Highlights & Lowlights....

So, I was on the Smartstyles Facebook page the other day, and came across an angry parent, who posted pictures on HER facebook page regarding the color job her daughter received.  Once I looked at the pictures, I could immediately tell what went wrong, all the way around.

Here's what happened:  Client went in, with level 6-7 hair, wanting bleach highlights and red low lights.  Sounds pretty simple, right??  Well, it is, if you know what you're doing and if you're up on the current education.  By the looks of this color job, I'd say the stylist wasn't up on the current education

Highlights were done with bleach, pretty straight foreward.  The only mistake I could see was that the stylist should have used a lower volume developer, so the processing was slow & steady, to keep the damage to a minimum.  The red low lights??  Well, that's where the "fun" begins.

To start with, permanent color was used.  How could I tell??  The regrowth area were a nice, vibrant color, then ends were washed out.  Problem #1.  Demi permanent color should have been used instead for a deep, rich color.

Problem #2:  When mom dragged teenage daughter back to the salon to get her low lights "fixed", the stylist should have gone back in with a similar, if not the same formula in demi permanent color, and picked through the hair to locate as much of the red as possible to go over it again, to intensify the color.  This also didn't happen.  More of the permanent color was used. 

The end result??  The girl's hair faded to a weird pinkish color.  Her hair looks FRIED, too.

What should have happened (if it didn't already):  A THOROUGH consultation, to determine what color was desired.  Then, if we're dealing with a relatively inexperienced stylist, some assistance from a more experienced stylist to help formulate.  Also, a conversation with the client (and client's parent) about the fact that reds fade the quickest, so what to expect should have been part of the conversation.

What to expect:  Because "red" has a large dye molecule, it is the quickest to fade because each molecule covers a much larger area than molecules for blonde or brown.  So, the rich, vibrant color will FADE to something weird, relatively quickly.  To help combat this, using the right color safe (sulfate free) shampoo or smoothing shampoo (which closes down the cuticle, keeping the color intact) along with washing the hair in TEPID water (hot water pushes the color out faster) will go a long way to keeping the hair color intact.  IF you're going to insist on washing your hair in the hottest water imaginable, (and you're in the shower) get your hair washed and conditioned, pinned up out of the way, and GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE WATER.  The easiest way to do this??  Turn around and face the water spray.  Usually, I'll leave the conditioner on my hair, pin it up, finish my shower, then drop my hair down at the last minute to rinse it before I get out of the shower. Doing all of this ensures my red lasts as long as possible.  Works every time.

Reds are difficult to work with, from a client point of view.  They require a lot of TLC in order to last as long as possible.  If you're not willing to put in the care that must be involved, reds aren't for you.