Let's talk toners!
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What is a toner?
Admittedly, the term can be confusing. That’s because many hairdressers use the word interchangeably with other terms like hair glossing and fading.
Essentially, a toner is a hair colour product that contains low or no ammonia, that gently alters the undertone of the hair but let me break it down for you so that you understand what they do and why they are so important.
When lighting, we lift the hair to what we call "RAW" lift. It’s a raw cuticle that is open and if it’s not closed and the pH of the hair isn’t balanced, it can create damage and split ends over time. Lightener leaves the hair yellow, a little orange and sometimes white. And even if you love the colour it is, it needs to be toned to close the cuticle.
A consultation is a guided interview that should help you both get to the best understanding of what you would like, and what is attainable. Our colour experts at Avalon hair salon, Crouch End will take time to talk in depth about your hair history. So when you talk to one of our colourist, honesty is truly the best policy. We work with a variety of chemicals that create different reactions. Sometimes these chemicals have adverse reactions when mixed, and the only way your colourist will know if they are present is for you to tell them. The simplest way to talk about your “Hair History” is to work backward in months. Hair grows on average half an inch per month. If your hair is 6 inches long, the ends are 1 year old. If it 12 inches long it is 2 years old. Everything that you do and live through exists in that hair. If you went blonde last year but put a box on it to go back to your natural, the blonde is still there, just hidden. If you used any sort of box or shampoo that altered your colour enough for you see “roots” growing out, it is chemically affected, and you must tell your colourist everything that has affected your hair. This is where your toner comes in to play.
 Toners are designed to either enhance warmth or neutralise, subdue excessive warmth or simply to sprinkle some absolute magic onto your hair to create something absolutely beautiful.
Toners are what we as hairdresser mostly call a “semi” permanent colour meaning they fade from shampooing and once they are gone the hair is back to its Raw state.
Toner formulas can be changed tweaked to suit changing needs and trends and a great way to keep your hair shiny and fresh without having to foil work every time.
Toner will not lift your hair to make it lighter but they can certainly make a big impact when the correct formula is chosen.
Why not pop in to Avalon Crouch End Hair Salon and ask one of our colourist for advice. This article was written by the Salon Manager Michelle at Avalon. |
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