"Vibrant and pastel colors are quite the trend," says Eric Anthony (@ericanthonyhair), a master-colorist at The Canyon Salon, Westlake Village, California. "Eventually, as one might imagine, our adventurous clients will choose to go back to a natural look, or previous hair color." According to Anthony, it's not a matter of simply covering purple with a darker or desired color. "I have received emails from fellow colorists with their accounts of dye-backs resulting in muddy, grey-ish and even green results. The process is much like a corrective-color one. The color currently visible, in this example of pink and purple, acts as the underlying pigment to a new golden-brown. It must be COMPLETELY removed."

Eric shares how he reversed this fashion trend:

STEP 1: Shampoo with a high PH clarifying shampoo. Apply Malibu C Quick Fix and work into the hair. Do not rinse. Cover with a plastic cap and place client under a hot dryer for 15 minutes. Rinse and shampoo.

STEP 2: Blend equal parts of Wella Blondor Soft, 10 volume and a repair shampoo. Apply 1/2" from scalp through ends. "This process completely removed the pink and purple." Shampoo the mixture off and repeat the process on scalp.

STEP 3: Apply a filler. Formula used here: Wella, Color Touch 9/3 with Color Touch 6 volume developer. Process for 15 minutes and rinse.

STEP 4: Towel-dry the hair and apply equal parts of Wella Color Touch 6/0 and 6/71. Process 30 minutes and rinse. Apply Wella Service Color Post Treatment for 10 minutes and rinse.

STEP 5: Balayage with Wella Blondor Soft, but this time, with 2 parts Pastel Developer. NOTE: "Once hair has been pre-lightened and toned with semi or demi color, there is no need to use 10 volume or higher."

STEP 6: Tone with  Color Touch 9/16 with 6 volume developer.

STEP 7: Shampoo with Wella LuxeOil Keratin Protect Shampoo and LuxeOil Restore mask.

 

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.

Read more about