What to expect when going from blonde to brunette
Transitioning from blonde hair to brunette can be quite the process and requires a deep amount of hair color knowledge in order to walk away with a rich chocolate shade vs a muddy brown.
Here are a few things to expect as a client and a few tips for stylists when doing a big shade change like this…
You always have options. I like to give my clients two options to complete this service. Option one, we can break it into two services. The first appointment we will take you 2-3 shades darker then your current hair color and it will have a warm chestnut undertone. It is required for us to put warmth back into the hair to avoid it turning a muddy or ashy color. Appointment two will need to be scheduled 3-4 weeks out to avoid drastic fading and during that session we will usually reach your goal shade. For option two we can schedule a color correction appointment where we refill the hair with the warm missing pigments and then cover with a brunette. I like to give two options to clients because it helps them find what is best for their budget and lets them decide if they want to ease in or fully commit to going darker.
At home care is crucial. I always stress during a tone down appointment how important it is to purchase and take home recommended products. Using the right haircare will drastically reduce fading and maintain hair health. I also recommend washing in cooler water to avoid fading as well.
Pre book for maintenance. Even after reaching your goal shade its so important to know / educate your clients that the color still will fade. The blonde is still underneath and it usually takes 2-3 reapplications to really enforce the color and slow down fading. Once my clients reach their goal shade I usually recommend coming in every 5-6 weeks at first (even for just a gloss) to prevent over fading.