Its the Season for Change! October 8, 2019 12:46

Are you thinking about a major colour change?

We asked salon owner (and guru for all things colour) Jennifer Morgan to talk about the key points to think about before you come in to the salon 

Choosing a New Colour

Get professional advice! At the point you think you want something new, come and see us and we can talk about what is possible/realistic. The consultation is going to be the most vital step here, so if you want a dramatic change in colour, book for a consult before the day of your colour...that way we have time to spend looking at images and discussing possibilities

If there is a particular shade your heart desires but isn't necessarily right for your skin, then a simple tweak of some make up, or changing the tone of the hair that frames your face can make this work for you. If you are a little nervous try an easier-to-remove demi-permanent shade if you’re considering going darker or adding a few lighter areas around the face if you want to go lighter as they can easily be coloured darker if you don’t like them.

A change in colour can make the most unbelievable difference to your look...check out our Pinterest page to see what I mean 

When We Ask You Questions

The consultation process is the single most important part for your hairdresser and it is beyond vital that you are as honest as possible about your hair's history as you can be. The more information you give us the more likely it is that we can plan your colour formula correctly. You would be amazed how often we only find out about a previous colour process 'after' the result does not work out as expected. Give your colourist as much background as possible, even if you do not think it is relevant - at the end of the day it is your hair and you want the best possible results!

Figure Out a Realistic Budget

You might be able to dig deep for the first salon visit but keep in mind some shades require maintenance. Colour Correction from dark to light (removing artificial colour from the hair to achieve a lighter result) can be the most time consuming and expensive. The service can take from 3-6 hours and can cost anything from $200- $500 so you need to be pre-quoted before you begin. We can explain exactly what the process(es) will be and what you can expect to happen both on the day and then to follow up. With modern artificial colour removers like JoBaz Professional we can make some pretty amazing changes without damaging the hair, however they do require multiple applications of colour in most cases to achieve the desired result

Plan Your Time

If you’re going from 'light-to-dark' this can be done in one visit but it generally takes more than one 45-minute appointment space to achieve a great result. We need to be able to plan out this in advance which is why a consultation before the day is so important. Going 'dark-to-light' can take longer and may even need more than one session depending on the desired result and your current colour, but you can expect to spend anything from 4 to 6 hours on a major 'light-to-dark' change

Brunettes going Blonde

You might think this is a drastic idea but it happens in the salon quite frequently and can be done right as long as it is well planned. If your hair is natural and completely uncoloured (we call it 'virgin hair') then this is a simple lighten and tone process that should only take a little longer than a regular colour session. If you have old colour in your hair however (no matter how long ago it was applied) then it is a bit more complex as we cannot lighten coloured hair with more colour. In this situation we have to remove the existing colour from the hair first. Today's modern products can do with without causing harm, but it is often a double, triple (or even quadruple) process to get to the final result

Most brunettes will suit blonde as long as the tone of blonde is right for the skin tone. Commitment to maintenance is also important. Blonde hair can be prone to turning yellow. This can be prevented and corrected with an in salon toning service. Lightened hair also doesn't reflect the light as much as brown hair, so you also should use high gloss products to maintain lustre and extra reconditioning is advised

Brunettes going Red

Red are easy to achieve on natural brown hair, but red can be a little more difficult to remove. Once you make a decision to go a shade of red, also be willing to sit in that shade for a while. Again, if you have existing colour in your hair you will need to have this cleansed first before we can apply your new shade. No harm to the hair - just time and budget to be considered

Blondes thinking of Dark or Red

This can be a great option for blondes who want to improve their hair health. There are many benefits to going dark or red such as increased shine and better conditioned hair, but be aware that going back can be a little time consuming. These colours can be harder to remove from the hair so going back to blonde will take a while. As blonde hair tends to be finer in texture, look at varying degrees of brown or red into the hair, as opposed to one block colour, which looks more three-dimensional and natural. Maintenance is going to be really important with a change to darker, as this will be more prone to fade

Final Things to Remember

Don’t do it at home. It can be a costly and time-consuming mistake and can needlessly damage your hair. Also think about how different you will look afterwards and if you’re really ready for that. Make sure you take the time to come in first and have a consolation so you can get an accurate quote and we can plan the time properly. When you drastically change your colour, it can change your whole appearance. Your current clothes and make up will appear different, not to mention how people see you. Hair colour can reflect a particular attitude.

Still ready? Then go forth and let us colour.