Some hair care manufacturers offer hair products ranging from shampoo and conditioner to styling products which are designed to enhance any existing color on the hair – whether natural or chemically induced.

(Image of Brilliant Brunette Shine Release Moisturizing Shampoo – Chestnut to Espresso – Available at HairBoutique.com – All Rights Reserved).

Known as “pigmented” they simply contain added hair color or pigment.  Sometimes the products are advertised as “color enhancing” or “color maintaining”.

Pigmented Hair Products – Color Bases

Depending on the current hair color, color pigment products may contain violet shades for white blondes, marigold or yellow shades for golden blondes, brown and red henna for brown or red hair.

Pigmented hair care products are designed to enrich or lengthen the life of current hair color.  Although the use of pigmented shampoo, conditioner and styling products is often used on celebrities to guarantee consistently fabulous hair color results,  the use of color-pigmented hair care products is determined by the actual color.

(Image of John Frieda Radiant Red Color Last Conditioner – Available at HairBoutique.com – all rights reserved).

To maintain a brilliant red, rich brunette or light platinum blonde, pigmented hair products may need to be used three times a week or more.

Color Pigmented Shampoo, Conditioner or Styling Products?

Some hair experts believe it is best to use color pigmented leave-in products such as conditioners, mousses, gels or hair pastes.  Shampoos and rinse out conditioners are thought by some hair professionals to be less effective because the products are rinsed out after each application.  Others swear by the results they achieve with pigmented shampoo and rinse out conditioners.

I personally get great results on my light blonde hair with Bling On Blonde by Paul Mitchell.

Many swear by the results they achieve from JF LazartiqueColour Reflecting Hair Conditioner.

In addition, I have a friend who loves the pigment shampoo by Rene Furterer for brightening and whitening her gray hair.

One option is to use a pigment product which will mix with both shampoo and conditioner as well as styling products which remain on the hair and are not washed out.

Standalone Color Pigment Drops

A primary example of a color pigment line is the Ken Paves Healthy Hair Color Drops which are standalone colors in a range of shades (black, beige, red, brown, honey and platinum) which can be applied to shampoo, rinse out conditioner, leave-in conditioners, mousse or related products as well as gels, pastes and similar products.

Some hair companies specialize in providing a complete pigment enriched line like Goldwell.

When the color pigment is a separate component the user can decide whether to use the color pigmentation on all hair products or just one or two.

Knowing What Pigmented Hair Products To Buy

For some hair consumers, pigmented shampoos work great.  Others prefer the results of rinse out conditioners while yet others prefer pigmentation added to their styling products.

If you’re unsure which of the many different brands might work best for your colored hair, talk to your professional hair colorist for recommendations. Sometimes your professional hair colorist will recommend you use the same brand of pigmented shampoo, conditioners or related products as the hair color used on your hair to maintain color integrity.

Also, be willing to experiment to determine what works best for you, your hair color and your hair type and texture.

Keep in mind that some pigmented products may be drying to hair and should only be used irregularly.  If you notice the use of a pigmented product to cause your hair to feel more dry, back off and give your hair time to equalize.  Another option, if you’re using pigmented shampoo, is to experiment with diluting it with lukewarm water before applying to your hair.

(American Crew Classic Gray Shampoo available at HairBoutique.com in the Marketplace – all rights reserved).

Finally, you may have better results when combining a pigment product such as the Ken Paves Color Drops with a more moisturizing product such as a leave-in conditioner which would be less drying.

Pigmented Dry Shampoo Products

Even some dry shampoo product lines are available in a variety of pigments which may have a slight color enhancing effect even though the powder is ultimately brushed out.

Pigmented Waxes

Hair waxes, especially those used on dreadlock styles are available in light and darkly pigmented waves.  This helps to enrich color while protecting the hairstyle in question.  Knotty Boy is famous for their light and dark Dreadlock Wax and related products.

(Image of KnottyBoy Dread Wax For Medium To Dark Hair – Available at HairBoutique.com – All Rights Reserved).

Possible Dangers With Color Pigmented Products

In some cases when hair is overly porous or chemically damaged the use of pigmented shampoo or similar hair products may cause staining.

This is not a common experience but it can happen in some situations.  If your hair is chemically damaged, doesn’t respond well to color in general or is porous then discuss the use of pigmented hair products with your hairdresser before making a serious commitment to pigmented products.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 at 10:40 pm and is filed under Brunette Hair Color, Dreadlocks, Hair Color. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.