Kay’s Question:
Can women use Just For Men hair dye? Is their claim that it only colors grey hair true? And if it is, how is it possible?
The Right Brain’s Colorful Response:
Yes, Kay, women can use Just For Men hair dye. In fact, you might already be using that kind of hair color and not even know it! Sort of. Let me explain. First a quick bit of background:
Background Fact #1:
Your natural hair color comes from a natural pigment in your hair called melanin. There are two basic types of melanin and they can be combined to form all the different hair colors from blonde to red to brown to black. If you have no melanin your hair has no pigment so it looks grey.
Background Fact #2:
Most hair permanent hair colors (the kind women usually use) work in two stages. First they use a bleach-like chemical to destroy the melanin that ‘s naturally present in your hair so it becomes lighter. Second, they add other chemical pigments that make your hair a different color. With this type of product ALL your hair gets a dose of color.
Background Fact #3:
Some hair colors, (like Just For Men, Clairol’s Loving Care, and L’Oreal Natural Match, to name a few) do NOT use this two stage bleaching process. They use a single stage process that does not lighten you hair – it only adds dye on top of your existing natural hair color. So if you have a mixture of grey hairs and dark hairs, the grey hairs will pick up the new color but the dark hairs won’t. That’s how Just For Men can say that they only work on grey hair. Get it?
The Brain‘s Bottom Line:
Yes Just For Men’s claim that it only works on grey hair is true and, yes, women can use Just For Men hair color. In fact, many hair coloring products for women use the same type of coloring technology. But many women prefer to dramatically change their natural color and that requires using a product that employs a two step bleaching process.
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
I have beginning grey at top front of hairline — no grey at sides or back — would like to hear from a woman who has used Just for Men –
Thank you.
just for men hair color is a metallic dye that forms a chemical/mineral build-up on the hair that with time “rusts” on the gray hair, camoflauging gray, which is why it works gradually….it is NOT the same as a deposit only hair color! if you switch from a metallic dye like just for men, onto a regular haircolor…including professional, there is a very very high risk of having a chemical reaction and the hair breaking off!
Interesting notion Preston. Can you provide any proof for what you are saying?
I have dark hair and was wondering if Just for Men would work to lighten the few gray hairs I see. But I also (2 years ago) Hydrogen Peroxided the tops of my hair to lighten it. Probably a year ago I colored my hair back to my normal hair color, and as time wears on (even with permanent hair color) it starts to fade and you can see the highlighted hair a little half way down my head of hair. My odd question is this: would Just for Men darken this Hydrogen Peroxide lightened hair? (Personally, that would be great for me, I want to get rid of that old lightening job I did forever ago).
Just for men DOES cover your existing non grey hair too..trust me ive been using the stuff for about 4 yrs now and ive got quite short thick hair and i dye it with ash brown JFM. I have a hard time covering it for a start as i need usuallt o go over it 2-3 times just to get reasonable coverage,this may be to do with the thickness of my hair making it less pourous. I normally have to touch up every 7-10 dys as the roots come through very quickly..your putting dye ontop of dye and your hair gets darker..i find this soul destroying at times and have considered just stopping. Im trying grey hair tablets and the mag-gr whic claims to reverse grey hair in time. I think womens dyes are better than JFM.
You really shoud research JFM and blog for mens opinion. this is a very dangerous product the majority of men have ahad a reaction to PPD A 80% dissaproval rate and thousands of men wanting to start a class action against JFM…..DO NOT USE
@Brian – could you direct us to your evidence of an 80% dissaproval rate?
The comment about Just For Men being a metallic dye is just stupid. There is only one – ONE – product on the market that uses a metal as the dye and that’s the ORIGINAL Grecian Formula – it has a clear warning/statement that it contains lead – US law requires any metallic dye to contain such a warning. The idea that supermarket ‘box’ dyes are metallic dyes is one of the dumbest and most pervasive lies in the beauty industry. Cosmetologists will even claim that Clairol’s Sun-In is a metallic dye, which is another outright lie. Metallic dyes disappeared from the market in the 60′s, and except for the original Grecian Formula, simply don’t exist anymore. The ‘metallic dye’ myth has to die – it’s just plain sickening that so many people still believe and spread that untruth.
There’s nothing wrong with PPD – there’s simply no true replacement for it in the oxidative color world – no other organic dye performs as well as PPD or is as versatile. (yes, PPD is 100% Organic!) While PPD can be sensitizing to some people, many of the replacement dyes are even more sensitizing – but modern dyes are made so that the sensitizing Bandrowski’s Base “background” color isn’t created during the color oxidation. The background color of the dye base is generated differently – and some dyes, like Logics Colorcremes, don’t have any background color in them at all – they are pure-toned (they have no brown, tan or gray background color). For those afraid of having a reaction to oxidative color, you can use a Chloride Peroxide rinse that will completely neutralize any dye reactions, even weeks after coloring. The formula is:
Sodium Chloride (non-iodized table salt): 150 grams
Hydrogen Peroxide – 20Vol: 50ml
Water: 1000 ml
rinse it through the hair after the color has been rinsed out, let it sit for 3 min, then rinse again and it will stop allergic reactions, neutralize the dyes, perfect the oxidation and facilitate elimination of dyes that were not rinsed out completely.
have you heard of TopCare mens shampoo-in haircolor?if so,can you tell me if its safe for a woman to use.i have black hair with some grey hair at the crown.the color will match mine.
I used Just For Men hair color and as a result have developed Vitiligo, Yes there is a warning in the instuctions, But who really thinks they will get an uncurable skin disease useing hair coloring. This product should NOT
be on the market. I wish to god I had never used it. There should be a class action lawsuit on this company.
Hi: I have used JFM to color a moustache. It worked well before when I had a moustache, but it does require recolouring approximately every two to three days. It depends on how fast your beard grows. BUT, I have grown a moustache again and again used JFM. This time it is causing a skin reaction. The skin burns, is itchy, and scabby. I am searching for a product that is not so harmful. I don’t care if it takes longer than five minutes to use. The patch test did not create a problem on my chest, it was only when applied to my face.
Soooooo, you’re saying I shouldn’t use JFM to put lowlights in my hair??
Seemed kinda freespirited to me, but I guess I don’t want a skin problem. Yikes. Sorry about that.
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Gotta love that left brain douche Can you provide evidence this and that xD Left brain Can you provide evidence that you are not a douche?
I have long used JFM on my eyebrows (very carefully) because tiny batches can be mixed at a time and the little brush is a useful applicator. When I began to get grey hair along my hairline I started using a little JFM there, too, and it works beautifully although it does not cover grey completely. I’m fine with that. It is not permanent and fades so there is no root issue.
I’m sorry but I must respectfully disagree with Disclord. Back in to mid 1990′s when my grey first started to appear I checked out a box of Just for Men and distinctly remember reading that one of the ingredients was LEAD. It was plainly stated on the box. I remember thinking to myself, why would anyone deliberatly put something on their body that contained Lead. Anyway I put down the box and never thought much about it. Then, last week I picked up a box of Just for Men and checked out the ingredients, Voila, no more Lead. I appreciate this blog because now I understand. Metallic Dye… Honestly, I don’t know the first thing about this stuff. I’m just a guy throwing in his two cents. No proof, just the memory.
Years ago, there used to be a product on the market called Just for Women. Seem to recall a former Good Morning America newscaster had been their spokesperson. Don’t know why they took it off the market.
Watch out folks. Started using JFM last summer – once per month, and developed Vitilligo. JFM co. is paying for dermatologist treatments etc, so they know there is a problem.
@Affected: I’m sorry to hear your experience and I hope you get it resolved soon! Just be careful about assuming there’s a connection between the hair dye and Vitilligo just because JFM is paying for your treatment. They may just figure it’s cheaper to pay you off this way rather than going to court. Write back and let us know how it turns out.
@thebeauty:
Thanks for the kind words. Their box now warns about Vitilligo. I don’t believe it did back when I started using it last summer. I could be wrong about that, but clearly they know about a connection now.
@Affected: wow! We’ll have to look into that. Thanks for sharing your experience so others can learn.
I agree with Preston, and believe this article is misleading. Single-process hair color which only deposits dye is NOT the same as Just For Men, which is a metallic dye, unless they have dramatically changed the formula. And single-process hair color WILL deposit color on all your hair, not just grey or white hair – it just won’t lighten your hair. Metallic dyes are known to be dangerous and it is not surprising that there may be a link between Just for Men and vitiligo.
I just stared using just for men & I am women. This is my 3 time using it.
After reading all these remarks I am now wondering if I have to continue to use this product. I like this product because it gives me a good coverage for my gray (I do touch ups) & it takes only few minuts .
What is Vittiligo?
Vitiligo is a condition that causes white, unpigmented, patches on your skin.
Please see the problems documented with Just For Men before deciding to use the product.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/cosmetics/just_for_men.html
I did the patch test and had no issues. I then proceeded to colour grey hair and now have redness, hives, unbearable itching that wakes me up where the dye was applied. Benadryl does not seem to help.
I truly would look for another product. If you insist on using Just For Men, then I would do more than one patch test and try it on some skin areas that are more sensitive. I agree that this product should come off the market.
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