Oregon Barber Certification Practice Exam

Permanent hair color is characterized by its ability to penetrate the hair shaft and alter the natural pigment on a more lasting basis. This type of hair color typically contains an oxidizing agent, often hydrogen peroxide, which opens the hair cuticle to allow the color to deposit deep into the hair cortex. The process not only changes the hair's color but can also lighten it, providing a broader range of color options.

Oxidative hair color is designed to last until the hair itself grows out or is cut off, leading to less frequent touch-ups compared to semi-permanent or temporary colors, which gradually fade after several washes. Semi-permanent color does not involve a chemical reaction that alters the hair structure in the same way and typically lasts about four to six weeks. Temporary color, on the other hand, coats the hair's surface and can often be washed out after just one or two shampoos.

Natural hair color, while it is the hair's original pigmentation, does not qualify as a type of coloring product, but rather describes the inherent color of an individual’s hair before any artificial alteration occurs. Thus, oxidative hair color represents the type most closely associated with permanence in hair coloring techniques.