Gray Day: Jack Martin Strikes Again with a Technique to Help Clients Go Gray with Grace

Jack Martin, a colorist from California, has beem blowing up on MODERN's website and social channels lately for his unelievable gray transformations. Not the traditional gray content, either--he's known for helping his clients embrace their gray!

In this before and after, Martin took his client to a gray, silver shade designed to blend and match her natural gray roots with a mission to stop coloring her hair.

"I started the long process by removing the artificial dye using Malibu C Pro CPR for 40 minutes then Pravana Color Extractor for 20 minutes," he says. 

Next, he used lightener on the whole head beginning from where her gray new growth began in foils, taking very thing sections for faster lightening until he reached a Level 10 pale yellow blonde. His formula: Wella Blondor with 20-volume developer mixed with Olaplex. He processed for 4 hours, leaving out her new growth.

While he worked with the lightener, he simultaneously colored the hair left out of foils with Wella Color Charm 3A/148 (blue/green base ash brown) mixed with 10 vol for about 30 minutes to create that salt and pepper look.

"During processing I had to open each foil and reapply a new lightener mixture to the warm areas, then rinse the hair, tone with Wella Blondor pale platinum with 10 vol for 20 minuets to cancel all the yellow from the hair, and then rinse again," he says. "Olaplex number 2 for 20 minutes, then shampoo, condition, cut and style with round brushes."

‎‏Total service: 9 hours

Feeling inspired? Check out this piece on how Martin transforms his clients, plus his tips on maintaining the transformations: 10 Times Jack Martin Colorist Helped His Clients Go Gray.