircolor that is designed to last through five to seven shampoos, depending on the processing time selected and the porosity of the hair. Semi-permanent colors do not lighten hair.
T
Texture: Texture, as defined by the diameter of an individual hair strand, is generally described as fine, medium, or coarse. Your stylist will factor in your hair's texture when determining your best color formulation.
Tone: Tone, in hair coloring, is the term used to describe a specific color—"golden" blonde, "coppery" red, "ash" brown. Colors are divided into warm tones and cool tones. See also warm and cool.
Transparency: Transparency is a value used to describe the amount of pigment a haircolor formulation will deposit on the hair. Highly transparent colors will provide subtle changes.
W
Warm: Warm is a tonal value that can apply to blonde, brunette, and red shades. A color is said to have "warm tones" if it tends toward yellow or red. Warm colors include golden blondes, auburn brunettes, and coppery reds. See also cool.
Brassiness: Brassiness is used to refer to hair that is overly warm or yellow in tone. This can be the result of color buildup, color that is not processed properly or improperly formulated color. Brassiness is generally corrected by applying a toner or a color glaze to counteract the yellow.
C
Condition: Your hair's condition can affect the final color result. Your stylist will evaluate your hair's condition in order to determine if you need special pre- or post-color conditioning services so they can create a color formulation that is best for you.
Colorist: See Stylist.
Consultation: Before every color service, you should expect an in-depth consultation with your stylist. This conversation is where you will exchange information and ideas about your hair and the look you want to achieve in order to get your color recommendation. During the consultation your colorist will assess the condition of your hair to help determine what kind of color product is most appropriate for your hair's needs.
Contrast: Contrast is a value applied to highlights. High-contrast highlights are much lighter than the surrounding hair and provide a dramatic look. Lower contrast highlights result in a more natural look.
Cool: Cool is a tonal value that can apply to blonde, brunette, and red shades. A color is said to have "cool tones" if it tends toward blue or violet. Cool colors include platinum blondes, ash browns, and plum reds. See also warm.
Coverage: Coverage is a measure of a haircolor's ability to cover gray. Some haircolor formulations are too transparent to effectively cover gray hair. Covering gray also requires a special color formulation in order to avoid flat or unnatural results.
D
Decolorizing: Removing natural or artificial haircolor with a lightener (bleach). This is the first step in a double-process hair service. There are on-scalp decolorizers and off-scalp decolorizers.
Demi-permanent haircolor: Demi-permanent haircolors deliver incredible color, shine, and condition to hair with little or no lightening of the natural pigment. They do not remove or lift color. They are ideal if you want to enrich your natural color, brighten dullness, or refresh previously colored hair.
Depth: The depth of a haircolor shade is determined by the amount of darkness in the color. Deeper shades contain more pigment and absorb more light, while lighter shades are more transparent and reflect more light.
Dimension: Dimension is a function of the range of tones in your hair. A head of hair that is all one color is said to be "flat" or lacking dimension. Your stylist can add dimension to your hair with highlights or lowlights.
Double-process: A double-process hair color technique is used to achieve dramatic color changes, such as going from very dark to very light hair. First, the hair is lightened with a decolorizer. Then the new color is deposited on the hair. Your stylist will determine if a double-process is right for you.
F
Fading: Hair color fades for a variety of reasons, including exposure to water, air, sun, and harsh shampoos. To counteract fading, use color maintenance products such as Color Care Shampoos.
Finish: The appearance of the hair's surface, the polish or texture. Different haircolor products result in a different finish.
Formulation: The formulation is the mixture of hair colors your stylist applies to your hair. Your unique formulation will be created by taking into account your hair's condition and your desired results.
G
Gloss: A color gloss, delivers shiny color with no ammonia. It is a demi-permanent color.
Gray coverage: See coverage.
H
Highlights: Highlighting hair means isolating select strands in the hair and treating them with a haircolor, lightener or toner. Highlights can add dimension by contrasting with the rest of the head of hair and are created with foils, a cap or special combs or brushes used for "painting."
I
Integrity: The overall strength and condition of the hair. Hair with poor integrity may require pre-treatment before a color service.
L
Lift: Lift is the chemical process of lightening the color of the hair. Different hair color formulations have different lifting abilities
Lightener: A lightener is a lifting agent—it lightens the color of the hair. Bleaching, decolorizing, and lightening are all terms used interchangeably by stylists to describe the lifting process.
Lowlights: Adding darker strands to the hair to balance a too light look. Lowlights are typically created with foils, caps, or combs. The effect complements the natural color and can add dimension to your hair.
M
Maintenance: Color "maintenance" includes periodic salon visits for color touchups and refreshing and regular at-home support with post-color care products. Be sure to ask your stylist how to best maintain your color.
O
Off-scalp decolorizer : An off-scalp decolorizer works quickly and is stronger than many other decolorizers. It's typically used in highlighting.
On-scalp decolorizer: An on-scalp decolorizer is a lightening agent typically used for double-process hair services and for some types of highlights.
Overprocessed: Hair that has been overprocessed via bleaching, straightening, or other services can be porous and challenging to color. If your hair is overprocessed, your stylist may suggest that you choose pre-treatments and a gentle color product.
P
Permanent haircolor: Permanent hair color does not wash out. It can be used to achieve subtle or dramatic color changes, to lighten hair, and to color hair that is up to 100% gray.
Porosity: Your hair's porosity determines how it will absorb color. Hair that is very porous, due to overprocessing or other chemical exposures such as swimming, will absorb color more readily.
Protein: Hair is 70-80% protein. Proteins provide strength and resilience.
S
Single-process: Single-process haircolor will permanently transform your hair in one application—there is no separate decolorizing step, versus double-process hair color. Single-process haircolor is generally used to boost or lighten natural color and to cover gray.
Stylist: Your salon stylist is your partner in achieving your haircolor goals. In order to best benefit from his or her expertise, give your stylist as much information as you can about your hair and the haircolor look you want to achieve during your consultation. A stylist who specializes in color services is a "colorist."
Semi-permanent haircolor: Haircolor that is designed to last through five to seven shampoos, depending on the processing time selected and the porosity of the hair. Semi-permanent colors do not lighten hair.
T
Texture: Texture, as defined by the diameter of an individual hair strand, is generally described as fine, medium, or coarse. Your stylist will factor in your hair's texture when determining your best color formulation.
Tone: Tone, in hair coloring, is the term used to describe a specific color—"golden" blonde, "coppery" red, "ash" brown. Colors are divided into warm tones and cool tones. See also warm and cool.
Transparency: Transparency is a value used to describe the amount of pigment a haircolor formulation will deposit on the hair. Highly transparent colors will provide subtle changes.
W
Warm: Warm is a tonal value that can apply to blonde, brunette, and red shades. A color is said to have "warm tones" if it tends toward yellow or red. Warm colors include golden blondes, auburn brunettes, and coppery reds. See also cool.
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