Answer to Question #118065 in Genetics for Lena Rokke

Question

Describe how the natural pigment within the hair affects the choice of colour and the colouring products and the possible need to pre-lighten

Answer 1

Our natural hair colour depends on melanin pigments contained within the cortex of the hair.

There are two main melanin pigments found in human hair – eumelanin and pheomelanin. They blend together in various amounts and proportions to form all the hair colours that we see.

• Eumelanin provides black and brown pigments and determines how dark hair is. When more of this pigment is present in someone’s hair, it gives the overall hair colour a cool look, like ash. Eumelanin pigments consist of all the three primary colours: blue, red and yellow.
• Pheomelanin provides red and yellow pigments. This gives rise to warmer colours in someone’s hair, like auburn, strawberry or gold.