Hair coloring

A hairdresser colors a client's hair.

Hair coloring is the practice of changing the color of hair. Common reasons are to cover gray hair, to change to a color regarded as more fashionable or desirable, and to restore the original hair color after it has been discolored by hairdressing processes or sun bleaching.

History

In the 1661 book Eighteen Books of the Secrets of Art & Nature, various methods of coloring hair black, gold, green, red, yellow, and white are explained.^[1]

Hair dye, or hair color, is a chemical preparation used to change the color of a person's hair. Hair dye is used to cover gray hair, which in some cultures has historically been considered to be a sign of aging (in others, a sign of wisdom and grace). Younger people may color their hair as a fashion statement or because they want to change their hair color.

The Romans have been known to be interested in changing hair color and history revealed that they created over a hundred recipes using natural ingredients. These preparations could only darken hair. In Renaissance time, blonde was a popular choice because it was considered to be angelic and attractive.

In 1907, Eugene Schueller, the founder of L'Oreal, created the first synthetic hair dye, but it wasn't widely sold.