Color Correction: Going Darker

Many people are afraid of the words, "Color Correction." I love them. Color Correction is one of the most challenging color applications to do. Its unpredictable, time consuming, and expensive, to name a few. What needs to be understood by the cosmetologist is that everything they know about haircolor is going to be put to the test. I get excited about this, the more challenging and creative the task is, the better I push myself. Its scary at first. What helps me is being able to go with the flow.  For the client its more about being flexible. Flexible in that the current state of their hair will put limitations on what can be done, as well as, what can be used on their hair.

My client wanted to go darker to a light brown. She didn't mind warmth, which is always a plus. As you can see in the pictures, she had about four to five months of regrowth. Last season she wanted to go blonde, so we highlighted her head. We used a slice technique and didn't leave any of her hair out. Knowing the condition of her hair, I told her it was going to take several color application. I said her hair being so light, we had to return not only the color that we lighten before, but also condition the hair properly in order for the color to hold. She picked a color from the color chart so that I would have an idea of what tones she was looking for.

Consultation finished, I went off to the color room to formulate. First I had to decide if I was going to fill then color, or to include the filler in the color formula. Because of the level of lightness, I new that I didn't have a choice. I had to fill then color. To get  the most shine, richness, and depth, there is no choice. If we weren't going so dark, I would include the filler in my color formula. My rule of thumb is, "Level 6 or darker, fill then color. Level 7 or lighter, include the filler in the formula." Sometimes I will do the latter when I think its applicable. Use you judgment to decide what can be done.

I did a mask on the hair before anything else. The hair at that level always needs moisture and protein. I started with a level 8 golden copper demi permanent haircolor. Process, rinse, and towel dried.  I spray the hair with a leave-in conditioner to equalize the porosity of the hair some more.  The second filler was a level 6 red copper demi permanent haircolor. Process, rinse, towel dried. Fillers are always demi permanent because of hair porosity and sensitivity. Permanent haircolor will add more unneeded swelling of the cuticle.  With each step, make sure you client is comfortable.

The final step, color formula. When I saw the brightness of the red, I won't lie, I was a little scared. Why? Even though she didn't mind some warmth, it didn't mean she wanted to be a redhead. She wanted something natural looking. The final formula was a level 5 golden ash with 10V. I picked the ash to make sure that brightness was toned down enough to make the haircolor look natural. I choose 10V because I didn't want any excess lift that 20V would give to her fine hair. Process, rinse, and towel dried. 

You may think that this is were you will be finished, almost. This is were the clients flexibility comes to play. I dried one side of the hair and show the client the end result. Two things can happen. One, she loves it and we are done. We can cut and style the hair, and of she goes. Two, she says, "its too. . . fill in the blank."  Depending on the answer, will depend on what you do next.   My client love it and said "it was the color that I wanted." That made me very happy.

As you can see the color is beautiful. Its shiny, rich, and has depth. When doing a color correction you must remember that its tedious and time consuming, yet I find it uplifting. Its a welcome change and challenge. 

 Beautiful transformation. Color correction is a process that can challenge colorist. If you understand Color Theory and Applied Color Theory, then you're able to understand what you need to do and how to do it and achieve the color you want. Following specific steps will ensure proper color deposit and keep the hair as healthy as possible.

Think hair. . . Daja