At The Vanilla Room we know that a real colour transformation is all about the journey. There are many factors that are key to a hair colour change, from great condition hair and the right products, to patience and being realistic about what can be achieved. Here, salon owner Kerry Larcher talks us through a recent colour change transformation. Read on for the incredible step-by-step client journey …
“Before embarking on any colour transformation it’s really important for a hairdresser to take the time to understand the client’s full hair history. For a colour change of this kind I always want to make sure the client understands and accepts that we won’t be able to know the exact shade and result before beginning the process. This client was fully accepting of this and her hair was in fantastic condition to begin with, great hair condition is absolutely key before starting any colour change.
Starting her journey with a tinted all over medium brown shade, the client’s hair was being coloured every three weeks and had been for over 22 years. Our aim was to slowly release the previous artificial colour pigments and lighten the hair without causing excess damage. To do this we used K18 products throughout every part of the service on the day, and we used the gentlest products available, ensuring minimal damage to the hair.
On the day of the transformation, we began by detoxifying the client’s hair with the new K18 shampoo to remove product build up and mineral deposits. Then we removed the first layer of colour depth, which turned the hair’s shade to an orange colour. Then darker and lighter pieces were applied on the underneath to copy the client’s natural hair colour pattern, ensuring there will not be any excessive re growth.
Following the client’s natural hair colour pattern we applied a darker shade at the back, and where she was grey this was lightened to a pale blonde, using foils to cover the whole head. As each area developed it was washed off, so backwards and forwards to the basin many times throughout the day. This service is very labour intensive, with the stylist spending every moment with that client, so the whole day must be booked. The lightener used was a Redken lightener with bonder inside for extra hair protection
Once the final foil was rinsed the result was a shade of yellow, this is where the artificial colour had previously been, and exactly what we would expect to see at this stage. When working with previously coloured hair it’s impossible to lighten the hair to ‘white’, there will always be some warmth otherwise the hair would be compromised and break. The white shade you often see on Instagram is a lighting and filter trick, and is not achievable on a real head of hair outside of a studio. The white look that’s often requested would damage the hair severely, and the hair’s integrity is our number one priority at TVR, so softer silvers, ash and beige tones are used to neutralise the amount of warmth in the final result.
Then two different toners were applied to reflect the client’s natural colour pattern of slightly darker at the back and lighter at the top, with the lightest part at the very front. Once these were washed off, we used the K18 mask, cut and blow-dried the hair, and no other products were applied.
The incredible final result was a beautiful ash beige, the client’s hair condition was so shiny and soft you would never know that 11 hours ago this was a dark head of hair. Now she will only need to visit for a toner refresh in the coming months, and maybe some highlights if she wants too, not because she has too, freeing the client from the commitment of roots.
It was an absolute pleasure to provide this service and go on such an incredible colour journey with the client. We offer this as a Bespoke Make-Over full-day service, costs start at £500 which includes a cut and style. There can be additional costs depending on the stylist selected, bonding services, and additional vish product charges.
Our client was delighted with the results and gave us the following 5-star review:
“Kerry understood what I wanted and took the time to explain every step of the process ensuring the condition of my hair was kept along the way. I had a major change and I wouldn’t have trusted anyone else to do it. Thank you to Kerry and the team for listening to me.”
Considering a colour transformation? Call 01708 452245 to arrange a complimentary colour consultation with one of our expert TVR stylists. Start your bespoke colour journey today.
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