PROCESS FOR COLORING HAIR WITH AMINOALKYL OR AMINOHYDROXYALKYL CATECHOL COMPOSITIONS

摘要

This specification discloses an improved process for dyeing hair on the human scalp or head that utilizes certain aminoalkyl or aminohydroxy alkyl catechols as the essentially sole chromogenic agent with or without color modifiers such as phenylenediamines, nitrobenzenes or similarly used direct dyeing agents common in the art of coloring the hair. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of certain metal ions as catalytic agents for an efficient in situ conversion of said chromogenic agent to melanin-like, durable dyes, whereby certain deficiencies in the procedures previously reported are markedly reduced. The aminoalkyl- or aminohydroxyalkyl catechols that are useful for the purposes of this invention are more particularly described by the formula wherein (1) R1 is H or OH; (2) R2 is H or alkyl; and (3) n is 0 or 1. When R2 is alkyl, it is preferably, a lower alkyl radical having from 1 to about 4 or 6 carbon atoms.