Hair Color & Toner in Houston
For a long time, hair toner was a mystery to people outside beauty and its adjacent professions. Is a toner absolutely necessary when you’re getting your hair dyed? Why do you get charged extra when your hair needs toning? How often do you need to get your hair toned? There are a lot of questions, and the answers can be hard to find. In actuality, the answer is fairly simple. Toner is a demi- or semi-permanent hair color that is applied to hair to change the tone of the overall hair color or highlights. Come visit our Houston hair salon for a professional consultation with one of our Houston hairstylists.
What is a Hair Toner?
Hair toners are semi-permanent dyes that return your hair back to the desired tone. Toners are often used alongside hair glosses and glazes, which do exactly as their name suggests: grant your hair a healthy, straight-from-the-salon finish. It deposits the color on your hair without opening the hair cuticle. It simply coats the exterior of your hair with the shade without penetrating the hair structure. A toner does not achieve a drastic change in color, it is mostly used to tone brassy blondes.
What is Hair Color & Dye
Anyone who wants to change their hair color significantly should choose hair dye. When hair is dyed, the cuticle is opened and color pigments penetrate the hair. Hair color is always permanent: It does not wash out, but grows out over time. Gray hair can also be covered with dye. Dyeing is hard on the hair, so it’s important to use special haircare products for dyed hair. These will help maintain the radiance of the color and avoid fading.
How is Hair Toner and Hair Color Different?
- The biggest difference between toner and hair dye is their goals. They also differ in terms of application, durability, and maintenance.
- If you want to achieve a hair color change and a less intense maintenance routine, it is best to choose a dye.
- If you want to neutralize unwanted shades, have coloring skills, and don’t mind renewing the neutralization every two weeks, you should go for a toner.
What About Bleaching Your Hair?
Already dyed hair can’t be dyed lighter. If you have colored hair and want a lighter color, this can only be achieved by bleaching. When bleaching, color pigments are removed from the hair (in contrast to a dyeing). Because this can affect the hair and dry it out, aftercare should include the use of special shampoo and conditioner for blond hair, and the application of a hair mask once or twice a week. Our Houston hairstylists can recommend the best products for your unique look.
Even brunettes can achieve blond tresses – but only via bleaching. Tip: To avoid bleaching mishaps, it’s best to consult a professional hair colorist. They can lighten darker hair more gently over several sessions. Another special case: blonds seeking a darker tone. Over blond, brown hair color may leave a greenish tinge. In this case, it’s also worth visiting a professional hair colorist – so that the result is as you envisioned it. Come visit our Houston hair salon to get the desired results you want.
How is Hair Toner Applied?
Usually, toner will be applied at the shampoo bowl after a double process service is completed. It can be applied to specific sections of the hair using foils, but generally it’s an all-over thing. Toner typically takes five to 20 minutes to process, depending on the type and application method utilized. Our Houston hairstylists will determine if a toner is necessary (it isn’t always), which type to use, and how it should be applied. Have questions for our Houston hairstylists? Ask us. Particularly with bleaching services, if you’re curious about what is going on with your hair, it’s important to ask. You want to get the exact blonde you’re looking for—and not to fry your hair.
Hairstylists use the color wheel to determine what tone is necessary for your toner service. They’ll choose a toner that is on the opposite side of the color wheel from the tone you’re trying to get rid of. If your hair is too red, a green toner is used; if your hair is too orange, a blue toner is used; and if your hair is too yellow, a purple toner will neutralize the unwanted yellow tone. Usually, the toner will be purple, but it’s best to know what you’re trying to neutralize.
How Long Does Hair Toner Last?
This is particularly important because toner often lasts only an average of 4 to 8 weeks, depending on how well you take care of your hair color. Some toners do last longer, so if you’re curious, just ask one of our Houston hair colorist.
Toner can be reapplied at the hair salon, if desired. During regular services, toner application usually includes an up-charge. Prices of the application vary depending on the salon and stylist. Some salons include application in their service charges, but others don’t. Ask your hair stylist if toner is included, and what the added charges are any time you have a highlight performed.
Will Toner Lighten My Hair Color?
Hair toners cannot, and should not, replace the lightening process that hair goes through when it’s bleached. Glosses and toners won’t actually be able to lighten your hair if you notice it fading—they should only be used to correct the tone of the color. Properly toned colors may appear brighter because they are cooler-toned, not necessarily because they are lighter in shade.
How Long Should You Wait to Tone Your Hair Again?
If you’re wondering if you can tone your hair twice on the same day, no you can’t—and you should not even in a week. You should understand that your hair already suffered damages from the effects of bleaching, and using another mix of chemicals won’t do any good.
If you already used toner and didn’t get the exact shade that you want, wait for at least four weeks or one month before toning again. However, unhealthy and vulnerable hair needs more time to recover, so it’s ideal to wait around 7 to 8 weeks.
How Often Can You Tone Your Brassy Hair?
When your hair color turns into shades of orange, yellow, and red, it just means the brassy tones are setting in.
Depending on how well you take care of your color, it can last around 4 to 8 weeks, so you could tone your hair after a month. Toning might be the best fix on neutralizing brassiness, but you should not overdo it.
Do not tone your brassy hair in a month or less if it looks weak and damaged. If you usually switch up your hair color, think of glosses or demi-permanent colors that can last around 6 weeks or longer.
You may also incorporate purple and blue toning shampoos or conditioners into your at-home routine. These products work as toners on eliminating brassiness and refreshing your color. However, you should use it at a maximum of two times a week—not every day.
Can You Apply Hair Toners at Home?
We advise that clients shouldn’t attempt to fix brassiness or dullness on their own at home. We recommend to go to a hair salon first, speak to your hair colorist, and let them advise on the best toning products for your hair.
Why Shouldnt I Tone My Hair at Home?
Well because many drugstore toning formulas can be overly drying when used the wrong way. If you happen to use too much of the wrong formula, your hair will feel more dry and flaky than shiny. Not to mention, most toning products, like purple shampoo, that are available at the drugstore are specifically formulated for toning blondes—so it’s tough for those with darker hair to tone correctly without a professional hairstylist to help. When applied at the hair salon, toners are customized to fit each client’s needs. In other words, one-size-fits-all toners often don’t work on everyone.
Things You Should Know Before Toning Your Hair at Home
One-size-fits-all toners often don’t work on everyone
Do you know most drugstore toners are specifically designed for blonde hair? If you have lighter hair, it can work for you, but if you’ve got darker hair, better consult your colorist for the best toning products to use.
You can actually ruin your overall color when you go out of your “hair color family"
More than that, these toners are less pigmented and powerful than products used at a salon, so they can’t be enough if you need an extensive color correction. If you don’t have experience using toners or aren’t even familiar with the color wheel or color theory, better go to a pro.
Toners aren’t just for color but shine too
Toners usually come in a gloss or gel-like formula and add shine to your hair. In fact, acid-based toners won’t affect your hair color, but only give it some glossy effect. Just think of toners being like lip gloss for your color-treated hair.
Toners cannot lighten your hair color
Toners are not bleach, which takes off the pigment from your hair so you can deposit the dye. It means you cannot rely on toners and glosses when your hair color is already fading. There’s a big difference between coloring your hair and tweaking the tone into a cooler or warmer shade. In order for the toner to work, your hair must be previously lightened or colored first.
Most drugstore toning formulas can be overly drying
When toners are applied at the salon, they are often customized to fit your needs. However, relying on drugstore formulas can lead to dry and brittle hair, especially if you use the wrong product for your hair. Also, it is easier to overuse toning drops that are often mixed with hair products.
Toning shampoos are different from toners but work the same way
If you want to neutralize brassiness at home, better opt for purple or blue shampoos that are effective yet less damaging than toners used at salons. In fact, you can’t just go to a drugstore and buy a “toner.” Tinted shampoos and conditioners can be considered as toners since they can adjust the tone in your hair, and the effect can last for a month.