Dull Hair Color?

By naanis naturals
Published 01/26/2008
Hair Colours
Rating: Unrated

naanis naturals

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How Weather and the Elements Effect Your Hair Color

I have had the pleasure of traveling to the islands. I won't bore you with how beautiful the beaches, sand and people were. Or how delicious the food, drinks and men were. I won't even tell you about how nice it was to...lol, just joking.

One of the events that stands out in my mind happened one day while I was lying out on the beach. There was a group of kids playing. A few of them had locks but there was one kid in particular who stood out.

This little boy had free-form Dreadlocks that were probably about 4-6 years old judging by the length...but that wasn't what got me. Although the majority of his hair was a light shade of brown, he had the most beautiful natural blonde highlights.

I always knew that the sun has the power to bleach ones dreadlocks. I mean I've seen so many people with dreads whose locks have gradually changed color overtime (consider naaniMODEL HillaryLynn who's dreads are developing beautiful blonde tips...naturally).

This got me wondering, is it true that the sun bleaches hair or is there something else to this natural lightening?

Does Climate Effect Hair Color?

In general, the primary cause for hair color has to do with genealogy. Our genes determine the amount of melanin production but believe it or not, environmental factors have the ability to change our hair color both physically and chemically.

Is your shampoo PH-balanced? The melanin in our hair can be altered in the presence of acids and alkalis. Where acids tend to darken th

e hair, alkali's lighten it. Because African hair is greatly effected by harsh shampoos, if you don't choose the right brand, chances are, you might be getting something more than clean hair.

Do you sun-bathe? Yeah I know, most black people run from the sun but unless you spend all of your time indoors, it's bound to getcha. UV rays degrade our hair's natural melanin pigment and bleaches the hair fiber. As a result, black or dark brown hair can turn lighter shade of brown...if not blonde. Light brown and blonde hair can get natural highlights or in extreme cases be bleached completely white.

Do you abuse your hair with styling? Although you can't always see it, a healthy hair cuticle is relatively smooth and as a result has a deeper, richer color. If you brush, comb, blow-dry, use chemicals or style your hair, your cuticle is generally rougher than its healthy state.

The rougher your cuticle, the more it reflects and refracts light. So in the sun, your hair may catch rays causing it to appear to have natural highlights. But due to the damage, the color doesn't appear healthy. It's often dull and dry.

Love to swim? There's this rumor going around that salt water helps to lock your hair quicker. In reality, salt-water depletes the hair of moisture, damages it and gives you a rougher Texture. Because dreads love nappiness, it APPEARS to make the hair tighter and as a result, people believe it causes the hair to lock faster. But salt water has a number of other effects...

Swimming in salt water or spritzing your hair with sea salt solutions may effect your hair color. The salts dissolved in the water not only interact with your hair pigment, but it also may effect the physical properties of your hair fibers.

For example, say you're at the beach and forget to rinse the salt water out of your hair with clean water. As the salt dries, it can form crystals within the fiber and cuticle. These foreign bodies effect the structure of your hair fibers and as a result the hair will appear to be weathered, dull and the color lifeless. Unfortunately if the hair reaches these stages, no amount of oil, butter, what have you will give the fibers the sheen, luster and depth of color it once had.

Sooooooooooo yes, climate DOES in fact effect hair color.

On a side note, I'd like to caution those of you who are using or thinking about using salt water on your dreadlocks. Hopefully the information provided here helps you realize that yeah, your hair will be nappier, but it will be damaged too.

Just because your hair is locked, doesn't mean that it's supposed to be unhealthy. Although weathered dreads have character and dignity, it's one thing if that weathering occurs naturally, it's another when it's forced.

Be sure to rinse your hair thoroughly after leaving the beach. Use mild shampoos to cleanse your hair. When you reach maturity, don't underestimate the power of a good conditioning treatment. And finally, if you're going to use a salt water solution on "accelerator" on your locks, be smart and don't spend unnecessary money on something you can get out of your cabinet or better yet, free at the beach.