Dear Clients, Read This Before Going Blonde!
5 Truths Every Client Should Read Before Going Blonde
So, your client wants to go blonde with their one-hour appointment, previously colored hair and drugstore-bought products at home. This situation is all too common for colorists. That’s why we’ve rounded up some blonding real talk you can share with clients who want to go brighter. Keep reading, have the proper consultations and start your client’s journey to blonde the right way!
Truth #1: Your Appointment Might Take 3+ Hours
“Reality is, it takes up to 50 minutes for hair to lift to the shade you want and love. That’s an entire hour of your appointment that you’re just hanging out waiting,” @laurenbartonhair wrote in a recent IG post. “Trust me though, it’s worth taking small little baby sections, foiling your head til it gets heavy and letting it sit for the full amount of time.”
Here’s why it’s worth it: Taking a transformation step by step with the proper processing times prevents hair from lifting to a dark yellow or uneven tones that can’t be fixed with a toner or purple shampoo!
Check Out This Processing Time Breakdown Below
Here’s another visual from @tialambourn_hair: This is the same foil, just 15 minutes later! This means there is only a 15-minute processing time difference between lifting from a Level 8 to a pale Level 9 or 10—aka EVERY minute counts.
Truth #2: Your Stylist Will Know If You Used Box Dye—Be Honest
Bleach doesn’t lie! What happens when a client comes in with box dye and the stylist does a strand test? The truth comes out. “Clients, please let your colorist know a detailed hair history of color, products, [type] of water you shampoo your hair with and medications,” suggests @jessicascotthair.
Here’s an example:
When Jessica did a strand test on her box dye client (see below), she was confronted with intense bands. With this hair history, be prepared for warm tones, multiple sessions and hundreds of dollars to go lighter.
“For this client, we had to glaze her to the darkest level lift there was in this picture. So basically she ended up [with] a dark brown from her starting point which was black,” Jessica wrote.
Truth #3: Clients With Curls, This One’s For You!
Let’s talk about highlighting curls. Here’s a quick breakdown of what curly girls should take into consideration when requesting bright highlights on naturally curly hair from @looksbylacie.
- Starting Point: “Your results will be based on YOUR starting point. How your hair will lift depends on what you already have going on with your hair—if you already have color or if you don’t,” Lacie said.
- Protecting The Curl Pattern: Your curls need to be healthy enough to lighten, so you don’t disrupt the curl pattern. “Lifting too aggressively without a solid plan can result in a loss of curl pattern or damage,” adds Lacie.
- Trust Your Colorist: Just because your hair has heat or color damage, doesn’t mean you can never try bright highlights—but wait until your hair isn’t compromised. Be open to your colorist’s game plan and patient with the process to reach your dream hair.
What happens when curls are overprocessed? Watch this video from @bumbunniii below!
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Truth #4: You Need To Maintain Your Color At Home
You leave the salon loving your blonde color, but a few weeks later it’s feeling brassy and coarse—this isn’t uncommon. Color maintenance is KEY. “Light blonde color on textured hair can be the most DIFFICULT to maintain! Colors like this are not for the faint of heart and require major TLC in and outside of the salon,” shares @haircolorkilla.
That’s why Kara always STRONGLY recommends that her clients use a toning washing system like the Matrix So Silver Shampoo, Conditioner and Mask trio to keep color fresh and yellow-free.
For clients with curly and textured hair, it’s also important to add protein and moisture. Kara recommends products like the Redken Extreme Hair Strengthening line that brings protein to the core of the hair fiber.
Truth #5: Here’s How You’re Going To Get That Lived-In Look
When we talk about “root shading,” here’s what we mean: a demi-permanent color tapped at the roots to blur out any highlight lines for a more lived-in look. Here’s why it works.
“Not only does this give a more natural look but it allows your grow out to look SEAMLESS for 12+ weeks,” @hair_by_mallory_ wrote in a recent IG post. “Where as a non-root shaded look would look grown out in anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks! Some of my clients go anywhere from 3 to 6 months with this technique!”
Pssst… colorists, do you LOVE this blonde? Same. Mallory pre-toned with Moroccanoil® Blonde Perfecting Purple Shampoo to get these bright, clear blonde results.
Check Out The Full IG Post Below
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