Hair is stripped using a chemical process to remove unwanted hair color.
Here's a detailed breakdown of how it works:
The Chemical Process of Hair Stripping
Stripping hair involves a specific chemical process focused on reversing the hair coloring process. This is not the same as bleaching or lightening the hair. It's about removing color that has already been deposited. Here’s how it is done:
Key Components
- Sulfur-Based Product: The primary agent used is a product that contains sulfur compounds. These compounds are crucial for the stripping process.
- Sulfite Levels: The sulfur-based product works by raising the sulfite levels within the hair shaft. This is a key step in reversing the color oxidation process.
- Increased Porosity: Elevated sulfite levels make the hair more porous, which allows the previously deposited color molecules to be released.
Mechanism of Action
- Application: The sulfur-based stripping product is applied to the hair.
- Sulfite Level Increase: The sulfur-based product raises the sulfite levels within the hair structure.
- Reversal of Oxidation: The increased sulfite levels cause the oxidation process of the color molecules to reverse.
- Color Removal: Reversing the oxidation breaks down the color molecules, allowing them to be removed from the hair shaft.
- Porous Hair: The hair becomes more porous during the process, assisting in removing these color molecules.
Why This Method?
- Targeted Color Removal: This method is specifically designed to remove artificial color, making it different from just lightening or bleaching the hair.
- Reverses the Dyeing Process: By reversing the oxidation, this method targets the root cause of the deposited color.
- Effective Removal: It is effective in removing previously applied color allowing for a fresh start for coloring processes.
Practical Aspects
Example
Imagine your hair is dyed a dark brown. Over time you want to switch to a lighter blonde color. Stripping the brown from your hair would be necessary for the new light color to come through. The product applied will target the artificial brown dye by using the sulfur-based stripping product, increasing sulfite levels, and removing the color from the hair shaft to begin again.
Points to Remember
- Professional Application: Hair stripping is best left to professionals due to the specific knowledge required.
- Hair Damage: This process can be damaging to the hair, so it is crucial to have someone who can assess your hair’s condition.
- Aftercare: Aftercare is crucial to rehydrate the hair and lock in moisture. This can include hair masks, moisturizing conditioners, and heat protectants.
The information provided in this answer is based on the reference: 'Stripping hair refers to a chemical process used to rid the hair of unwanted deposited color. It involves the application of a sulfur-based product to the hair that raises sulfite levels, making the hair more porous. This process reverses the oxidation of color molecules, ultimately removing the deposited color.23-Oct-2024'
