High lift blonde on salt and pepper?

[Scizzors76]

Hi everyone,

I have a client that has been using a level 9N on her hair with 20 volume and although she is achieving good gray coverage she is very unhappy with the depth of the color. She feels it is too dark and would still like to be much lighter more like a pastel beige blonde. At the moment she has about a good inch/ inch and a half of salt and pepper regrowth, it is very coarse gray hair. And of course her ends have some color build up on them in a level nine, she is showing a lot of gold.

I would like to try using a high lift neutral and a high lift violet half and half ratio. I have been trying to find out if it's actually necessary to use double 40 when working with a high lift blonde or is it better to use double 20 volume and have more of the deposit effect on the gray hair?

Once I have her root accomplished I plan on foiling and using lightener to bring out some of the 9N on her ends and then we'll finish everything with a lightest ash blonde toner.

Does it sound like this will achieve a more pale beige blonde with some dimension? She would really like to then only return to the salon just for root touch up with the high lift blonde. She wants to become more of a single process.

Thank you!

 

[adamlea87]

I'm personally not a fan of highlift when the hair is mostly white. You'd need 40 vol for the lift, but if you use 20vol with highlift it will deposit more tone which can look too ash on white hair.

One option is to use a level 10 colour. Although it doesn't technically cover, it does tone the white and is good for those white haired clients that feel other colours look too dark.

If you need more lift on darker hair, the long method is to pre-lift. Apply level 10+20vol until you reach a level 9. Wash dry and apply your target shade+20vol so you get perfect coverage and the lift you need.

If she actually wants a pre-lighten and toner look then it needs to be bleached to create the level of porosity for the toner.

If her natural colour isn't too dark I'd try something like 10.31/10.32 for the roots (maybe with some 9 for the first time) and lots of prelighener highlights. Good luck!

 

[Scizzors76]

I'm personally not a fan of highlift when the hair is mostly white. You'd need 40 vol for the lift, but if you use 20vol with highlift it will deposit more tone which can look too ash on white hair.

One option is to use a level 10 colour. Although it doesn't technically cover, it does tone the white and is good for those white haired clients that feel other colours look too dark.

If you need more lift on darker hair, the long method is to pre-lift. Apply level 10+20vol until you reach a level 9. Wash dry and apply your target shade+20vol so you get perfect coverage and the lift you need.

If she actually wants a pre-lighten and toner look then it needs to be bleached to create the level of porosity for the toner.

If her natural colour isn't too dark I'd try something like 10.31/10.32 for the roots (maybe with some 9 for the first time) and lots of prelighener highlights. Good luck!

Thanks for replying. I give this a try with highlight and the color on the pepper hair was perfect. But, not enough/barely none on the salt part of the hair. I did go in with lightener and foils and toned everything with T18 wella toner. The result was beautiful she loves it. However the roots right in front, where she was most salt/gray is not covered enough. Slight line of demarcation. What could I deposit on that root area in the front for some coverage? I was thinking a demi permanent but nothing I find is light enough. Would have to be at least a level 11. Could I use wella t24 Natural toner with 10 vol? High lift with 10 vol?

I am sure that for her root retouch when it is time I will go with the formula that you suggested initially, or at least use 10n and 10A with a 20 volume or even 30 volume for better coverage. I think that will bring it high enough to be the pale pastel beige vanilla blonde she is now.

 

[adamlea87]

If the front is too white, I would use 10n on that area. If 10n is too dark(!) then I would use 10n+clear. It will be better coverage than a high lift tint.