AI-enhanced images and instant transformations shown on social media may give clients the impression that changing hair color is an easy, uninvolved process. Even stylists can start to question themselves when looking at amazing images of #hairtransformations shown without context.
And according to veteran colorist, owner, and educator Daniel Keane, that mindset is where things can start to go wrong. “Everybody wants it to be simple,” he says. “And sometimes it’s not.”
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With more than four decades in the industry, Keane is a salon owner, educator, and colorist known for his technical expertise and commitment to ongoing learning. He has taught extensively throughout his career, and is currently an Academy Director forIT&LY Hairfashion, where he continues to share his approach to color, chemistry, and technique.
MODERN SALON:Before diving in, please help us define the terms because even within the industry, “correction” and “adjustment” are often used interchangeably. What’s the difference between a color correction and a color adjustment?
Daniel Keane: “Color correction means we have to either remove or replace color. There’s an unwanted color in the hair that we need to remove, or the hair has been lightened so much that we need to replace missing pigment to get to the desired result.
“A color adjustment, on the other hand, is when we’re working within one or two levels of the existing color and refining tonal values. We’re not removing unwanted pigment or replacing missing pigment—we’re just shifting tone.”
The consultation is an art in itself. And Keane never takes short cuts. “I still do a full consultation every visit,” he says. “Because life changes.”
That means going beyond inspiration photos and asking deeper questions about haircare routines, water quality, medications, and at-home product use. “I can do the most amazing haircut or color, but if they go home and use less-than-professional products or have heavy minerals in their water, that compromises my work.”
A unique question Keane poses is to ask “why.” “It’s not just what they want—it’s why they want it. Are they in it for the long term, or just a temporary boost?”
Daniel Keane is the owner of Serenza Salon and Day Spa outside of Seattle. Over the span of his impressive career, Keane has honed and demonstrated his skills in countless masterclasses, working with industry professionals and educators from all over the world.
MODERN SALON:Sometimes clients don’t fully reveal their hair history. How do you handle that?
Daniel Keane: “A lot of times, it’s not intentional. People don’t always understand what ‘counts’ as hair color.
“They’ve used something that says ‘natural,’ or a semi- or demi-permanent color from a drugstore, or even henna, and they don’t realize they’ve actually altered their hair.
“So in the consultation," he says, "I ask very clearly: Have you ever done anything to your hair? Masks, glosses, anything that changes color. And if they tell me a little bit, that’s a window. I can start asking more questions.”
“If they say no," he continues, "but I can see or feel something in the hair, I’ll push a little further. I’ll say, ‘I’m seeing something here.’ And 99% of the time, they’ll say, ‘Well… I did do this one thing once.’ They’re coming to me for my professionalism. I need that information to do my job.”
"If a stylist doesn’t lift the hair far enough to reach the desired level, they’ll often try to use a toner to fix it, but it doesn’t work that way. You have to do the proper assessment and lift the hair to the correct level first.”--Daniel Keane
Credit:
It&ly Hair Fashion
MODERN SALON:And pricing, how do you determine it, and when do you discuss it with the client? Is that part of the consultation?
Daniel: “I have fundamental pricing for services like a color retouch, mini foil, full foil, or a color refresh, with additional charges if more product is needed. Pricing starts at a base level, and during the consultation—especially for corrective work—I’m very upfront about both the process and the cost.
“That conversation ties directly into what the client wants and what it will take to get there. Ideally, I prefer to do the consultation on a separate day from the service, particularly for more complex changes.
“Some of my younger stylists will come to me with photos clients have sent ahead of time, which can be helpful. But for a new guest looking for a major transformation, I want to see their hair in person and I want to read their reaction when I ask what they’ve done to it.
“After years in this industry, you develop a sense for it. That instinct is important.”
Fill vs. Tone: What’s the Difference?
We asked Keane to break down a classic color question.
Toning Refines or adjusts the tone of the hair while staying within one level of the existing color. Most often used after lightening to fine-tune the final result.
Filling Replaces missing pigment when hair is going darker. If the hair is more than three levels lighter than the desired result, underlying pigment needs to be added back in before or during the color service.
The Problem with “Simple” Color
One of the most common struggles Daniel sees both in salons and in his education work is that, "people want it to be simple,” he says. “Or they think the end result should happen in a single step.
“When someone doesn’t fully understand the laws of color and the chemistry involved to go from a level 3 to a level 8 and keep it cool, that’s where they run into problems.”
Too often, stylists don't schedule enough time, or take on services beyond their comfort level says Keane. Or they reply on the equivalent of post-production with toners.
“Toners don’t solve improper lightening decisions," says Keane. “If you don’t lift the hair to the correct level, you can’t rely on a toner to fix it. You have to work within the physics of hair color.
Tools, Technology and the Evolution of Color
It&ly Hair Fashion is an Italian manufacturer of professional hair color, care, and styling products, known for its focus on color performance and hair health. Keane, who has been using and educating for the brand since the 1980s, says he values the brand's ongoing research and development, and its range of color systems and treatments designed to support both results and hair integrity.
“We’ve gone from a single permanent color and a liquid demi-permanent to incredibly versatile systems,” he says.
“I think the constant evolution of Itely Hair Fashion comes from the nature of Italian creativity. There’s a kind of triangle in professional haircolor—Italy, Germany, and France—where some of the best chemists are, and they’ve pushed each other for decades. That competitive energy, along with stricter European standards around formulation and sustainability, continues to drive innovation."--Daniel Keane
Credit:
It&ly Hair Fashion
One standout is IT&LY Hair Fashion’s delyGLOW Triple Action, an ammonia-free color system that can function as a permanent color, a tone-on-tone option, or a toner based on developer choice and formulation. Designed to offer up to four levels of lift along with gray coverage, it allows colorists to approach a range of services—from corrective work to subtle adjustments—using one system.
“In many cases, we can fill and color in one step,” Keane says.
He also points to Repair Filler, a restructuring fluid that is a beautiful "insurance policy" to use prior to color services.
“You apply it on dry hair with a brush, almost like you’re applying color, focusing on the mid-lengths to ends. Then you gently dry the hair, which helps drive the filler into the cortex. After that, you apply your color from scalp to ends. The result is incredible, the color looks better, and the hair feels healthier. It contains our repair bond technology, which fills in the holes in the hair, and because the color itself is so conditioning, the hair actually feels better after the service."
How to Set Expectations in the Age of AI
Despite our seeming sophistication in the age of AI, clients will still bring in inspiration photos that are composite fantasies. But it isn't the client's fault, Keane knows.
“I had two new guests show me photos, recently, and both said ‘AI enhanced’ at the bottom,” Keane says. "I really try to take the time to ask them questions instead of dismissing it: “I ask, ‘What do you actually like about it? The length? The texture? The color?’ Because without context, images can be misleading. And I want to discover what they like so that I can explain what is possible and get aligned.
““You have to make it real for the client,” Keane says. “What’s achievable for their hair, their lifestyle, their maintenance. We agree on the destination before I ever start.”
To learn more about Daniel Keane's preferred color and care line, visit It&ly Hair Fashion.
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