This blog is a longy but a goody!
Recently we have had an influx of clients booking in for a complete colour change. As stylists we rub our hands together with glee, at WWW.Comb we like nothing more than a complete transformation! However to go from a dark mahogany coloured hair to a gorgeous honey dark blond is a process. A dramatic colour change is something we do carefully and take our time over. We have also had a similar amount of people through the door, who have had a bash at doing this at home with some extraordinary results and not in a good way! At this point I want to make it clear that if you’ve had a hair mishap absolutely come and see us. We are a friendly bunch and we won’t be smug or stand in judgement of you. Genuinely and sincerely we are here to help. Pop in and ask us for advice we don’t mind.
Sometimes I’m in Boots or Superdrug and walk past the confused ladies looking at the box colours and I don’t blame them. On that box will be standard information for the masses and that little box has no way of knowing what your hair texture and current colour is. Some of you out there are pretty savvy and with youtube demos and forums galore on the internet we realise information comes from all over the place. However these too have pitfalls because that info will be from a person demoing on their own hair which might be totally different from yours or just like that box colour very general.
Here is the process of turning a mahogany/ruby red head to a subtle light brown with golden highlights on our client Demi. Emma is the Stylist.
Demi’s has been colouring her hair with a dark red colour for years. Her hair at the root is dark brown. Her hair underneath the dark red is not dark because it has been colour processed and permanent colour lightens the hair before it deposits the new shade in the cortex. Firstly we need to colour clean the hair and remove the artificial colour pigment. We also need to lift the hair lighter to then give it the light brown or dark blond tone Demi wanted.
Step 1 – consultation. We assess the hair texture and condition and ask about the colours the client has been using before or if it’s previously been done in a salon. It’s good to know what type of colour build up there is. We generally know but no harm in asking.
Step 2 – We professional colour clean the hair with our colour remover. This isn’t code for bleach bath!
Now some of you have read on the internet that you can remove colour yourself and more people have been using the product you can buy at the chemist.
The colour remover product also eludes that you’ll hair will be a lovely natural shade underneath. It’s unlikely. It usually will leave a patchy result and sometimes doesn’t work in a single attempt but you’re not to know that. We’ve also heard about colour pigments oxidising again as not all the product has washed out once the next colour is put on. It can also leave a patchy result as you’ll possibly have more build up on the ends than the roots and lastly we’ve seen ladies that have removed the colour pigments from their hair but in the process their virgin (natural) roots have gone bright ginger.
We have had a few people in who haven’t realised how fierce this product can be and they’ve experienced breakage. Thinking they can leave it on a long time to get a better result. We’ve had to chop inches off the hair. I’m not scare mongering just being truthful, sorry. At the Salon we check carefully how the product is progressing on the hair and don’t leave it it on longer than necessary. We can also tailor the strength to the job at hand.
For Demi there is significant colour build up and it takes a couple of applications to get an even base and blank canvas to put our new colour on. As you can see (just about in reflection) we have left Demi’s roots untouched.
Step 3 – The hair is dried, applied foils and our all over tone. To create a beautiful subtle multi-tonal look.
Step 4- wash and deep conditioning treatment as Demi’s hair has been put through it’s paces!
Ta dah The finished result. Light brown or dark blonde with natural looking highlights. Both Demi and Emma are chuffed to bits!
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