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About Dana Sear
Expertise
I can answer questions on all types of hairstyling, cutting, designing, coloring, corrective color, perming techniques,product knowledge, and in general, anything that has anything to do with hair.

Experience
I have been a designer and educator for 26 years. I have been a salon consultant for Redken, affiliate trainer for ABBA Pure and Natural and am currently a member of the design team and trainer for my company. I specialize in corrective color, perming and style support, and image updates (make overs)

Education/Credentials
I have been actively licensed for 26 years. I have a college degree in another field, and actively participate in and teach cutting, perming, coloring, and business building classes. I am a certified Redken Consultant and certified to perform and teach Chi Transformation.

You are here: Experts > Teens > Fashion > Hairstyling > haircolor

Hairstyling - haircolor

Expert: Dana Sear - 10/29/2009

Question
QUESTION: I am a natural level 6 medium brown with med/fine texture. I used matrix socolor 11A with 30 vol expecting to get a level 8 or 9 slightly warm blonde. Instead I got a very pretty but bright copper. I toned it down with color sync demi 8n/10n mixed...it now is a natural looking ginger...again not bad. The question is how to a get the light or medium blonde using single process...what did I do wrong?

ANSWER: Hiya Patti,

It sounds like you did everything right. There are some general things that could be the issue:

1. Your natural level may actually be darker than a 6. That would explain it not being as light as you wanted.
2. You did not leave in on long enough. Did you process the full amount of time?
3. You did not apply the color in small or fine enough sections allowing proper penetration of the color.
4. Did you already have color on your hair? Color will not predictably lift color.

It is possible that you are just heavily pigmented and need to pre-lighten to get the color you want. One way to tell that is to look at your eye color. If you have a very dark ring around the outside of the colored part of your eye, you are going to be harder to lift.

I haven't used Socolor in a while so I can't remember but some color lines require a 40 volume in their high lift series. Make sure you used the proper developer and check your timing. You may just need to use a lightener and tone. You may also get better results if you clarify your hair prior to the color service as well. I usually recommend doing this the day before, and avoid product until after the lightening service.

Hope that helps. If not, let me know and we'll break it down step by step to what could have gone wrong.

dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: it was virgin hair. I left it on too long thinking it was going to get to blonde any minute. I guess I could be a level 5 but wouldn't the formula have been the same? It actually did get to a level 9 bright copper red. Do you know why it turned out so warm when I was going to a neutral blonde? Should I use a different formula like a a ash violet or a different level to get the neutral ginger I have now in the first try without using toner and a violet shampoo?

Answer
You probably need to use an ash tone. If it got all the way to a level 9 and was just too warm, the color you used, didn't have enough toner in it to correct the contributing tones.

Another trick, not for the faint hearted, is to put a toothpick in the tube of a level 1, blue, and add a teeny tiny dot to your formula. And I mean TEENY TINY. In the level 11, there is very small dye load. In the level 1, it is about 99% dye. It will tone out the unwanted warmth. I use a toothpick and dip it into the tube of 1B and add it to my formula. Works like a gem.

Don't forget - TEENY, TINY drop.

Good luck, :-)

dana

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