Page 15 - Understanding light, colour and hair colour

Hair colour is decided by the varying amounts of pigments contained in Why does blonde hair look lighter in daylight? Daylight is the ultimate

the hair structure. Pigments are contained in two types of melanin white light because it has such a huge energy source (The Sun). We have

Eumelanin contains the dark blue through to violet pigments only. all said to a client take the mirror out into the daylight and you will see the

(Please see Fig. 13) true colour. Light in the salon usually comes from 100 what bulbs. The
light transmitted from 100-watt bulbs is very warm, because it only

Phaeomelanin contains red through to orange and yellow through to green contains two wavelengths, visible red and invisible infrared wavelengths.

pigments. Melanin is found in the cortex and the matrix cement but not in Everything this light touches reflects very warm in colour, therefore
the cuticle cells which are completely three of melanin. making white blonde hair look orange/yellow.

Cuticle cells work the same as prisms absorbing white light and splitting Some salons have only fluorescent lighting. This form of white light is
it into individual colour wavelengths and reflecting the corresponding created by filling and sealing a glass tube with mercury vapor, when the

wavelengths to the pigments. mercury vapor is electrically charged it emits ultraviolet wave lengths

only, which are absorbed by the coating of phosphors on the inside of the
glass tube, converting and emitting mainly green wavelengths along with

some red and blue as well. Because of the very strong green wavelengths

once this light is absorbed by the white blonde hair, it reflects as Khaki or

with a greenish cast over the blonde. (Please see Fig. 14)