How to Fix Bad Hair Color
As women, one of the best feelings is pampering ourselves at the salon. Getting a new cut and color and feeling fabulous when we leave. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case, and sometimes our color is not what we had hoped for.
Your stylist starts blow-drying your hair, and you look up and think, “I hate my hair color!” Now, what do you do? It’s not the time to panic. You must stay calm and think about your options.
Say Something to Your Stylist
The first thing you need to do is say something. They won’t know you are unhappy unless you speak up. Think about what it is that you don’t like about the color. Is the color too dark? Do you feel that the highlights look too chunky? Is the tone too cool or too warm?
Share your thoughts as politely as possible. Your stylist has likely been working on your hair for over an hour, and the last thing you want to do is offend them. Discuss how to move forward with fixing the situation.
Get to the Root of the Problem
The best place to start when fixing bad hair color is to go back to your natural color by choosing a color that closely matches your roots. By doing so, you can then go darker or lighter over several visits to the salon. Color correction can be very damaging to hair, so you may need to wait several weeks in between color applications to avoid excess damage to your locks.
Wash, Wash, Wash
You could not muster up the courage to tell your stylist that you did not like the color. Instead, you head home and are wondering about your next steps. If you don’t feel like heading back to the salon or finding a new stylist, you may have other options. If you are trying to lighten red or brunette shades, washing your hair several times will often fade your new color.
Gloss It Up
If the color correction you want to do can be fixed with your stylist while you are still at the salon, gloss could be your solution. They will use gloss if you were hoping that your brunette color was a tad bit deeper, or that your red hue had come out richer or that your new blonde color was just a bit cooler.
If you headed home without speaking up, there is still hope. You can use an at-home gloss to try and achieve similar results. This in-shower treatment will run you about $10, but it is important to know that the difference will be minimal. A salon professional can match the color you are looking to achieve more precisely than an at-home product, but this is a good option if you are hoping to avoid another trip to the salon. Keep in mind that most stylists do not charge for a color correction, even if it has been a few weeks.
Tone It Down a Bit
No, not you…Your highlights! If you asked your stylist for noticeably lighter hair, but you look in the mirror and feel like it’s standing out way too much, try using a toner. It may seem that the highlights are too bright, but there could be undesirable tones peeking through. Applying a toner can level out your hair, reducing brassiness and enhancing your highlights.
Slick Styling Tricks
If you have tried an at-home fix, or maybe tried no fix at all, you can try a few DIY styling tips to correct a bad hair color. An intense or chunky foil highlight or stray lowlight can be fixed with a quick change of your hair part. If you feel like you had a bad highlight job, and they aren’t as sun-kissed and beautiful as you would have preferred, trying a different style or adding some curl may make you feel differently.
Professional Stylists to the Rescue
Whether the bad hair color happened at home or with another stylist, the professional hair stylists at Aveda Bethesda Salon and Spa can help fix your bad hair color and make you feel amazing with your new look. Our goal when working with our clients is to have the best communication before and throughout the appointment so that they leave happy and loving their color.
If you are looking for a new stylist and need help repairing a bad hair color, look no further. Reach out today through email or phone, or use our online form to book an appointment.