How to Use Ion Permanent Color? [A Comprehensive Guide]

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Ion Color Brilliance Permanent Color, more often called Ion permanent color, is a cream or liquid product that uses advanced ionic technology to give hair colors.

There are many colors for you to pick from, including high-life shades that can lift your hair up to 5 levels without bleach. It has hyaluronic acid, argan oil, and pequi oil, so it is a less-damaging alternative in the hair-coloring realm.

You use it with a developer. Below, we will walk you through how to use Ion permanent color, so you won’t have to do any guesswork.

How to Use Ion Permanent Color

Examples of Ion permanent color creams

The materials you will need:

Ion permanent hair color cream or liquid
A mixing bowl
A mixing brush
A pair of disposable gloves
At least four hair clips
An old towel or shirt

Note: If you get the Ion permanent hair color kit, it will come with a mixing bowl, brush, squeezy bottle, and disposable gloves. Then, you just need to grab some hair clips and a towel or shirt that you do not might staining.

Once you have everything ready, move on to the next section.

Dye your hair with Ion permanent color in 10 simple steps

The Ion permanent hair color instructions you will need to follow:

Put on disposable gloves and cover yourself with an old towel or wear an old tee.
Take the Ion stain barrier cream, uncap it, and squeeze a dollop onto your finger.
Grab the Ion pre-color treatment spray and spray it all over your hair.
Read and follow the mixing instructions on your product’s packaging closely. The mixing ratios will vary from product to product.

Tip: If you are using the Ion permanent color cream, prep it in a bowl with a brush. If the product you are using is the Ion permanent color liquid, use a bottle applicator.

Apply the Ion color product to your grays first. Make sure you apply it thoroughly and evenly.
If you do not have grays, start applying from the mid-section. Afterward, go back up to the root to apply the color.

This might sound “out of order,” but there is a reason why we recommend this. If you coat the roots first, you can get “hot roots.” The roots develop more, and you will end up with warm, orange-ish roots.

You can comb through your hair as you apply it to help with distribution, making sure that all hair strands are coated.
Set a timer on your phone. The packaging should indicate the processing time. In general, though, coarse and gray hair will take about 30 minutes (longer than fine and dry or permed hair).
Step into the shower and rinse your hair. Just stop when the water runs clear.
Dry your hair as you normally would. You are now free to show off your new hair!

Boast your new colored hair to the world

Note: If you have excess color and want to wash it out, you just need to head into the shower, wash it off as you normally would with shampoo and follow up with a conditioner.

Other Things You Should Remember to Do

Do Not Forget to Do a Patch Test

You must try the dye before pursuing the rest of the Ion color brilliance directions. It is essential to check your skin and scalp for allergic reactions. Here is how to do the test:

Circle a small area on the bend of your elbow or behind the ears. The area should be about 2.54 centimeters. Wash it and dry it with a fresh towel.
Use a cotton pad to pick up and lay a bit of the color product onto the area.
Leave the spot to dry. You do not need to cover it.
Wait for 48 hours and check back on it at 24 hours and 48 hours.
Proceed to color if you observe no reactions.

If you encounter irritation, like itching, burning, or swelling, do not continue to use it.

Do a patch test to make sure your body is perfectly fine with Ion Permanent Color

Do Not Forget to Do a Strand Test Too

Simply spread a small amount of the product on some hair strands. Let it sit and process for 20 to 40 minutes (the specific duration depends on your desired level of intensity).

Afterward, rinse the strands and take note of the results. See if the color outcomes meet your expectations.

Benefits of Using Ion Permanent Color

You can get amazing results with just a single application. There is no need to do several applications like semi-permanent hair colors.
You can maintain the color of your hair for a longer amount of time. It will take a while before you have to color your hair again. Unlike semi-permanent hair color that fades within a few weeks, Ion permanent color can last up to 2 months.
You will not dry out your hair. Your hair will not fall limp or shed as it would with a semi-permanent hair color. So, your hair is pretty on the inside and outside! You will not have to spend extra time, effort, and money on recovering the health of your hair.

Related:

Tips to Take Care of Ion Permanent Hair

Do Not Wash Your Hair

You leave abrasions on your scalp whenever you wash your hair, potentially making the dyeing process painful. Plus, washing your hair right before applying hair color to it robs its natural oils, which are meant to be there to serve as added protection.

Case in point: Do NOT wash your hair before you color it with Ion permanent hair color!

Brush Your Hair Out

If you try to dye your hair while it is all messed up and tangled, you will encounter weird spottings, patches, and in general, unevenness.

When this happens, you will have to spend even more time, effort, and money to correct it. So, run a comb or brush through your hair before you start applying any dye. Be sure to check that there are no tangles left!

Don’t forget to brush your hair

Check That Your Hair is Dry

You should be putting Ion permanent color on dry hair, not wet hair as the water in your hair will just dilute your dye formula. Use a fresh towel to thoroughly dry your hair, and sit in front of a fan to shorten the drying process.

Section Your Hair

To prep your hair for the coloring process, section it after ensuring it is tangle-free. You should part your hair in the middle and all the way back to your neck’s nape to get your first two sections. Then, find the highest point of your head (the apex), making a section from there to behind the ears. You should end up with four sections of hair in total.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How to pick the right developer to use with Ion permanent hair color?

There are four types of developers: 10-, 20-, 30-, and 40-volume.

10-Volume Developer: You should go with this type when you have any hair color and want to go darker and are not seeking to cover grays.
20-Volume Developer: if you want your hair to be darker and simultaneously hide your grays, you can choose this type of developer.
30- & 40-Volume Developers: These are typically used for high-lift colors, which are colors that lift many levels (if you have natural hair).

Note: If you do not have natural hair (aka. your hair has been colored before), you should use bleach. You can also use bleach if you want an extra maxed-out color.

Do you shampoo after applying Ion permanent color?

You can shampoo after dyeing your hair with Ion permanent color, but it is best to wait at least 72 hours. Why? Because your hair’s cuticles take several days to close up, sealing in the colors. If you wash it too early, you risk draining out the colors.

When you do shampoo, keep these two tips in mind:

You should use lukewarm water instead of cold water. Cold water sounds like a good idea, but it can actually leave an unintended consequence: shock your hair! Your hair has just expanded, “slapping” it with cold water can shock it and result in breakage. So, it is best to use lukewarm water.
You should not scrub your scalp. Do not dig your nails into your scalp harshly to rinse the scalp. Be gentle; just use the soft top part of your fingers. After applying color, your scalp is still fragile, so you need to pamper it more.
You should use a conditioner after washing your hair. Following up with a conditioner after shampooing can provide your hair with moisture. This, in turn, helps nourish it. As a result, your hair stays happy and healthy.

Does Ion permanent hair dye fade?

Even though it is called “permanent,” this Ion hair dye fades eventually. If you wash your hair every often, it will actually start to lose its vibrancy in several weeks.

The color will also fade if you do not take care of it properly with the right products. That being said, if you do everything right, you can expect to go 6 to 8 weeks before having to touch up on it.

Conclusion

And that’s all about how to use Ion permanent color. If you have picked up a permanent color for yourself, you can now confidently transform your hair with it! Let us know how it goes in the comments down below.