Corrective Color: DIY Hair Color Oops

Ever tried coloring your hair at home and found the experience neither
nice nor easy? You were going for that shiny auburn on the box and
ended up ruby red (or ashy, or brassy, or dull). Or maybe those subtle
highlights didn’t come out subtle after all because what you
achieved were streaks or patches or clumps—hardly the
natural sun-kissed look you were going for. 

It happens. Mistakes are made. Chemicals burn. Hair fries.
Friends are lost (if you had a buddy do the magic for you).

But there’s hope. Yes, it takes time for hair to repair itself but
eventually it will. In the meantime (unless you want to shave
your head) it also takes a professional colorist to undo the
damage that’s been done.

The East Main Salon ER specialists (because by the time you
arrive at the salon with a towel over your head it IS an emergency)
are trained to resuscitate your hair. They’ll be happy to consult
with you about what your options are so you’ll be looking fabulous in no time. 

But first, what the hell happened? 

That Woman on the Box is Deceiving
Was your color a surprise? According to Ursula Stephens, Rihanna’s colorist,
the actual color you’ll get is darker than the shade shown on the box.
"Buy one or two shades lighter than your desired color," Stephens says.
"It is easier to amp up a color's intensity than it is to tone it down."

You Strayed Too Far
Paying attention to your natural skin tone pays off. Why?
Because considering skin tone makes for a more natural look
when it comes to hair color. For instance, Mitra Mir, colorist
in West London,  says for fair skin tones, “Avoid an all over flat
color as this can make the skin look dull." For olive skin,
“Bleaching the hair to look blonder can age you and doesn't
​always compliment the skin."

Overdoing It
Not to get too scientific, but there are chemical processes at work
when coloring that, when done incorrectly, for too long, or too
frequently can fry your hair. Cosmetic chemist Ni’Kita Wilson
says, “If you use the wrong level of peroxide, or if you over-process
your hair by constantly performing chemical treatments, you can
continue to cause serious damage to your hair.” 

There are more things that could go wrong with an in-home dye job,
but these are some of the main ones. All can be addressed by your
stylist when you make a corrective color consultation and discuss your options. 

So what are some of those options?

“Corrective color is always done on a case-by-case basis,” says
Ashley Sinclair, owner of East Main. “That’s why we offer a free
consultation. We want to see what happened and talk with a client to
see what she was going for and how we can help her get on track for
that look.” For an ashy or brassy result, Sinclair says, “we may have to
lighten the hair more and tone the color up or down depending.”
For clumpy highlights, “we’d weave in a very fine foil most likely to counterbalance.”

Whatever the mishap, the experts at East Main have you covered.
​Before you know it, you’ll be good as new and ready to face the world again.