5 Reasons for Foil Bleeds & How to Fix Them

Here Are 5 Reasons Why Foils Bleed & How To Fix Them

There is nothing worse than checking a client while they are processing and realizing that their foils have bled into their existing color, causing spots or weird lines of demarcation. BTC Team member Gina Bianca (@iamginabianca) and the owner of The Network salon shares five reasons your foils are bleeding and her fixes for each of them.

1. Make Sure The Product is Mixed Properly

Consistency is key! If the product is too runny or thin, it will most likely bleed out of your foils. Likewise, if the mixed product is too lumpy or contains clumps, the lumps will disperse during processing and can leave hot spots or bleed.

2. Foil Folds are Too Tight

Try not to fold foils too tight, leave a little bit of room to allow swelling during processing. Gina suggests folding the foil once to close and then when you’ve finished with the quadrant, bend one side of the foil if you need more room to work.

Note: This will also save about 5 seconds per foil!

3. Pay Attention to Head Shape

Feathering your product when the head shape curves or changes is a great way to limit the amount that you are applying and prevent foil bleeds in those areas.

4. Check Your Section Size

The size of your foil sections all depends on the texture of the hair you are working with! Gina shares her guide for determining section size:

• Coarse-Thick Hair: 1/8 section
• Medium Hair: 1/4 section
• Fine Hair: 1/2 sections

Remember if your section is too large or there is too much hair in the foil, your client could process unevenly or not lift enough. Not to mention that bigger sections require using more product. Always keep in mind that the smaller your section size is the lighter and brighter your results will be.  

5. Pay Attention to Your Tension!

“Remember to keep tension while you are doing your first brush strokes,” shares Gina. “I always start by going up to the base first, this will ensure the hair is glued down in the tightest position, then keep your tension as long as possible until you have to flip the hair up and close the foil.” Gina also advises to keep your tension tight as long as possible to ensure that your foils won’t slip.