Banishing the dreaded black xxl LIVE

[candis]

I have two clients this week wanting to go from black to a dark red
They have only used xxl for a couple of months , today I have tested a sample of one and used bleach and 9% it has lifted really well and actually gone a caramel warm blonde! I'm shocked!! So what I'm wondering as I haven't tested it on a bleach bath yet, in the experience or more talented colourists can u tell me if it's lifted ok with bleach in foil like this will it lift just as well in a bleach bath? As ideally bleach bath then 5.6 straight over would be easier and cheaper for the clients otherwise i was going to do full head bleach foils and then colour over top?!?
Any thoughts on best option pretty please? Xx

 

[Bluerinse]

If your only trying to get to a 5 I personally would bleach bath it rather than straight bleach! It's better for your clients hair and less time consuming. And you can watch development easier make sure you include aftercare in the price you quote!

 

[candis]

Thanks, I don't always have good results with bleach baths ie uneven or don't lift out much which is why I debated doing the foils, I do my bleach baths in a back wash using I scoop of bleach, 30ml warm water, 30ml 6% and 15 ml of a clarifying shampoo should I use 9%? or is there another mixture to get better results? As the bleach I tested took 50 mins to lift to that colour I described so thinking of how uncomfortable client may be if it takes along time bathing it, should I be constantly massaging through the hair? And am I'm aiming to lift to orange yellow to deposit a 5.6 on?
Sorry for all the questions lol
Thanks for your reply xx

 

[Bluerinse]

Truth is you will never get a good colour with it being xxl even if you neat bleach it which will kill the hair!! So it's an awkward one but I would opt for a bleach bath but be more realistic with what your aiming for even if it was normal salon colour you can struggle to lift out to a 5 base from black!

 

[candis]

Ok thanks would u stick to 6% then or go for 9% in thR bleach bath
Thanks x

 

[Scu8a8uddy]

I've posted on this already today. Whatever you do, even if it's only lifted to the level of a 6 after the bleach bath etc, within 2 washes the red will rinse out of the hair. Basically the client can't have what they want. You'd be better off giving good advice on why box colours are rubbish and how, over time, you can introduce more red into their hair professionally. If you continue along the lines that have been suggested (which will give a good result when they leave the salon) make sure you emphasise how quickly the colour will fade. You can guarantee that they will be washing it in something like head and shoulders which will strip it out quicker than you can say Rhianna!
Nick
X

 

[Hannahsmith88]

Hi in my level 3 I learnt to bleach bath exactly like you said with 6% apparently the lowere the peroxide the cleaner the colour, always start in the darkest places and never on roots! Then after the hairs lifted wash it off and reapply on darker uneven bits until it's lifted then wash off towel dry and use only quasi 1.9% in colour of your choice but also add in a little base of shade lighter! E.g-1tube 5.6 + 1/4 of 6/0

 

[Hannahsmith88]

Also xxl contain more aggressive chemicals which are like colour molecules with claws!! Nightmare to get out! Also when people dye there own hair they never put on colour wvenly so when lifting it lifts uneven! Explain this to them!

 

[candis]

Hi in my level 3 I learnt to bleach bath exactly like you said with 6% apparently the lowere the peroxide the cleaner the colour, always start in the darkest places and never on roots! Then after the hairs lifted wash it off and reapply on darker uneven bits until it's lifted then wash off towel dry and use only quasi 1.9% in colour of your choice but also add in a little base of shade lighter! E.g-1tube 5.6 + 1/4 of 6/0

Yes was going to use a quasi just out of interest why would u add base a shade lighter I've never heard that before be great to know why
Thanks for your reply
Xx

 

[Scu8a8uddy]

Once you've stripped the colour out of the hair you need to pre pigment the hair with the tones that underlie the shade you are going to use in the final result. This will help the final colour to grab into the hair and will help it last longer. In my experience, if you are using a level of a 6 Red as the final colour you need to pre pig with something like a 7 copper. The red molecules in this will enter the hair shaft and then give you better coverage when you finally apply the 6red. I hope this makes sense.
Nick

 

[candis]

Once you've stripped the colour out of the hair you need to pre pigment the hair with the tones that underlie the shade you are going to use in the final result. This will help the final colour to grab into the hair and will help it last longer. In my experience, if you are using a level of a 6 Red as the final colour you need to pre pig with something like a 7 copper. The red molecules in this will enter the hair shaft and then give you better coverage when you finally apply the 6red. I hope this makes sense.
Nick

Thanks nick
Would using a copper mousse suffice dried in and then the 5.6 applied over the top?

 

[Hannahsmith88]

Hi it's because after a bleach wash hair is more porous and can grab and go too dark and it also rejects warmth so the lighter base stops it going to dark and grabs tone better because of the base also if it does grab tone then it stops it going to bright and also makes it look more even. Hope that makes sense! I finished level 3 last year and that's what I learnt during colour correction with wella technical team.

 

[Hannahsmith88]

If you use wella they do actual pre pigments that you put on wet hair and dry in, it did work great and they do all shades even a red! After bleach washing and putting quasi on, keep checking as on pre lightened hair it only takes 10-15minutes instead of 20 normally!

 

[candis]

Thanks for all your tips and advise one of the ladies samples would not lift unless neat bleaching which then snapped, however one did lift bleach bathing which I then applied 5.6 and it was a pretty good result however from thR bleach bath I only managed to loft it to a brown say base 5 no orange tones what so ever came throu....... I'm wondering if to use colour touch 55/54 as it can go straight on wet hair rather than my 5.6 quasi which needs to go on dry hair..... Do u think the double base in the 55/54 would make the hair too dark or would I be best to wash off the bleach bath, apply crazy colour fire red wash that off and then put the 5.6 on as a permanent using 3%? this will give more vibrant results wouldn't it?
Also client has tiny regrowth of base 7 will I need to add extra base to root or should it e ok as so small x

 

[candis]

Would be fab if someone could answer my above query am going to this client tomorrow xxxx

 

[Mia Ling]

I've posted on this already today. Whatever you do, even if it's only lifted to the level of a 6 after the bleach bath etc, within 2 washes the red will rinse out of the hair. Basically the client can't have what they want. You'd be better off giving good advice on why box colours are rubbish and how, over time, you can introduce more red into their hair professionally. If you continue along the lines that have been suggested (which will give a good result when they leave the salon) make sure you emphasise how quickly the colour will fade. You can guarantee that they will be washing it in something like head and shoulders which will strip it out quicker than you can say Rhianna!
Nick
X

Here! Here! sometimes these types of clients can't have what they want! As the professional you have to take charge sometimes...... They bought the cheap £4.99 box of XXL and now they want you to get rid of it .... I actually enjoy telling them that in my professional capacity I refuse to do it!