Fix Your Blonding Mistakes!
How To Achieve A Clean Base When Blonding
Dark spots, bands and breakage when blonding. The experts spilled their secrets on how to achieve the perfect lift, avoid banding and the importance of creating a clean, even base.
Mistake #1: Blasting The Hair With Lightener
Low and slow is the way to go when using powder lightener. To gently lighten the hair while preserving integrity, use a low-volume developer.
Mistake #2: Not Trusting Your Gut!
Hair integrity is always the top priority when blonding! Clients may come in with an unachievable end-goal in mind, but it’s our job as professionals to guide them in the right direction. Make sure to be honest with your client and let them know the risks. If you feel that 10-volume developer is too low and 20-volume developer is too high, mix half and half to get 15-volume developer. That is the perfect middle ground. That way you will be able to achieve your desired lift while preserving the hair’s integrity.
Mistake #3: Overlap Causing Damage
There is a lot to consider when taking on a blonding client—especially one with previously lightened hair. You need to be careful about compromising the previously lightened pieces. To avoid damage, always be cautious of overlapping previously lightened pieces where the hair is already sensitized. Prevent overlapping by painting a conditioner or barrier cream over previously lightened midlengths and ends to protect them from touching the lightener when the foil is folded. Drop your developer strength by one level around finer areas of the head like the hairline. These pieces are generally more fine and already lighter than virgin hair due to sun exposure, so they don’t need as much of a kick.
Do this to ensure blend and avoid banding…
If you do see bands as the hair lifts, rinse the hair completely to remove all lightener. Then, strategically place fresh lightener on bands or dark spots. Lauren recommends using a demi-permanent color to tone. This will ensure an even tone! She loves using evo hue-verse demi-permanent color for this step.
Mistake #4: Uneven Saturation
This is the No.1 thing that will cause dark spots: uneven saturation. These occur when your application is uneven or inconsistent, so make sure the strands are fully saturated to achieve even lift. If you run into this problem a lot, your sections may be too big. Use fine weaves so the color can fully penetrate the hair.
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Source: Behind the Chair