You use a map to modulate, i.e. create variation. Whether or not you wanted modulation in the shine would determine why you plug in a map. If there is a reason to have some hairs be more shiny than others, or shine with a different color, then use a map.

If you're just trying to decrease the intensity of the shine, you put a darker color into it.

These colors are numbers, one per channel. Putting a shade of gray simply means that you're putting the same number in all three channels. If you want less blue in the shine, you lower the blue. If you want less of everything in the shine, you lower all three.

When you want to raise, you raise the numbers. But you cannot enter bigger than 255, right?

OK then insert an HSV node, and use the Value parameter - easy to enter any number from .00001 to 999439843983948398. And the HSV node has a place to plug in a texture if you need modulation as well.

In general, any time you need a color "amplifier" with total freedom to alter the level, insert the HSV node into the chain.

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Renderosity forum reply notifications are wonky. If I read a follow-up in a thread, but I don't myself reply, then notifications no longer happen AT ALL on that thread. So if I seem to be ignoring a question, that's why. (Updated September 23, 2019)