Every head of hair is different, and every colourist has come across a colour that hasn’t performed as they thought it would! But don’t panic – according to evo International Creative Colour Director Tom Smith, it’s how you deal with the colour problems that counts. “Hair can behave unexpectedly due to a variety of factors, but most commonly it’s due to the chemical history of the hair,” he explains. “Thorough consultations are essential for setting you up for success and a full hair history will allow you to make informed choices about how to approach any colour plan.
“The hair grows appropriately 6” a year, so be sure to measure how many years’ worth of hair you’re dealing with and get a hair history for that length of time before making any promises. When talking to the client, retaining your confidence, informing them of the unexpected element while providing a suggestion for a solution will minimise any drop in their trust and keep them regarding you as their expert. Be sure to consult a second opinion amongst your team if you find yourself at a loss for ideas and if possible, collaboratively make a plan to get back on track.
Tom’s advice for the three most common colour mishaps…
1 Not achieving enough lift
Clients have higher expectations than ever and so often want bolder, brighter results in one go. Utilising high performing lightening products such as evo bottle blonde powder lightener, which respects the integrity of the hair, allows you to lift more safely in one go.
2 Colour fading too quickly.
This is particularly a problem when dramatically changing the hair colour in one go, tones can fade out quickly and clients can be left disappointed. One of my non-negotiables when it comes to changing someone’s hair is making sure they’ve got the right maintenance products to keep the tone in for as long as possible. Customisable pigmented conditioners, where you can add any shade into a take-home conditioner base that perfectly matches my clients hair, or colour boosting conditioners such as evo fabuloso keeps their bespoke tones topped up and offers something unique that they can only get from you.
3 Over toning.
Sometimes we get carried away with our formulation and this can leave the client feeling darker or bolder than they were expecting. Thankfully, this can be relatively easy to fix and even more easy to avoid. If the hair has toned too much, using a clarifying shampoo can lift excess away, or in some cases, a product like hue-verse clear lifter, which can lift up to one level on coloured hair without bleaching, can be the perfect choice. Demi colours offer a clear diluter to add to any tone, meaning they can be left on for the full development time, offering incredible longevity, and shine but never over toning.
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