Expert: Dana Sear - 7/1/2009

Question
I decided to bleach my black hair using wella oil bleach and 40 developer, after using a color remover, as I read it would help to lift my black color quicker. I applied the bleach on my wet hair after rinsing the color remover, and it did not take evenly. I initially did not apply the bleach to the roots, but after 45 minutes I realized since my hair was wet I didnt apply enough bleach and it was not lifting, so I applied more all over my head. My roots are very gold, and the rest of my hair is reddish, orange brown, and slightly patchy throughout. I would rather not spend the money to get this fixed at a salon since its just for the summer and Im a broke college student. Can I use a toner to fix this since its much lighter at the roots, or will that not last? Would a semi or demi permanent color work better? Id like to do a light caramel brown and need something that will last for about three months before I go back to black.

Answer
Hiya Michelle,

I'll tell ya', if you were my client I'd strangle you! LOL I'm just kidding. Ok, seriously, here's the problem. You can't put a toner or a semi-demi permanent color (which incidentally, that's what toner is) all over hair that is several different colors, and get just one. You either need to apply more bleach to the darker spots and get them as light as the lighter areas, or apply a color to the lighter areas to get them as dark as the darker spots. It's easier to go lighter, btw.

You need to apply the bleach or color remover to very, fine, thin sections or else you are going to get even more splotchy spots. Once your hair is mostly one color, then you tone to that color. In order to tone, you need to look at a color wheel. If your hair is red, and you don't want red, you look at the color wheel, go directly across from red and see green. Green is what you have to use to get the red out and have a more neutral color. If your hair is orange, you would put blue. It starts getting even trickier if you have a bit of red, a bit of orange, a bit brown. Then, you will need green and blue in the formula. And, if you want to keep a bit of the warmth, you need to cut the formula with something that will temper the red and orange you don't want and leave enough warmth to end up with caramel.

The good news is, caramel is a warm tan. So, once you lift the darker parts to match the lighter parts, mix a color formula half and half of either green and/or blue, whichever you ended up with and a neutral  (not ash or warm, NEUTRAL) brown. That should cut the red and orange you don't want leaving enough warmth to have caramel brown.


If it sounds complicated -  it is. Another thing to remember. You have to tone on level or darker. You cannot use level 9 violet on level 7 orange. It will still be orange. So, if your hair is lifted to a level 7 orange or level 6 red/orange, you have to apply the same level toner. If it's the 6 r/o, you have to tone it with a level 6 or darker. If it's a 7O, you have to tone it with a level 7 or darker. Keep that in mind when you are buying the color you are going to tone with. Be sure to use a low pH shampoo and conditioner, and as cool of water as you can tolerate. Your color will last twice as long.

Good luck,

dana