Friday, October 3, 2014

Turning over from the dark side




As a professional, it's my job to tell you what is realistic about your expectations for your hair. Even though we want instant gratification when we want to make a drastic change, it doesn't work out that way. Making a big change doesn't always take a two hour appointment in a salon and then you are set for the next few months. Most clients think all it takes is to throw on some color onto what you previously had. Trust me, I wish my job was that easy. Every now and then, I get that client. She's that client who has been coloring her hair black for 3 years and then expects me to make her a sun-kissed blonde within an hour. No, that's not how it goes. It's a process, a time consuming process that you should be prepared for. 


1. Color does NOT remove color
                   Many clients think that after they have been coloring their hair dark, all it takes is to throw on a tube of the desired color they have been hoping for. This is not the way to do it. Color does not remove and lift already colored hair. The colored part of the hair must be treated with a lightener or bleach in order to remove. 


2. You have buildup
                    Having dark hair for a consecutive amount of time probably means you have a significant amount of color buildup. When the color is dense like that, it can be time consuming to break up all of the buildup with a lightener. Sometimes it takes 15 minutes before the color even looks like its starting to budge. When it finally starts to budge, the colorist has to make sure the color is lifting out evenly. This will ensure that there will be no bands and unevenness in the process. 


3. Your hair WILL pull up red or orange 
                    I understand that we all hate red or any other warm tones in our hair and expect to go lighter without the visibility of any of these colors. I really wish I could do that for you but, unfortunately, I don't have the power to reinvent the color wheel. Each level of color contains an underlying pigment. Anything from medium brown to black has an underlying pigment of red. Anything from light brown to blonde is red-orange, orange or yellow. When lifting a client who has dark brown hair, the red underlying pigment will be exposed and it will go through each color phase until to desired lightness is achieved.   


4. It can be damaging and drying 
                   Going from dark to light shouldn't always be done in just one appointment. Putting bleach/lightener on someones hair and stripping the color out can be very damaging. It can weaken the hair, causing breakage and severe dryness. Doing it gradually will ensure that your hair is kept in good health.

Going from dark to light should always be a gradual process. You may not get the results you were hoping for right away, but it will ensure that your hair stays healthy through the process. 


                    
                 
                  

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