Have you been ever tempted to run away when a client comes in and asks the receptionist if someone can make her platinum blonde? Have you ever thought that achieving a true white color was completely unachievable? I used to be so afraid of creating bright white blondes, partially because of a lack of experience and mostly because of a lack of knowledge. It was hard to imagine getting the hair light enough, and what would we even use to tone it if it did? After experimenting and going through many failures and a few successes, I’ve compiled a few tips to share that will help you achieve bright white blondes for your salon clients. Here we go!
Get The Hair Light Enough. There are so many times when we think that the hair has lifted sufficiently, but in reality it could have used an extra 10 minutes of processing. The key to a cool bright blonde is the lift, NOT the toner. When lightening hair for maximum lift, process very fine sections in foil and lift to a very pale yellow tone. Hair lifted to yellow will look like the outside of a banana peel; while hair lifted to pale yellow looks like the inside of the banana peel. Study up the next time you chow down!
Selecting Toning Haircolor. Permanent, demi-permanent and semi-permanent toners – which one should we choose? This totally depends on the individual situation! When hair has lifted but still has a bit of yellow, it may be ideal to use a permanent color to tone because it will give the hair a little bit of lift before depositing a rich, opaque tone. Remember to treat the hair with protein prior to toning to ensure it remains strong and healthy. When we are looking for a long-lasting cool tone that will fade beautifully, a demi-permanent color like REDKEN Shades EQ Gloss is the best choice! This will deposit dyes deeper in to the hair to keep the yellow at bay for weeks. Shades EQ Gloss also has conditioning properties that improve the quality of the hair and add tones of shine for a beautiful blonde reflect! My favorite white formula is 1.5OZ REDKEN Shades EQ Gloss 000 Crystal Clear + .25OZ REDKEN Shades EQ Gloss 09V + .25OZ REDKEN Shades EQ Gloss 09T.
For the truest pure white tone, we’ve discovered that semi-permanent haircolors are the best. A favorite formula is 1.5OZ REDKEN City Beats Clear + .5OZ REDKEN City Beats Indigo Skyline. This formula is pure pigment and no background, so it keeps the blonde bright while toning the yellow enough and depositing a beautiful shiny white haircolor! The downside to using a Semi-Permanent Haircolor is that it fades with every wash, so make sure to provide your clients with the at-home care necessary to make their color last.
At-Home Care and Maintenance Appointments. Educate your clients on what they should be doing at home to keep their color cool and bright. This includes toning shampoos and masks, as well as strength treatments to keep the hair healthy enough to retain color. Pre-book their touch up appointments as well. Beautiful blondes are high-maintenance, so they should be in the salon every 4-6 weeks to have their roots touched up or their highlights re-toned to keep them cool and healthy. Going longer between appointments increases the chance of banding and could cause the hair to become damaged during their next appointment.
Practice is key, so make sure to try new formulas and products and discover what works best to create the ideal platinum white blonde! Once you are comfortable with lightening and toning hair, any client will be lucky to have you as their blonde expert!