Guide
Permanent vs semi permanent hair colour
Permanent colour is made inside your hair: small pieces of colour go in and join into larger molecules, so it holds until the hair grows out, though each wash takes a little of its tone. Semi-permanent colour goes on already made, in pieces small enough to slip into the thin outer layer of each hair without binding firmly, and washing lets it out again. Demi-permanent colour sits in between.
Our colour services range from grey coverage to toner and colour correction.
How does permanent colour work?
Most permanent colour contains ammonia, which makes the mix alkaline, and an alkaline mix opens the thin outer layer of each hair. Permanent colour sold as ammonia-free uses another ingredient for the same job. The small pieces of colour then pass through the outer layer to the inside of the hair. There, peroxide in the mix makes them react and join into larger molecules, and that is why the colour holds until that hair grows out.
Can permanent colour lighten hair or cover grey?
It can make hair lighter as well as darker, and it covers grey best. The peroxide that builds the colour also breaks down some of the hair’s own pigment, and that is what lightens it. We cover grey with permanent colour, and our guide to covering grey hair says more.
How does semi-permanent colour work?
Semi-permanent colour sits in the outer layer, and washing opens it up, so the colour, which dissolves in water, comes out again. It has no bleaching agent in it, so it can only add colour. On grey hair it softens the look of the grey.
What is demi-permanent colour?
Demi-permanent colour has less peroxide in it than permanent colour, and no ammonia. It does not get as far into the hair as permanent colour does, so it covers grey less well. It lightens little, if at all, and fades after about 10 to 15 washes, or sooner.
Which colour is yours?
If you want grey covered or hair made lighter, you want permanent colour, though bleach lightens hair the most. If you want colour that washes out again, semi-permanent and demi-permanent colour both do.
If you’d like to come in, you can book here.