Hair health is influenced by many factors, but one of the most crucial and often overlooked is pH balance. Professional stylists especially understand how pH affects the structure, strength, and the overall condition of the hair can help your make more informed choices about haircare products. This article explores the importance of pH in hair health, factors that negatively impact it, and how professional salon brands, particularly REF Haircare, can help restore balance for optimal hair condition.
Understanding pH and Its Role in Hair Health
pH, which stands for "potential of hydrogen," is a scale used to measure how acidic or alkaline a substance is. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Anything below 7 is acidic, while anything above is alkaline.
Hair and scalp have a natural pH ranging between 4.5 and 5.5, which is slightly acidic. This acidity is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the hair cuticle (the outermost protective layer of the hair shaft) and ensuring that the scalp remains healthy and free from bacterial or fungal infections. We refer to this as the 'acid mantle'.
When the pH level is balanced:
- The hair cuticle remains closed, making hair smoother, shinier, and less prone to damage. The hair feels smoother and is easy to comb.
- The scalp produces the right amount of sebum, preventing dryness and excessive oiliness. A healthy scalp is free of flakiness, oily build up, 'puckering' or flushing.
- Hair retains moisture, reducing frizz and breakage.
Factors That Negatively Affect Hair pH
Several environmental and lifestyle factors can disrupt the natural pH balance of hair, leading to dryness, breakage, dullness, and even scalp issues like dandruff or irritation. Here are some of the primary culprits:
1. Harsh Shampoos and Hair Products
Many conventional shampoos and hair products contain sulfates, parabens, and other harsh detergents that strip the hair of its natural oils. These products are often highly alkaline (with pH levels above 7), leading to a raised cuticle, which makes hair prone to moisture loss and damage. Most very cheap soap based shampoos fall into this category.
2. Chemical Treatments
Chemical treatments such as colouring, bleaching, perming, and relaxing alter the hair’s pH significantly. Most hair dyes and bleach have an alkaline pH to lift the cuticle and allow colour penetration. Without proper post-treatment care, the hair can remain in a compromised state of high alkalinity, leading to brittleness and hair breakage.
3. Hard Water
Water with high mineral content, also known as hard water, is another major contributor to pH imbalance. Hard water is alkaline and can leave deposits on the hair, leading to dullness, buildup, and rough texture.
4. Heat Styling
Excessive use of heat styling tools like blow dryers, flat irons, and curling wands can disturb the hair’s pH by evaporating moisture and damaging the cuticle layer, making hair appear frizzy and dehydrated.
5. Environmental Factors
Exposure to pollution, UV radiation, and wind can also negatively impact hair pH by breaking down the protective barrier of the cuticle and leading to increased porosity and dryness. In Australia we all experience extreme weather conditions that adversely affect hair quality. It's an unfortunate fact that due to our high UV our hair colours fade faster here than they do in the Northern Hemisphere.
How Hair Colouring and Bleaching Affect pH Balance
One of the most common chemical processes that significantly disrupt hair pH is hair colouring and bleaching. Both processes involve chemical reactions that alter the natural state of the hair to achieve lighter colours. However, they also pose challenges that can lead to long-term damage if not properly managed both in-salon and at home.
The pH of Hair Colour and Bleach
Hair dyes and bleach are formulated with a high pH, often ranging between 8 and 11. This alkalinity is necessary to open the hair cuticle, allowing colour molecules or lightening agents to penetrate the cortex (the inner layer of the hair shaft) where they do their magic. While this is essential for the colouring process, it also leaves hair vulnerable to damage.
How Bleaching Affects Hair Health
Bleaching is a more aggressive chemical process than standard hair colouring. It works by removing the natural pigment (melanin) from the hair shaft through oxidation, using ingredients like hydrogen peroxide and ammonia. This process:
- Raises the cuticle significantly, making hair more porous and prone to moisture loss.
- Weakens the protein structure of hair, leading to breakage and elasticity issues.
- Leaves hair more susceptible to environmental damage, such as UV exposure and pollution.
- Can cause scalp irritation, dryness, and sensitivity due to its high pH.
The Impact of Permanent and Semi-Permanent Hair Colour
Permanent hair colour also affects hair pH by lifting the cuticle and depositing new pigments inside the cortex. Unlike bleach, permanent dyes add colour rather than remove it, but they still involve an alkaline formula to facilitate this process. If not properly neutralised, the cuticle may remain open, resulting in:
- Increased dryness and rough texture.
- Fading of colour due to moisture loss.
- Weak, brittle strands that break easily.
Semi-permanent and demi-permanent colours, on the other hand, have a lower pH than permanent dyes and do not require cuticle lifting to the same extent. However, frequent use can still affect overall hair health.
How to Restore pH After Colouring or Bleaching
To counteract the alkaline nature of hair colouring and bleaching, it is essential to use products that help restore the hair’s natural acidity. REF Haircare offers pH-balanced solutions specifically designed to repair chemically treated hair and maintain colour vibrancy.
Recommended Products:
- REF Illuminate Colour Shampoo & Conditioner – Formulated to maintain colour vibrancy while keeping hair’s pH in balance with a pH of 5.5
- REF Ultimate Repair Shampoo & Conditioner - Protein strengthening, hand-selected natural extracts soften and smooth, while providing illuminating brilliance and colour protection with a pH of 5.5
- REF Intense Hydrate Masque – Provides deep hydration to replenish lost moisture and strengthen bleached or colour-treated hair. The Hydrate range has a pH 3.5
- REF Leave-in Treatment – Helps to seal the cuticle, smooth frizz, and protect against further pH disruptions.
- REF Heat Protection Spray – Essential for maintaining moisture and preventing additional heat damage post-colouring.
By incorporating pH-balanced, professional-grade haircare products, your can maintain vibrant, healthy, and strong hair even after undergoing chemical treatments.
Correcting pH with Professional Salon Haircare Brands
To counteract these damaging effects, it is essential to use professional salon haircare products formulated to maintain and restore the natural pH of hair. One brand that excels in providing pH-balanced products is REF Haircare. REF, which stands for "Reference of Sweden," is a professional haircare line known for its high-quality, plant-based, sulphate and paraben free and pH-balanced formulas. With a strong focus on science and nature REF is the professionals choice for haelthy pH balanced hair care.
