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THE MADAM C.J. WALKER SCHOOLS CLASSES OF HAIR DYE These are four different classes of hair colorings or dyes, as follows: 1. Vegetable Dyes. 2. Metallic Dyes. 3. Compound Dyes. 4. Aniline Dyes. VEGETABLE DYES are relatively less harmful than other classes of dyes. They act as a coating for the hair shaft and since each application serves to deepen the coat, in time their continued use makes the hair coarse and brittle. HENNA is the most widely used vegetable dye. It is made by grinding into a powder the dry leaves and stems of a shrub that grows in Egypt, Arabia, Persia and India. Leaves of the INDIGO plant have been used in much the same way to obtain dark shades. HENNA INDIGO is a mixture of the two powders combined to produce the darker shades of orange and red not obtainable with plain henna. WOOD EXTRACTS are obtained from the shells, bark and roots of plants like walnuts, logwood, etc. CAMOMILE flowers and leaves are used to make a tea which may be used to brighten blonde or reddish hair. Sage steeped in hot water has been used to dark the hair. RHUBARB at one time was used to brighten blonde hair. METALLIC DYES are chemical combinations of copper, lead, mercury, silver, bismuth, tin and other metals. Like the vegetable dyes these do not attempt to duplicate the natural color of the hair; they hide the true color of the hair by coating the shaft. Metallic dyes are PROGRESSIVE DYES, meaning that applications must be made, one after the other (successively) until the proper shade is obtained. Persons have a predisposition to skin diseases may readily absorb the metal ingredients in these dyes, resulting in a toxic condition. COMPOUND DYES are combinations of metallic preparations and vegetable extracts, such as compound Henna which is a mixture of henna, metallic salts, and other dyestuffs. These dyes bite into the fiber of the hair shaft and fix the color. ANILINE DYES are these colorings having a based derived from aniline, a coal tar product extensively used as a source of dyestuffs. Most of the modern hair dyes are these synthetic preparations. This type dye penetrates the horny layer of the hair shaft and the result is reasonably permanent. They do not coat the hair --160-- TEXT BOOK OF BEAUTY CULTURE shaft, as do the other three types of dyes. Para-phenylene diamine commonly referred to as a "para" is an important ingredient of the aniline dyes. It is a substance derived from coal tar and has the property of forming salts with acids, and when combined with oxygen from the air or from an oxydizing agent such as hydrogen peroxide, it causes a chemical process called oxidation, to take place, and continues until the hair shaft becomes the desired shade. Para causes the dye to cling to the hair. LIQUID DYES - There are far too many liquid dyes on the market to name them. However, most all of them come in bottles marked "A" and "B" or "1" and "2". There are also liquid dyes that are prepared only in one bottle and require but one application. There are still others that permit making several shades by adding different proportions of water to the concentrated dye. Some others which we find to be excellent for he dark curly hair, consist of a clear liquid and capsules. Directions are given by the manufacturers of dyes for the application of their particular product and these should always be followed. SKIN TEST When the day comes in which you will have your first dye alone, it is advisable to discuss the matter frankly with your patron, inquiring into her general health, if her hair has been dyed before and if so, with what results, etc. This information will prove helpful to you in deciding your procedure. If you learned that her hair has never been dyed, she has what is termed a VIRGIN suit of hair and should be given a skin test to determine her ability to take the dye. Likewise, if it is found that she has just recovered from illness the skin test should be given. In fact a safe rule to follow when there are any doubts in your mind of the ability of the patron taking the dye successfully, this test should be given. Before dyeing he hair it is advisable and in many cases compulsory, to give a twenty-four-hour skin test. This is necessary because it has been found that some people have an idiosyncracy to hair dyes. That is to say, they are susceptible to poisoning by some ingredients the dye may contain. Some people are poisoned by strawberries, sea food, poison ivy, even coffee, while otehrs are not. The same holds true of hair dye. Proceed to give a Skin Test in the following manner: 1. Wash an area of the skin about the size of a half dollar, behind the ear, in the bend of the arm, or in the arm pits. 2. Mix a small amount of the dye to be used and paint the washed area of skin with this mixture several times and allow to dry. --161--
