Patent ID: 7066968

Claim:
A method of coloring and lightening hair to provide more vibrant, natural and long-lasting color with reduced damage comprising carrying out the following sequential steps: (a) contacting said hair with a substantially inactive mixture of oxidative hair dye precursors wherein the rate of oxidation of hair dye precursors/rate of diffusion of hair dye precursors is less than about 1; (b) allowing said mixture to remain in said hair for a period of about 5 minutes to about 60 minutes; (c) contacting said hair with an aqueous developer composition comprising a mixture of a persulfate salt selected from the group consisting of sodium persulfate, potassium persulfate, ammonium persulfate and mixtures thereof, a peroxide, and a basifying compound, wherein the weight ratio of persulfate salt to peroxide is in the range from about 1 to about 4; (d) allowing the composition in step (c) to remain on said hair for a period of about 30 seconds to about 60 minutes.