Learn all about what is hair color correction process and how a color correction chart can help you remove brassy tones when you bleach hair from dark to light.
Welcome to HairEveryday, where we believe that every day is an opportunity to flaunt flawless hair! But what happens when your latest color adventure doesn’t turn out as planned? Enter the realm of hair color correction – a process that can rescue your locks from a dye disaster and restore them to their former glory, or even transform them into something better.
Color correction is a delicate art that requires expertise, patience, and the right approach. Whether you’re dealing with a shade that’s too dark, too light, brassy, or just uneven, our comprehensive guide on hair color correction will arm you with the knowledge and tips you need to navigate this tricky process.
We’ll explore the common pitfalls of hair coloring, the techniques professionals use to correct color, and how to care for your hair post-correction. Plus, we’ll provide insights into the importance of seeking professional help and how to communicate effectively with your stylist to achieve the results you desire.
Get ready to turn your hair mishap into a success story as we guide you through the ins and outs of hair color correction. Say goodbye to color woes and hello to the vibrant, even-toned hair you deserve!
What Is Hair Color Correction
Hair color correction is a process where a corrective color hair stylist or a professional at a salon, will help rectify your discolored hair. This is done by using toners, bleach, hair color remover, colored shampoos etc. in order to get your hair back to the color you originally desired. Through color correction you can choose to darken lightened hair, lighten darkened hair, rectify bleached hair gone wrong, and remove brassiness and unwanted tones from your hair or even out highlights and streaks as well.
Who is a Corrective Color Hair Stylist?
A Corrective Color Hair Stylist is a professional who specifically deals with hair color correction and is specialized in this field.
These specialists know exactly how to fix color issues by correcting them and filling in the right level of color pigments in the hair.
Doing so helps balance out and even out the color tone in the hair, to either match the existing shade or give the hair an all new refreshed color.
They make sure to do strand testing before starting the filling in and coloring process to make sure to get the right shade you are looking for.
In case your hair is too damaged and isn’t healthy enough to be corrected at that point in time, then they will suggest reparative methods to restore hair health and then do the procedure after some weeks.
The Color Wheel And Hair Color Correction Chart
Let’s talk about the science of color for a bit, shall we? This is important because color correction is done based on the color wheel. So what exactly is this “color wheel” then?
The color wheel is a wheel that displays a spectrum of the standard colors, placed in a certain way.
It consists of 12 main colors and out of these 12 colors, six are warm colors and the other six are cool colors.
So when the hair requires color correction, that means there should be a balance of both warm and cool colors in the hair, to even it out and get the right shade.
Let’s take for example; if your hair has become brassy with yellow tones, then the corrective color required will be purple. Well, why is this, you may ask?
In order for colors to be corrected, you would require to use the color opposite to the color you want to correct, for it to even out.
So according to the color wheel, the color yellow is opposite to the color purple and therefore, to remove the yellow hues from the hair, we’d have to use a purple shampoo or toner.
Also, it is important to know that our hair has underlying pigments and sometimes when we color or bleach our hair these underlying pigments will start to show. This is when the color wheel will come into play.
The table below will give you a better understanding on this subject.
| Hair Color | Underlying Pigment | Corrective Color Required |
| Shades of blonde | Yellow, pale yellow | Purple |
| Shades of brown | Orange, orangish yellow | Blue, purple |
| Dark brown or black | Red, orangish red | Green, blue |
Related: How To Fix Orange Hair
How To Do Hair Color Correction – 3 Different Methods
Color Correction with Bleach
Your hair isn’t all one color. The color you see in your hair is the result of a complex mixture of base red, orange, and yellow pigments. And chances are you didn’t keep the bleach in sufficiently long to remove those undesired pigments out if trying to lighten your hair with bleach left you with an ugly brassy orange or gaudy yellow.
You can try lightening your hair even more after giving your mane a week or so to recover from the bleach. Before using bleach on your hair again, give it ample time to heal from the initial bleaching session. Bleach depletes your hair of vital proteins and minerals, and prolonged exposure can be highly destructive.
Color Correction with Toner
By adjusting the colour of brassy tones, hair toner can make your hair a lighter brown or cooler blonde. Whichever brassy tint you ended up with from your botched bleach job will determine what shade of toner you should use.
Shampoos and conditioners contain one type of hair toner. You will require a purple-colored toner or violet shampoo if your newly dyed hair has become more yellow in color. Should your hair seem more orange than you had hoped, you will require a blue-colored toner, such as a blue shampoo.
Color Correction with Dye
Dyeing hair darker is often the least invasive and best color repair for bleached or too light hair. In order to restore pigment to your strands, give them warmth, and keep the final color from looking muddy and flat, a skilled stylist will first “fill” your hair. You can achieve the desired color and depth for your mane with a second dye session.
When Do You Need A Hair Color Correction Process
1. When you hair has brassy tones
When it comes to hair brassiness, your hair can either have yellow or orangish shades of brassiness and there are ways out of it.
Yellow shades of brassiness: In case your hair has yellow shades of brassiness, then you will have to use a purple shampoo or purple toner in order to get rid of those unwanted tones in your hair and even out the hair color.
The reason why the color purple is used is because it is opposite to yellow as per the color wheel and it’s only purple that can cancel out the yellow to even out the hair color.
Orange shades of brassiness: In case your hair has orangish shades of brassiness, then you’d require to use a blue shampoo or toner to cancel out the orange tones in the hair.
This will even out your hair color, because blue will help cancel out the orange and this is also evident if you observe the color wheel.
Related: How To Remove Brassy Tones From Blonde Hair
2. When you darken light hair
Darkening of lightened hair is easier than the other way round, lightening of darkened hair. You will have to get your stylist to dye your hair to the darker shade you desire.
But know that this is a gamble when it comes to the final shade outcome, or you can bleach it first and then dye it so you can be sure of your final shade outcome.
3. When your hair has been dyed incorrectly or unevenly
Sometimes you realize that your dyeing process wasn’t successful because you ended up with patches of color on your hair.
Well, the best way to correct this is by dyeing your hair using the same color, only on the patchy and unevenly colored areas.
If you still feel your hair color looks patchy after this step, then you can buy a shade darker and re-dye all your hair completely.
4. When you lighten dark hair
Are in the process of lightening your dark hair? Or did you not get hair lightened to the shade you wanted?
Then all you can do is bleach your hair again or use a shampoo that will clarify and lighten your hair, before you can dye it to the desired color.
5. When your dyed hair has faded
The best way to regain the color of your hair is by using a toner.
Toners aren’t dyes, do not be mistaken, as dyes are permanent hair colors that alter your hair.
While a toner does add pigment to your hair just like a dye, it does not color the hair. Instead they just add more vibrancy to the hair and make it look fresh.
It just adds a little extra tone to the hair that has faded.
6. When you want to fix your highlights
There are times when you expect your highlights to look perfect, but can end up looking anything but perfect!
Well, you can either dye your hair to match your base hair color or bleach your hair and re-do your highlights all together.
FAQs About Hair Color Correction
1. Can I correct my hair color at home?
Hair color correction can either be done at a salon, by a professional or can also be done at home if you wish to.
But in case you choose to do it at home, make sure you know exactly what you are doing and follow the right method and instructions provided, in order to get the desired results.
If you are vary at any point, it is important to seek help from a professional, failing which you can worsen your hair color and ruin further instead of correcting it.
It is important to note that doing hair color correction at home may not give you the perfect results as it would if done at a salon, especially if your hair requires extensive color correction.
2. How long does a hair color correction session take at a salon?
Well, this can vary from person to person depending on how extensive your hair color correction is and to what extent it requires to be corrected.
So, for some people with lesser correction, it may take just one session of a few hours or a day.
For some others with a greater extent of hair color correction, it can go on for even 2 to 4 sessions over a month.
It is important to note that professionals take into consideration various aspects like the texture and health of your hair, the extent to which your hair has been damaged by the color and what is the final color you want your hair to be.
3. Why does a hair color correction session cost so much at a salon?
Since hair color correction is usually done by a professional and the process can take quite a few hours or even go on to multiple sessions you will end up paying for the stylist’s effort and the time spent on you.
Reputed salons also use expensive products that are of good quality brands and this factor too will increase the cost of your color correction session.
4. Is color correction the same as toning of hair?
Color correction can be done in different ways which also includes toning.
Color correction is a method of rectifying the hair color, while a hair toner can be one of the products used for this rectification process. So, no, they aren’t the same thing.
Why You Should Trust Haireveryday?
The author of this article, Leah Marie Priest has a degree in Cosmetology with years of experience in dealing with hair care, scalp care, and hairstyling. As someone who extensively deals with all kinds of hair textures, products, styling methods and more, hair Leah Marie knows what kind of products and procedures suit each hair type and person. We have also tested these hair products and processes ourselves to provide you an unbiased review about every product. Each of our articles are also reviewed by a team of medical professionals so that you get the most accurate and expert-reviewed information.
Summary on Hair Color Correction Process
Color correction is a great way to rectify hair color problems, but it is important that you prepare your hair well before the session.
Make sure to keep it washed and free from oil and dirt.
Also make sure that your hair is healthy enough and not damaged before going through with the hair color correction process.
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To Summarize