Extreme Color Correction: Damaged Blonde to Gray

How @jackmartincolorist Transitions Clients From Years Of Damage To Gray

Picture this: a three-month color correction—wait, what?! BTC Team Member Jack Martin (@jackmartincolorist) is known for transitioning clients from years of box dye and damage to beautiful, all-over gray hair.  But when a client flew across the world to visit him, he discovered her hair couldn’t possibly handle the process… at least not yet!

Keep reading to find out how Jack navigated this difficult situation and how he protects the hair at each step during a color transformation. 

Repair damage in just FOUR minutes: Click here!

How a thorough consultation helped avoid surprise disasters

Not only did Jack’s client Carole have years of standard hair damage, but she tried (unsuccessfully) transitioning to her natural gray THREE times! This resulted in severe breakage and a compromised curl pattern. Her hair also had banding and uneven tones.

Before

“Hidden damages are one of the hardest challenges during a color correction,” Jack explained. “If previously lightened hair has been covered with a darker shade, the damage is less visible but still very much there. When I start lifting the damaged hair, that is when the damage becomes much more visible.” 

With the client’s hair history in mind, Jack had two choices:

Choice #1: Continue with the service and risk further damage 

Choice #2: Be honest and help the client repair her hair first

“There is a line when you’re deciding if the hair is strong or healthy enough to undergo a chemical process,” Jack explained.

Jack knew he couldn’t move forward with Carole’s color correction just yet. Since she had traveled all the way from South Africa, he devised a plan to repair her hair and invite her back.

How Jack makes toner last 5 months: Click here!

Establish a reparative haircare routine and set goals

Jack knew he had the perfect thing for Carole’s hair: K18 Hair Professional Mist. This mist is a must-have for his major transformations, and he knew the product would restore his client’s hair and prepare it for their next appointment. 

His instructions to Carole: Use regularly for three months, and then reevaluate to see if the color service would be safe.

After four or five applications, the condition of Carole’s hair improved significantly. “My hair was soft and silky,” she explained. “It was noticeably healthier to the point that Jack was willing to work on it.” 

Once the client’s hair was ready, Jack’s goals for the color correction were to: 

• Avoid rebleaching previously lightened hair 
• Lift the healthy regrowth 
• Apply a darker shade to the damaged hair to create a good canvas for toning

Jack’s go-to products to protect the hair during a color correction

Once Jack was confident the hair was stronger, he got to work. With the client’s previous damage in mind, Jack prepped with the K18 Hair Mist again, monitoring the hair closely throughout the entire service.

“The Mist creates a shield protecting the hair during processing. Even after two hours of bleaching, the hair felt softer and healthier,” says Jack. 

The total process took 10 hours behind the chair. To finish, Jack applied the K18 Hair Mask to enrich the hair and seal the cuticle. 

After

Carole even shared this photo of her healthy, natural curls!

BTC disclaimer: The K18 Mist is an in-salon product. since Jack’s client was flying in from South Africa he made an exception. We suggest following manufacturer instructions and scheduling similar clients for treatment appointments to get their hair ready for a color service.

Box Dye Color Correction: Everything you need to know!