Health and beauty: colour to dye for
Ithought I was getting away with just a smattering of grey hairs – nothing to worry about, certainly not worth cracking open the hair dye for... until a culmination of unflattering Facebook tags and a blatant comment from a friend: “You’re looking awfully grey?” sent me sprinting to Charlie Miller’s to reclaim my youth.
I was reluctant to expose my poor barnet to an onslaught of chemicals, however, as I was nervous about how much abuse my already artificially enhanced locks would take before rebelling.
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Hide AdSo when I heard about Inoa, an ammonia-free permanent hair dye which makers L’Oreal claim will cover all grey, I was excited to give it a try.
At the salon, my stylist Steven presented me with a book of colour swatches and helped me pick out a hue that was close to my natural tone – a dark “ashy” brown. I was adamant that I didn’t want to have a reddish or plummy cast to my hair and I was relieved that he took my request seriously (I’ve been burned in the past). If I had been keen on becoming a fiery redhead, however, I would have been spoiled for choice – there were many and various shades of that hue and Steven mentioned that the Inoa reds are particularly effective and vibrant.
After application, the dye was left on my hair for a total of 40 minutes; 20 on the roots, before being brushed through and left on for a further 20 minutes. Then the product was shampooed off three times. As Inoa is oil-based, it takes quite a bit of rinsing off. I was pleased to have my post-dye treatment courtesy of Kerastase – one of the more luxurious and expensive lines, of which my hair is a fan.
Interestingly, a spot of Google detective work unearthed some controversy over the claims that Inoa contains no ammonia. According to disgruntled beauty bloggers, ammonia hydroxy is one of the ingredients clearly labelled on the back of the packaging of the product which proudly claims to be “ammonia free” on the front. All very confusing. All I know is that it certainly didn’t have the tell-tale eggy reek that usually accompanies a traditional permanent hair-dye, and there was none of the itchiness or discomfort of the scalp that I’ve experienced in the past.
Two weeks on and three washes later, my hair still feels soft and strong, styles well and is shiny. The colour is a richer, deeper version of my own and my grey is only visible under very strong sunlight, and even then has the appearance of expensive, subtle highlights. I reckon I look five (ten would be pushing it) years younger.
Inoa tint, from £57- £73 (depending on the stylist and the thickness of your hair)
MERCY BREHENY
Charlie Miller, 2 Colinton Road, Edinburgh (0131-447 0099, www.charliemiller.com)