Transitioning Clients From Dark to Platinum Safely? Here’s How!
Expectation vs. Reality: Transitioning From Brunette To Platinum
Dear clients, we get that “Blondes have more fun!” is REAL—but remember: If you are sitting in your stylist’s chair with major regrowth, grown-out balayage and some Level 2 dark hair involved… The road is more like a journey! So when Pennsylvania-based stylist Marissa Pusateri (@marissapusateri) posted this color correction breakdown on her Insta, it was like she was speaking directly to ALL of us.
Below, we are sharing some expectations vs. realities for clients requesting the perfect platinum with a not-so-perfect starting canvas. So keep reading for lessons on time and patience, why bands are always part of the process and how to help clients embrace the warmth!
Expectation: Lift from a Level 2 to Level 10 in one session
Reality: This type of transformation will take TIME + multiple appointments
Transitioning from dark to any shade of blonde takes multiple sessions, time, patience and money. “Dark haircolor doesn’t lift to a pretty blonde in one session,” Marissa shared in her post. “I was with my client’s head for three hours nonstop. I took my time applying lightener to extremely thin sections to avoid any overlap and cause breakage on her ends. And that was just one appointment,” she added.
Make sure clients understand that warmth is part of the process and the only way to reach a platinum result safely is to embrace warmer tones.
Expectation: Bleaching will create a clean, even canvas
Reality: Banding WILL happen and it will be awkward…
“Haircolor stays in your hair until you 1. Cut it off or 2. Bleach it out. Even if it fades, it’s still there—lightener never lies,” Marissa shares. To bust through her client’s Level 2N band, Marissa split four lightening applications into two appointments.
“There isn’t really much you can do but be careful with your application and have patience,” she adds. “Even when I bumped my developer and only applied to the band, the color didn’t want to budge from her hair. After her second process (to the band only), I toned her down so she could function until her next appointment (in about six weeks.)”
Expectation: Using a higher developer will speed up the process
Reality: A higher developer can result in serious damage
The truth is this: If the client’s hair looks like it has been through a lot, chances are it won’t be able to handle a major brunette-to-platinum transformation. To save the integrity of her client’s hair, Marissa had her client come in once a month for an Olaplex treatment—three treatments total.
“Once I felt her hair was healthy enough to go forward, we started bleaching. I took my time applying lightener to extremely thin sections to avoid any overlap and cause breakage on her ends. And that was just one appointment,” Marissa explains. “Stay calm and be confident. You know what you are doing, it takes time to achieve the best lift in a healthy way,” she adds.
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