Fresh hair color doesn't have to equal irritation.

Walking out of a salon with fresh highlights and a burning scalp is, unfortunately, more common than you’d think. And for those of us blessed with hair that’s quick to grow back, this every-six-week two-for-one deal can become more painful than blissful. However, it doesn’t have to be. We tapped Stephanie Brown, master hair colorist at IGK Soho, for her top tips to prevent and treat a scalp that’s easily irritated by hair dye.

Embrace the oil

According to Brown, if you’re heading to the salon for a single process, the easiest way to avoid mild scalp irritation couldn’t be easier, and starts before you leave the house. “Don’t wash your hair before getting it colored,” she advises. “The hair’s natural oils can help to protect your scalp and hair.”

Be honest with your colorist 

Having a conversation with your colorist and letting him or her know about your sensitivity to hair color is key—then they can dig into their toolkit. Brown says she usually adds Care & Comfort or Sweet’n Low when she’s mixing color for a client who’s sensitive to dye. “These have pH buffers to help neutralize some of the ammonia to cause less irritation to the scalp,” she explains.

Side note: Does Sweet’n Low even work?

According to cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos, “cream of tartar, aka potassium bitartrate, is one of the ingredients in Sweet’N Low. It has a low pH buffer, while saccharin [another main ingredient in it] also has an acidic pH. Because of these properties, it is believed that the addition of artificial sweeteners helps neutralize some of the ammonia used in hair color and mitigate irritation.” 

Ask for a patch test 

“If you get very irritated, you may have an allergy and should do a patch test first,” says Brown. “I will sometimes suggest taking a Benadryl before getting color if a client is irritated by color, especially those with platinum hair.”

Do your salon research

If you know you’re allergic to these artificial hair dyes, look for salons near you that use organic hair color—Brown says these are usually gentler on the scalp.

Be picky about your shampoo and conditioner

The work doesn’t stop after your appointment is over; what you use in the shower makes just as big of a difference in your scalp’s health and irritation. Brown says we should be using pH balanced shampoos and moisturizing conditioners.

Treat your scalp at home

Thanks to the recent influx of scalp-centric products, sensitive scalps around the world have so many options at their disposal. A tried-and-true favorite? IGK Trust Issues ($29), a formula Brown relies on for her own scalp. Aside from using patented hydrogel time-release technology to moisturize both while you use it and over time, it’s also infused with natural astringents like apple cider vinegar to rebalance the scalp.

Go au naturale

If you’re after a cleaner approach, Brown says ingredients you likely have in your pantry can help soothe, too. “An apple cider vinegar or chamomile tea rinse works well,” she says, advising to leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing out. “You can also do an oil, like coconut, avocado or hemp seed, and leave it on for 10-30 minutes, then shampoo out.”

What do hair masks do?

When your hair’s looking dull, feeling dry or not as smooth and shiny as you’d like it to be, a hair mask is the best remedy. This product is an intensive conditioner designed to nourish and moisturize hair and repair damage. Hair masks are available for a range of hair types and needs.

You can buy hair masks ready to use or make them yourself at home. Whichever option you choose, you’ll need to choose the right mask for your hair. 

Who needs hair masks?

People who have dry or damaged hair can benefit the most from hair masks. Hair masks are moisture-rich and can sink into the follicle to nourish hair damaged by heat or hair dye. Other people prefer to use these products preventively, to keep their hair in the smooth and shiny condition it’s already in. Unless your hair verges on the greasy side, you can use a hair mask.

Hair mask benefits

Hair masks have multiple positive effects on your hair. They include: 

• Hair masks leave your hair softer and shiner
• Using hair masks can moisturize dry hair
• Some hair masks can mask the appearance of split ends and reduce breakage
• Your hair may be stronger and your scalp healthier after using a hair mask
• By moisturizing hair, masks can reduce frizz and stray hairs

How to use a hair mask

Hair masks are straightforward to use but require more time than you’d usually spend washing your hair. Start by shampooing your hair as usual. This removes dirt and grease that might get in the way of the mask thoroughly soaking into the shaft of the hair. Shampooing also opens up the hair cuticles so the mask can penetrate better. 

Then, squeeze your hair after rinsing out the shampoo, but don’t dry it. Now apply the mask to your hair, making sure to comb it into the strands with your fingers, so you don’t miss any sections. If your hair is often limp or you want extra volume, avoid the roots, starting around midway down the length of the hair. 

Wait around 20-30 minutes for the hair mask to work its magic. If your hair is dried, you can leave your hair mask on overnight. You may want to use a hair tie to put your hair up and out of the way while you wait. After the designated amount of time, rinse out the mask and dry your hair as usual.

Moisturizing hair mask ingredients

If you want to make your hair mask, there are a few nourishing ingredients you should include. You can also look out for these ingredients in store-bought hair masks. 

Olive oil
Olive oil is an excellent natural moisturizer and is excellent for homemade masks as it’s readily available in practically any grocery store — in fact, you probably already have some in your kitchen. It contains squalene, which is also naturally produced by our bodies to moisturize our skin and hair, so it’s great for hair masks.

Avocado oil
While any oil can help moisturize hair, avocado oil is rich in nutrients like folic acid, iron and magnesium, which can help boost your hair health.

Coconut oil
Coconut oil is a favorite among people who make their hair masks and other beauty products since it’s solid or semi-solid at room temperature, making it less messy to work with. It’s also one of the best oils for penetrating the hair shaft due to its low molecular weight. 

Shea butter
Fat extracted from the shea nut tree; shea butter is another common ingredient in hair masks due to its excellent moisturizing properties. Like coconut oil, it’s solid at room temperature, so it’s easy to handle.

Aloe vera
Anti-inflammatory aloe vera is a quality hair mask ingredient for anyone with a dry or itchy scalp. It’s easy to find aloe vera gel to add to homemade hair masks.

Banana
​Bananas contain silica, which helps make hair softer and shinier. It’s rarely found in commercial hair masks, but it’s easy to mash or blend into a homemade hair mask. 

Haircolor myths: They can twist client understanding and even trip up colorists from time to time. And while the advent of the Internet can be seen as a force for good—it can, after all, help quell client curiosity about hair dye as well as provide infinite inspiration—it can also spew misinformation unchecked. “[Clients’] belief in a myth may create false expectations about their color service leading to dissatisfaction with their results,” warns Joanne Rempel, Eufora color development manager. Your job: Disprove myths delicately. “It’s important to educate clients on the facts, but do so in a professional manner in a way that they’ll understand. Sometimes stylists overcomplicate matters for clients,” explains Amy Spencer, Malibu C artistic team member and educator. Beauty Launchpad asked three top color pros to dismantle dye lies so that you can help spread hair hue truth simply.

Myth #1: Sub-Scalp Bleaching

Your client swears that her previous stylist’s highlights lasted longer than yours because he placed lightener in the hair follicle. “This is definitely untrue. Lightener only works on the exposed hair. Some stylists could definitely get foils closer to the scalp than others, but any highlights are definitely on the outside of the scalp,” Rempel says. Carefully clarify that lightener is unable to penetrate into the hair follicle, and therefore can’t lighten hair developing in the follicle. Rempel advises explaining to clients the benefits of taking smaller sections and a finer weave to allow you to get closer to the scalp area and, if correcting a fellow colorist on this myth, advising her on how she can improve her foil work.

Myth #2: The 24-Hour Post-Color Wash Rule

We’ve all heard it: Don’t wash your hair for 24 hours after a color service. Otherwise, as the tall tale goes, you’ll strip away some of the vibrant color. “The truth is you can wash your hair after the color is processed and it won’t be harmed,” shares Sonya Dove, Wella Professionals global creative artist and Ulta ProTeam member, adding, “Now, shampooing too often can certainly strip the oils from hair, so be aware!” She notes that haircolor technology advancements make this old wives’ tale simply that: a myth worth debunking. “I always suggest clients take home color care products to enhance their color and stop it from eventually fading,” Dove says.

Myth #3: Bleach Drives Direct Dyes Deeper into Hair

This myth has long been held by stylists, but Spencer believes there’s no time like the present to debunk it as it affects proper formulation for corrective color. “Lightener and direct dye have the same charge, so when you use a traditional lightener on direct dye, it has a similar reaction as putting two ends of a magnet together. They repel each other, causing the dye to spread out,” she says. In order to hammer the idea home, she recommends showing colorists how lightener and direct dye work via visuals, like a photo or video.

Myth #4: Haircolor Causes Irrevocable Damage

“Damage is a harsh word,” Spencer says. While she admits haircolor does cause oxidization—and over-oxidization can damage hair—current technologies allow colorists to safely add color, shine and dimension sans harm. To better ensure hair integrity, Spencer suggests proper prep pre-color to help decrease stress on hair, as well as using bond builders to rebuild disulfide bonds during processing. “I like to educate clients on the science behind it without getting too technical,” she says. Spencer also recommends posting before and after visuals of color to show how color services can actually condition, gloss and leave strands stronger as a way to help demystify this myth.

Myth #5: Henna-Colored Hair Can’t Be Lightened

The pros differ on their assessment of this myth, though they do agree that Henna-colored hair can be lightened to some degree. First, have a thorough consultation with your client, asking about frequency of use and whether the Henna includes mineral salts in the formulation. “Not all Henna is created equal,” Rempel warns. She notes that quality and ingredients in Henna formulation differ, and that the mineral salts found in many Henna brands make total removal difficult and, in some cases, impossible. Rempel refuses to remove Henna with mineral salts as the chemical reaction with color or lightener can cause severe damage to hair. “I tell clients the truth as I know it. If they insist on wanting something done, I just say no and tell them to find another stylist,” Dove agrees.

Spencer, on the other hand, has found success removing Henna after prepping the hair with Malibu C Color Disruptor and CPR, and even teaches a class devoted to this subject. However, all pros do concur on this integral step: They insist that Henna removal shouldn’t be attempted without a test strand first. “The telltale signs of mineral salts may be heating of the hair strand, smoking and damage or breakage,” says Rempel. Whatever you decide, make sure to have clients sign a release form in advance, and explain the risk involved with removal.

Myth #6: Haircolor Responds Better to Dry Hair

Wet, damp or dry hair: Which is best for haircolor application? It largely depends on what the manufacturer directions say, Dove concedes. “Each brand varies—even the product lines within a brand vary!” she stresses. Dove offers this example: “At Wella, Color Touch demipermanent needs to be put on clean, damp hair because the dampness helps porosity and how the formula absorbs. Yet for Koleston Perfect, Wella recommends applying on dry hair due to the technology in the formula.” Also consider damp versus wet hair. “There is a big difference between wet and damp hair when it comes to haircolor,” Rempel explains. “Damp hair (70- to 80-percent dry) is fine to color over; however, if there’s significant water in the hair, it will need to be displaced with color to achieve your desired results, and therefore slows down the process. The cuticle layer is generally more closed off when hair is wet.” She notes that as a general rule, direct dyes require application on dry hair for the color to last. The lesson in this myth: When in doubt, check the manufacturer instructions.

Myth #7: Hair Should Be Dirty—Not Clean—Before Coloring

How many times has a client shown up with greasy strands to her color appointment? Don’t blame her; she has definitely fallen victim to the “Don’t wash your hair prior to a haircolor appointment; a little dirt and product helps the process” myth. Wrong! “Not sure this was ever true; however, certainly today, this is an urban myth,” Rempel declares. In order to better maintain hair’s health and integrity, modern haircolor formulas feature lower percentages of alkalizer, which functions to open the hair cuticle, she explains. With less blasting open of the cuticle, anything coating the hair—say, dirt or product buildup—is counterintuitive to the process of absorbing haircolor. Therefore, clean—or ever-so-slightly soiled—hair ensures color can more easily penetrate the hair shaft without having to work through layers of grime and product. So let your clients know: No more greasy strands!

Myth #8: Baking Soda Removes Haircolor

While baking soda can remove color, it doesn’t mean clients should use it. “Baking soda is an abrasive cleanser and can be used on stovetops and countertops, but should not be used on the hair and scalp,” Rempel emphatically clarifies. Spencer reasons that the pH of baking soda is high, so it would likely ruin hair. “At-home remedies scare me,” she sighs, adding, “They haven’t been tested!” Rempel agrees, “We must caution ourselves about believing myths and urban legends about things like baking soda, lemon juice and other at-home remedies as being ‘better’ (i.e. more clean) for the hair. They may be more damaging to the hair because they’re not buffered. Hair-coloring agents, albeit chemical, contain buffering agents that do the job of protecting the hair strand. I like to leave baking soda and vinegar to the homemade volcano science project!”

It’s been a hairy year in more ways than one. Australia has seen influencers growing mustaches, civilians mimicking Chris Hemsworth’s lockdown beard and various other bizarre grooming trends as a result of all the extra time we’ve now got at home.

Reaching fever pitch, Matt Damon this week shocked American fans by stepping out with a ‘dirty’ Australian haircut last popular in Europe and America in the middle ages. Suffice to say, we thought the world of male grooming couldn’t get any crazier.

How wrong we were… enter the skullet.

Taking the cake for the most ‘confronting’ quiff this year is ‘the dusty’ (also known as ‘the skullet’). What’s that, you might ask? A haircut that looks like an elbow (essentially, a version of the mullet, but with the top either fully shaved or extra short).

Rocked two years ago by Richemond Midfielder/Forward Dustin Martin, ‘the dusty’ is now sweeping the country (as are mullets more generally, inspired by icons like professional surfer Mikey Wright), proving once again how long it takes for a bold new look to filter down to the mainstream after initially being laughed at.
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It’s not just Gold Coast groms and aspiring AFL players getting in on the action either, with DMARGE this week capturing a couple of young kings rocking ‘the dusty’ whilst ambling around south Sydney.

Though the snobs might recoil at such a cut, others – like Sydney barbershop owner Jacob Martin (proprietor of Tate & Lyle) say it could be evidence that Australian men are paying more attention to their mental health, with the ‘mullets for mental health’ month having just come to a conclusion.

As for the ‘finer’ details of the skullet cut itself, Mr. Martin said, “AFL players seem to treat dirtiness like a trophy… [but] at least the mullet section has straight lines.”

In regards to rocking this look for yourself: “the dirtier the skullet, the better.”

We didn’t stop there. Adam Walmsley, the owner from an inner Sydney salon, Friends & Family, was equally as perplexed by this ongoing trend.

“I’m not sure myself….is it part of the skullet family?”, Adam commented. Turns out Adam was the winner with the ‘skullet’ being the most logical answer.
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Wikipedia confirms this is the case, explaining the “skullet (plural skullets)” is “a more extreme form of the mullet hairstyle, in which the hair at the back is kept long, whilst the hair on the top and the sides is shaven in a buzzcut or skinhead style.”

Even if it may be intrinsically associated with having ‘a rude head’, we’d argue men should be able to snipper their skulls however they want, and not obsess about what others think. Indeed, half the ‘cool’ factor of a new haircut trend (whether its a Faux Viking Hipster Undercut or a Peaky Blinders Special) is in its rarity.
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Only problem is the ‘skullett’ movement is ‘growing’ so fast it may soon lose its shock value…

Supermodel Kristen McMenamy and British Vogue’s own Sarah Harris are the fashion world’s poster girls for gray—their every Instagram post proof that a head of silver hair isn’t just acceptable, it’s seriously aspirational. But the period post-lockdown has seen the gray hair movement go mainstream. 

Forced to relinquish their regular salon visits due to COVID restrictions, many women chose to embrace their regrowth, rather than run from it. It seems A-listers were no different, and the return of the party circuit (and unfettered access to glam squads) did nothing to quell enthusiasm for this newly liberated approach to beauty. 

After Sarah Jessica Parker proudly showed off pearlescent roots in a viral Sex and the City reunion snap, and Andie MacDowell’s halo of silver curls became the most admired hairstyle on the Cannes red carpet, intentional regrowth is now infiltrating royal circles. Spain’s Queen Letizia arrived in Stockholm for a state visit this week looking characteristically groomed in a camel cape by Carolina Herrera, with natural strands of silver visible in her glossy dark hair.

Letizia, a former journalist and news anchor who married into the Spanish royal family in 2004, is as influential in Spain as the Duchess of Cambridge—whose tacit seal of approval can be worth millions of pounds in sales to a brand—is in Britain. Her relaxed approach to regrowth is further evidence that the rise of gray hair—part of a broader welcome shift towards age positivity—will be perhaps the biggest beauty headline of 2021. Her segue to gray follows that of another royal brunette, Princess Caroline, whose salt and pepper bob is suitably chic for the daughter of style icon Grace Kelly.