Warning: trying to fix a client's color correction took me three days instead of one

I had a client come in who had box dyed her hair black over old highlights, and she wanted a warm, honey blonde. In my experience, that's a tough lift, but I figured with a good plan, I could do it in a full day. I started with a color remover, which helped some, but it left this weird, patchy orange base. The first round of bleach just didn't lift evenly, and I had to baby sections to avoid breakage. After the first eight-hour day, we were only halfway there, and her hair felt rough. I sent her home with a deep conditioner and told her to come back. Day two was more careful lightening and a toner that went too ashy. Finally, on the third visit, I got the color balanced with a demi-permanent glaze to add the warmth back without more damage. It turned out nice, but man, it ate up my whole week. Has anyone else had a color correction that just kept fighting you every step of the way?

3 comments

3 Comments

ellis.simon1mo agoMost Upvoted

The real killer with box black is the metallic salts they sometimes use. It can make the hair act weird, like it repels color or lifts in a splotchy way. You might have been fighting that without even knowing, which explains the patchy orange and rough feel after the first round.

blair6301mo ago

That metallic salts thing explains why some black box dye feels like it's coated in plastic after a remover.

troy_jenkins1mo ago

Oh man, reading this is a total lightbulb moment. I always thought the patchy lift was just from uneven porosity, you know? Like the highlights versus the virgin hair. But that metallic salts idea Ellis mentioned... it makes so much sense now. I had a client years ago where the bleach just slid right off in some sections, left this weird brassy band. I blamed my mix, but it was probably that coating fighting me. Changes how I look at all those "color oops" moments.