Described herein is a method of treating the hair. The method includes applying to the hair a hair treatment composition including one or more fluorescent compounds and rinsing the hair with water. The one or more fluorescent compounds each include a fluorophore, one or two permanent cations, and one to four incipient cations. The incipient cations are pendant to the core structure and are neutral. The one or more fluorescent compounds enter the hair shaft after the hair treatment composition is applied to the hair. The hair treatment composition has a pH of from about 7 to about 11. The pH of the hair after rinsing is from about 3.5 to about 6. The rinsing of the hair causes one or more of the one to four incipient cations to change from neutral to positively charged inside of the hair shaft.
