Expert Tips for Colouring Your Textured Hair At Home
Written by: Precious Umeasalugo
Everything you need to know.
The first time I coloured my thick 4C hair, my bathroom looked like a crime scene. There was dye everywhere, the developer was halfway done, and my hair had barely changed, except the ends were now fried and lifeless. Like me, several other people with textured hair struggle with at-home colouring. Questions like "What products do I use?" "How long do I leave it on for?" and "Why does it hurt my scalp so much?" keep coming up. But the truth is, colouring textured hair is an art, one Cataanda James understands all too well.
So, if you've ever wondered how to safely colour your rich, kinky curls from the comfort of your bathroom or kitchen, we've got the answers from an expert to help you and your hair stay healthy.
The Expert
Cataanda James is a licensed cosmetologist and multicultural haircare expert.
She is also the founder of CJ The Beauty Group, a beauty consulting firm. Along with her trichology certifications from the USTI-US Trichology Institute, she previously worked at L'Oréal as the senior education and training technician.
Understanding Textured Hair
To understand colouring, you need to understand textured hair and why it acts the way it does. For one, textured hair, or type 4 hair, has an incredibly unique structure. It is tightly coiled into an almost compressed zigzag pattern, which makes it harder for oils to flow from root to end. This is partly why textured hair is more prone to dryness and breakage, as the tight coils can be fragile, making colour absorption and retention a lot harder on these hair types.
Textured hair also tends to be dense and thicker, requiring even more product and longer processing times to ensure even colour distribution and absorption. But these are not the only things affecting colouring; you must also prepare your hair.
Preparing Your Hair for Colour
Like every other hair type, textured hair requires a lot of care and attention, both pre-colouring and post-colouring. You need to look out for the health and condition of your hair before you put it through all that processing.
"The basics of the hair colour process are the same for all hair textures, including straighter textures. However, the techniques, processing times, pre-treatment and post-treatment care may vary based on hair type", James tells us.
A key area of focus is to ensure your hair is thoroughly hydrated and can retain proper moisture levels, even during the colouring process.
"Since certain hair colour processes can reduce moisture balance, it is best not to proceed if the hair condition is dry, brittle, or breaking. Deep conditioning and steam treatments can help provide the hair with the proper nourishment it needs before colouring. If the hair is previously damaged, colouring is not recommended", she explains.
This is where professional opinions may be required in order to assess your hair health. But if you're sticking with an at-home regimen, you'll need to determine if your hair is at its best.
"There are certain scenarios when colouring your hair at home could be the perfect solution to save you time and money while producing amazing results. When the hair has not been previously coloured, shifting its natural level or tone is the best scenario".
Once you've assessed that your hair is healthy enough for some colour, James says it is essential to pre-detangle and section your hair before starting the application process.
Damage and The Coloring Process
There are many things to consider when colouring textured hair, and one of them is the colour's effect on your curl pattern.
"Depending on the technique, type of hair colour used, the condition of hair before the colour treatment, and aftercare maintenance, hair colour does NOT necessarily damage natural hair. However, hair colour can alter the curl pattern", James explains.
This is mainly because, for textured hair, you may need a more intense process and formula to lighten the hair more than two shades. If you need an even lighter shade, you may have to repeat the process, which James notes can break down the integrity of the hair. Again, this potential breakdown is why ensuring your hair is healthy and hydrated enough for the colouring experience is crucial.
When You Need A Professional
Just like my crime scene-looking bathroom, it is easy to make a mess of things while colouring your hair at home. Some hairstylists are staunch in their recommendation of always colouring with a professional hair stylist or colourist, but James has a more liberal approach to at-home dyeing practices.
"For [things like] simply covering your grey hairs, enriching your natural colour for added depth and shine, shifting the tone by adding more warmth, or doing a root touch-up to match your current colour (on previously coloured hair), I encourage at-home colouring with products that are specifically labelled "at-home hair colour", James tells us.
However, she does share that some colouring processes must be done by a professional.
"At-home hair colour usually comes pre-measured in a box containing everything you need from start to finish. However, when the result requires going more than two shades lighter or when you have to mix and custom create colour formulas, it can be very challenging for a nonprofessional to get your dream hair colour and is not recommended without the expertise and guidance from a professional colourist.", she adds.
Do You Need Texture-Specific Products?
Hair colouring is a booming market, and you'll find hundreds of at-home colouring boxes, each promising shiny, rich colour with little to no damage. Among these is a subset of products that claim to be designed and formulated specifically for textured hair. James explains just what these at-home colours can and cannot do.
"When hair colour products are specifically created for textured hair, it typically means that the formulas have been thoroughly tested on highly textured, curlier hair types. Texture-specific products are developed with certain added ingredients to produce beautiful hair colour and do not alter the curl pattern while still maintaining the hair's health", James explains.
However, it does not mean texture-specific at-home colouring products require less caution than broad-use colour. In fact, there is more of a difference in testing and nuance than in functionality and process.
"At the end of the day, science is science, and hair colour works the same on all hair types when it relates to its main functionality. The difference is that, like with any hair products specifically created for textured hair, our needs and concerns have been considered in the development and testing process and have been met or exceeded. It is unnecessary to look for hair colour products specifically created for colouring textured hair. However, if you are colouring your hair at home and not a professional, it is highly recommended", James adds.
