Demi Vs. Permanent, What’s the Difference?

Demi-Permanent vs Permanent Color

Have you ever been confused about the difference? No worries, as a licensed cosmetologist it took me years to comprehend this topic.

Permanent hair color has long been used for solid grey coverage. Demi- Permanent colors are used to create a different tone or add richenss to the hair.

Permanent color is like Jeans, you can not see anything through them. Demi- Permanent color is like pantyhose, you get some coverage but can still see through.

If you are a grey-coverage client, it’s important to know you have options!

-When you choose permanent color, you get solid 100% coverage. This means you won’t see grey until your new growth begins to show. This can be a strong contrast if you are naturally white, grey now and are coloring your hair much darker. It can also be a challenge to lift the artificial color back out in the future to highlight through. If you prefer a darker root with light ends you may always be stuck with warmer tones. This is because permanent color permanently shifts the hair strand. Even if your color “fades off” those color molecules still sit within the center of the hair strands.

-When you chose Demi-permanent color, you get translucent, sheer coverage. This means that your natural dimension in the hair will remain. Your greys will shift to match the tone of the color being used. So, if you’re partially or even 100% grey you will have hair that appears more dimensional. In this scenario, if you prefer a darker root with lighter ends you can lift through this pigment much easier to achieve the desired lightness on your ends. You will also notice a softer transition as your greys grow out. This is because you can still see the previous grey as a “highlight” that continues into the new grey.

Imagine an inground pool, there is a clearly defined line where water and concrete meet. Now imagine the beach, as the waves roll in on the sand you will never be able to find the exact point that water ends, and sand begins. This is how P vs DM works.

Below Images: 1 & 2 are the guest’s hair as she arrives for her 5-week touchup. We use Demi Permanent only for her. 3-4 are her hair after we’ve colored it, before blow drying. 5 & 6 are her hair dried after the service. You can see when you peek under the hair, dimension still exists. She also has not had her hair highlighted in over a year. Because her hair has translucent color on it, it’s free to shift more naturally in the sun. We will add highlights if she begins to feel dark but in the meantime, this is pretty low maintenance.

So now that you know the difference what would you choose? Do you have questions? Comment Below.