Brassy hair

Hair can become brassy due to several factors, primarily related to how the hair's color pigments interact with the environment and the dye itself.

Underlying pigment: Hair, especially darker shades, contains natural pigments like red, orange, and yellow. When you lighten your hair, either through bleaching or dyeing, these pigments are exposed. As toner or dye fades, the natural undertones begin to show through, making the color look brassy.

Oxidation: Sunlight, air pollution, and even water can cause oxidation, where the color molecules in your hair dye break down, leading to a change in color. This often manifests as a yellow, orange, or red tint, which we perceive as brassiness.

Chlorine & hard water: Chlorine from swimming pools and minerals in hard water can interact with dyed hair, causing it to turn brassy. These elements can cause the hair color to oxidize or deposit unwanted minerals onto the hair.

Hair products: Certain shampoos, conditioners, and styling products can build up on the hair over time.

Incorrect product use: Using shampoos or conditioners not designed for color-treated hair, or using those with sulfates, can strip the dye from your hair, revealing the underlying warm tones.

Ineffective maintenance: Using too much heat, washing your hair too frequently, especially with hot water, can cause color to fade faster, leading to the exposure of underlying brassy tones.

To manage brassiness, it's important to use products designed for color-treated hair, protect your hair from environmental factors that contribute to oxidation. My personal favourites are the Color Wow products.