Semi-Permanent Hair Color

Temporary hair color is more gentle

About.com beauty expert Julyne Derrick recommends that do-it-yourself colorists choose a semi-permanent hair color, especially if you are new to coloring your own hair. That's because these gentle, temporary hair colors wash out, which comes in handy when you don't like the shade.

Semi-permanent hair color works by coating the outside (cuticle) layers of hair with color. They also have some ability to penetrate the cuticle and spread into the cortex underneath. Most temporary hair color gradually fades away over the course of approximately six to 12 shampoos. Using a harsher shampoo will cause them to fade even faster. The other bonus is that these hair colors don't cause as much damage as permanent hair color, and they create shinier-looking hair. Editors at Shape magazine say this is because the ingredients these products use fill in any damaged spots in the hair's cuticle layer.

Unfortunately, temporary hair color is becoming harder and harder to find. In fact, we didn't find many reviews for them at all. Paula Begoun explains that consumers today tend to want more dramatic changes than a semi-permanent hair color can provide. She says they can "make your hair only a little brighter or darker" but they aren't designed to lighten hair.

Clairol Natural Instincts Loving Care (*Est. $6) is one of the few semi-permanent hair-color product lines still available. It comes in 13 shades and users at MakeupAlley.com, for the most part, love that it is gentle -- even on damaged hair. Users at TotalBeauty.com caution that it does not cover gray well. Dark & Lovely Reviving Colors by SoftSheen Carson (*Est. $7) is another semi-permanent hair-color product line that is marketed to African-American women and is available in five shades.

Glazes, on the other hand, have become extremely popular recently. Hair glazes contain slightly less dye than semi-permanent colors and sometimes no dye at all. They can be used to give both natural and color-treated hair a boost of color and shine. With salon glazing costing up to $90 and beyond (although some salons will include it free with hair-coloring service), do-it-yourself glazes have become an instant hit.

Experts at Shape, Flare and Allure praise John Frieda Luminous Color Glaze (*Est. $10), for giving incredible results with very little effort. The glaze has won beauty awards from all three magazines. It comes in five different shades as well as "clear shine", which can be used on any hair color (it doesn't contain any dye). The manufacturer claims that it revives hair that has grown lackluster and dull. Shape magazine says that the product is "packed with strengthening soy proteins to smooth rough cuticles and fortify brittle locks." Editors of TotalBeauty.com, however, say that although Luminous Color Glaze gives incredible shine, it smells horrible and may not be good for those with fine hair. That's because the glaze contains silicones, which may weigh down fine hair. Consumers at TotalBeauty.com tend to agree. While many praise the product for giving them a boost in shine, several complain that it left their hair feeling heavy and greasy. The manufacturer recommends using the product every time you shampoo, but experts advise using it less often, at least to start.