deeshortesthair
Member
I came across this article about getting good hair color results so I just thought I'd share since I color my hair very often and never get the correct results and I know some of you share my pain.
http://www.behindthechairs.com/displayarticle.aspx?ID=848ain ...
At her MINARDI SALON in New York City, color expert BETH MINARDI continues to pioneer superior haircolor formulation and technique. This month, she also addresses BTC color pros' queries and offers solid ideas for improving highlighting results and lightening dark hair.
Dear Beth:
My 28-year-old client has been 100% gray since she was 18. I do her retouch every four weeks using Redken Fusion 2N with 20-volume. Her hair is in great condition and very silky. We use such a dark color because it is close to her natural shade and when she has tried to go lighter in the past, she did not like the red tones that emerged in her hair. But we would really like to take her to a Level 4 or 5. Should I remove the color with a product like Rusk Eliminator or just apply bleach?
Ready to Lighten Up
Dear Ready:
Congratulations on your decision to go lighter! However, I would not do either of the techniques you propose. That's because any hair colored black or dark brown will always be perceived as red if a dye remover or bleach is applied. What's more, if you aggressively apply several mixtures of dye solvents and/or lightener, you can drastically damage the hair.
I demonstrate this exact situation on my DVD--specifically, a client who has been using darkest brown or black color every three weeks.
To lighten the hair, I would continue using the Color Fusion 2N -- but I would intermix the shade with an unequal proportion of Color Fusion 4AB. For the next two retouches, mix l ?-oz of 2N with l/2-oz of 4Ab and 2-oz. 20-volume Pro-Oxide. Process at room temperature for 45 minutes.
After three or four monthly retouches of this formula, start doing retouches with equal parts of 2N and 4Ab, and later with 3N and 4Ab. Again, mix the product with 20- volume Pro-Oxide and process for a full 45 minutes.
If this person were a client in our salon, we would follow the retouch appointment with an application of selected "butterfly" strands of an off-scalp lightener -- placed in foils framing the face and adjacent to the part. Process only until the strands are a lighter brown, then shampoo and condition with a blue-based color refreshing shampoo and/or conditioner.
This process will softly introduce both a lighter brown base and soft warm brown highlights. Doing this will help you "evolve" the client to a softer, lighter brown without overworking the hair and without risk of her feeling that she has become a redhead.
Explain that this color evolution will take time, but that the hair will look and feel great.
One note: Other teachers might tell you to lighten the entire head and then tone to a light brown. This works in some cases but usually results in orange tones which, if not visible on the day of the color change, will appear after one or more shampoos. This can result in adjustment appointments which are, in most cases, simply not worth the pain!
Good luck, go slowly…and succeed!
Dear Beth:
I'm always trying new things with my clients' color, but my own color is so boring! I am a natural Level 3 and I color my hair to cover my gray. I have tried highlights, but with my olive complexion, they didn't look good. Any suggestions?
Help Me To Help Myself
Dear Help:
To recap: You want to cover your gray hair, work easily with your Level 3, medium brown hair, and create some interest. You have olive skin tones, and a previous highlighting did not flatter you. Since I can't see you, I can help you only in general terms.
I feel that covering your grey hair with an occlusive Level 5 (lightest brown) neutral/golden demi-permanent shade will transform your grey hair to a lighter brown which will look like a soft highlight against your still-pigmented brown hair.
I also suggest that you softly highlight your hair, but that you glaze the highlights with a deep caramel blonde demi-permanent shade. This will give you an espresso brown base with highlights that look like "coffee and cream." At Minardi Salon, we find that this combination works well on many of our brunette/olive skin-toned clients.
Dear Beth:
My Level 2 client requested light blonde highlights. She already had a demi-permanent 2N formula on her hair. I applied bleach using 30-volume developer but her hair wouldn't lighten as much as I thought it should no matter how long I left her under the dryer. I did apply a toner, but I still am not satisfied with the results. Should I have used a 40-volume developer? How can I get rid of the orange without making her highlights darker?
New Stylist
Dear New:
You were working in a tough situation since the hair had been previously colored with a Level 2 (dark brown) demi-permanent hair color.
I will first assume you mixed the lightener according to manufacturer's instructions. Since I am not looking at your client, I can only guess that you sectioned too much hair into one foil, and that your lightener mixture did not thoroughly saturate each strand of hair. Or perhaps you did not apply enough pressure to your brush strokes as you applied the lightener to the strand.
No toner will take the unwanted orange out of the hair unless you plan to return the hair to brown, hence covering the unwanted orange. If this had happened at Minardi Salon, we would patiently dry the hair, re-section and split the orange highlight into several pieces, and "spot" bleach the orange sections of the strands after we had separated the hair into the foil.
Next, we would re-tone the lightened hair with a neutral-toned, acidic, demi-permanent hair color formula.
I would like to add one more bit of advice. When hair has been colored to a dark shade, use extreme caution when lightening and never promise a totally cool or very pale result. Strand test frequently because this type of hair can break off even before it reaches the gold stage. Remember, in this case you were working not only through natural pigment -- but through dark, synthetic pigment as well.
Call l-800-MINARDI or e-mail [email protected] for more information on Beth's classes and special educational opportunities. Or go to the BTC Class Locator.
Join Beth October 22 -24, 2005 in Chicago for ColorAMERICA. This class is for career-colorists only! Call l-800-MINARDI or e-mail www.isnow.com
for information.
http://www.behindthechairs.com/displayarticle.aspx?ID=848ain ...
At her MINARDI SALON in New York City, color expert BETH MINARDI continues to pioneer superior haircolor formulation and technique. This month, she also addresses BTC color pros' queries and offers solid ideas for improving highlighting results and lightening dark hair.
Dear Beth:
My 28-year-old client has been 100% gray since she was 18. I do her retouch every four weeks using Redken Fusion 2N with 20-volume. Her hair is in great condition and very silky. We use such a dark color because it is close to her natural shade and when she has tried to go lighter in the past, she did not like the red tones that emerged in her hair. But we would really like to take her to a Level 4 or 5. Should I remove the color with a product like Rusk Eliminator or just apply bleach?
Ready to Lighten Up
Dear Ready:
Congratulations on your decision to go lighter! However, I would not do either of the techniques you propose. That's because any hair colored black or dark brown will always be perceived as red if a dye remover or bleach is applied. What's more, if you aggressively apply several mixtures of dye solvents and/or lightener, you can drastically damage the hair.
I demonstrate this exact situation on my DVD--specifically, a client who has been using darkest brown or black color every three weeks.
To lighten the hair, I would continue using the Color Fusion 2N -- but I would intermix the shade with an unequal proportion of Color Fusion 4AB. For the next two retouches, mix l ?-oz of 2N with l/2-oz of 4Ab and 2-oz. 20-volume Pro-Oxide. Process at room temperature for 45 minutes.
After three or four monthly retouches of this formula, start doing retouches with equal parts of 2N and 4Ab, and later with 3N and 4Ab. Again, mix the product with 20- volume Pro-Oxide and process for a full 45 minutes.
If this person were a client in our salon, we would follow the retouch appointment with an application of selected "butterfly" strands of an off-scalp lightener -- placed in foils framing the face and adjacent to the part. Process only until the strands are a lighter brown, then shampoo and condition with a blue-based color refreshing shampoo and/or conditioner.
This process will softly introduce both a lighter brown base and soft warm brown highlights. Doing this will help you "evolve" the client to a softer, lighter brown without overworking the hair and without risk of her feeling that she has become a redhead.
Explain that this color evolution will take time, but that the hair will look and feel great.
One note: Other teachers might tell you to lighten the entire head and then tone to a light brown. This works in some cases but usually results in orange tones which, if not visible on the day of the color change, will appear after one or more shampoos. This can result in adjustment appointments which are, in most cases, simply not worth the pain!
Good luck, go slowly…and succeed!
Dear Beth:
I'm always trying new things with my clients' color, but my own color is so boring! I am a natural Level 3 and I color my hair to cover my gray. I have tried highlights, but with my olive complexion, they didn't look good. Any suggestions?
Help Me To Help Myself
Dear Help:
To recap: You want to cover your gray hair, work easily with your Level 3, medium brown hair, and create some interest. You have olive skin tones, and a previous highlighting did not flatter you. Since I can't see you, I can help you only in general terms.
I feel that covering your grey hair with an occlusive Level 5 (lightest brown) neutral/golden demi-permanent shade will transform your grey hair to a lighter brown which will look like a soft highlight against your still-pigmented brown hair.
I also suggest that you softly highlight your hair, but that you glaze the highlights with a deep caramel blonde demi-permanent shade. This will give you an espresso brown base with highlights that look like "coffee and cream." At Minardi Salon, we find that this combination works well on many of our brunette/olive skin-toned clients.
Dear Beth:
My Level 2 client requested light blonde highlights. She already had a demi-permanent 2N formula on her hair. I applied bleach using 30-volume developer but her hair wouldn't lighten as much as I thought it should no matter how long I left her under the dryer. I did apply a toner, but I still am not satisfied with the results. Should I have used a 40-volume developer? How can I get rid of the orange without making her highlights darker?
New Stylist
Dear New:
You were working in a tough situation since the hair had been previously colored with a Level 2 (dark brown) demi-permanent hair color.
I will first assume you mixed the lightener according to manufacturer's instructions. Since I am not looking at your client, I can only guess that you sectioned too much hair into one foil, and that your lightener mixture did not thoroughly saturate each strand of hair. Or perhaps you did not apply enough pressure to your brush strokes as you applied the lightener to the strand.
No toner will take the unwanted orange out of the hair unless you plan to return the hair to brown, hence covering the unwanted orange. If this had happened at Minardi Salon, we would patiently dry the hair, re-section and split the orange highlight into several pieces, and "spot" bleach the orange sections of the strands after we had separated the hair into the foil.
Next, we would re-tone the lightened hair with a neutral-toned, acidic, demi-permanent hair color formula.
I would like to add one more bit of advice. When hair has been colored to a dark shade, use extreme caution when lightening and never promise a totally cool or very pale result. Strand test frequently because this type of hair can break off even before it reaches the gold stage. Remember, in this case you were working not only through natural pigment -- but through dark, synthetic pigment as well.
Call l-800-MINARDI or e-mail [email protected] for more information on Beth's classes and special educational opportunities. Or go to the BTC Class Locator.
Join Beth October 22 -24, 2005 in Chicago for ColorAMERICA. This class is for career-colorists only! Call l-800-MINARDI or e-mail www.isnow.com
for information.
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