Embrace Your Color
So you’ve colored your hair, unwrapped the towel, and…the color in the mirror looks different from the model’s hair on the box. Don’t panic. Wait until your hair is completely dry. Color on wet hair may appear brighter or darker. Also, the model’s photo depicts what the product looked like on her hair. Your starting color may have been darker, lighter, or have had more red in it than the model’s did. Remember that haircolor is like chemistry. The end result is determined by a combination of your starting color, the condition of your hair, and the color you are adding.
Adjust Your Shade
If you feel that your color turned out drastically different from what you were hoping for, there are a few fixes you can try at home.
If your hair is too dark
Shampoo the darkest area several times with a shampoo NOT intended for use on color-treated hair. Follow with a very rich conditioner or treatment formulated for color-treated hair, like EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care.
If your hair is too light
Apply a darker shade of the same brand to your hair, but keep it on for about half of the recommended time. Check your color every five minutes. Rinse when you feel your hair is dark enough.
If your hair is too red
To tone down the red, you can try coloring your hair with a shade of brown that’s the same color level as the red shade you used. Apply the color first to the area that’s most red and keep it on for five to 10 minutes at most. Check your color every five minutes. Rinse when you feel you hair is dark enough.
If your color looks faded
Stress from frequent washings and heated styling tools as well as damage from free radicals and sun exposure can cause color to fade over time. Revive your sheen with a toning gloss like Colorist Secrets™ Brass Banisher™. If that does not provide a boost, it may simply be time to recolor. An application of the exact L’Oréal Paris shade that you used previously can replenish your color perfectly. To help your haircolor last, wash color-treated hair gently and use extra care when styling. Always use EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care to hydrate colored locks without stripping color, and apply EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care Conditioning Treatment weekly for a dose of antioxidants and UV filters to protect your color.
Play Up Your Highlights
Highlighting your hair at home is fast and easy. But if your resulting hair looks different from what you expected, here are a few suggestions for next time.
If your highlights are too visible
Next time select fewer, thinner strands of hair to highlight. When you are applying the mixture, make sure that each strand is completely saturated so that your highlights look precise and even. It’s possible that you left the highlighting mixture in your hair longer than the recommended time. This will create very light highlights, which might cause too much contrast with your base color. Next time, avoid overly light highlights by keeping a closer eye on the clock.
If your highlights are not visible enough
You may have been very conservative in your placement of highlights, or the strands you highlighted were too skinny. It’s also possible that you didn’t leave the highlighting mixture on your hair for the full time recommended, or the strands weren’t completely saturated with the highlighting mixture. The first thing to do is reapply with your L’Oréal Paris highlighting product to lift the color. For your second application, apply more color on your selected strands, but let it set for only the minimum suggested time. If you are still unhappy, the culprit is probably your placement of the highlights, so the next time you highlight, adjust your technique and try highlighting closer to the front and top of your hair.
If your highlights are too thick
You may have selected very thick strands of your hair to highlight, making the end results too visible and obvious, or you may have applied the highlights too close together. The next time you highlight, be sure to apply the mixture to thinner strands for a result that’s not so chunky and thick. To make your highlights look more natural, find a L’Oréal haircolor that most closely resembles your base color, like Excellence Creme® or Superior Preference®. Pick up the highlighted strands you want to thin and pull out a smaller section of hair that you want to keep highlighted—and color this section.
If your highlights are brassy
Frequent washings, heated styling tools, air pollutants and exposure to the sun can cause bright highlights to fade and turn brassy over time. To correct this, use a toning gloss like Colorist Secrets™ Brass Banisher™ that will reduce brassy tones. Cleanse your mane by using a clarifying shampoo once or twice a week and brush your hair to help eliminate pollutants. To keep your hair brass free always, use shampoos, conditioners, and treatments designed for highlighted hair, like the EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care.
Not very precise
It’s essential to choose the strands you want to highlight and pull the hair away from your head before coloring. When those pieces have been separated out, you can apply the highlighting mixture. Be sure to coat the entire strand evenly. Use a delicate touch when applying the highlighting mixture close to the scalp. To create a balanced result, finish highlighting one piece, gently lay it down, and pick up the strand on the other side of your head. Continue to alternate sides so that your highlights don’t appear too blonde in one area. If you attempt to brush on the highlighting mixture with your hair lying flat against your head, you will end up with thick, uneven highlights.
Make a Dramatic Change
If you are unhappy with your color results and want to dramatically alter your look without waiting for your colored hair to grow out, call the Customer Hotline at 1-800-535-3457 for personalized advice about what you should do next. You may also try using the Colorist Secrets™ Haircolor Remover. This remarkable product will completely remove all artificial color from your hair, leaving it ready for a new color application. Keep in mind that this process may not restore your hair to its original, natural shade, but it will prepare your hair for a new coat of color. When seriously re-adjusting your haircolor, call the Customer Hotline for help and make sure to read and follow all the instructions on any L’Oréal haircolor product before you use it.
