Hair Toner Toning Hair Tips and Techniques

Professional advice on using hair toner effectively to rid the hair of unwanted hues.

You've probably heard the expression 'bleach and tone'. Toning hair is most often done to neutralize brassy (yellow or yellow/orange) pigments.

But not all hair toner processes are reserved for going blonde. Anytime you pre-lighten the hair and add another color to tone out unwanted pigments, the process can be considered "toning."

Neutralizing brassy tones Achieve a platinum blonde color Deepening dull or washed out hair color

Bleaching hair leaves it in a raw-pigment state, unlike hair color, which deposits a natural looking color onto the hair after lifting.

Bleach only does the lifting part of the coloring process, so you need to add back pigments to create a 'natural' look.

The same goes for a washed out color or a process that has grabbed too much blue or grey pigment. Toning will add back what is needed to correct the color balance.

This page provides details on which products to use for effectively toning hair color and tips on how to use those products for best results.

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What To Use

The most effective product to use for toning hair is a semi-permanent hair color.

They contain a nearly non-existent volume of peroxide (usually between 3 and 8 percent), so they're considered deposit only hair color products.

Look for a product that contains no ammonia as well.

See our recommendations below on which products to use for different toning purposes (neutralizing, brightening, and deepening).

NEUTRALIZING BRASSY TONES

If you've been lightening your hair with permanent hair color, you've probably noticed that it's become more difficult with time to get the brassy-yellow tones out.

That's because as we mature, our hair naturally darkens and the underlying pigment deepens to a point where the neutralizing pigments in hair color can't combat the yellow/orange tones as effectively.

You may need to kick it up a notch and pre-lighten by bleaching your hair.

If you're mixing hair toner for most blonding processes, look for a light or lightest ash blonde tone.

However, because overly porous hair tends to absorb mostly the ash tones from hair color, if you're coloring this type of hair, you may need to add in some neutral... even a bit of light golden blonde.

A porosity equalizer like the Ion product shown above will help to fill in those porous areas on the hair strand and help prevent the hair from grabbing the blue/grey pigments that result in an over-toned look.

If you still get a muddy looking color, forgo the ash entirely. The Color Charm Demi Permanent Haircolor we recommend comes in a range of shades so you can customize your hair toner to your specific needs.

The Wella Color Charm Activating Lotion is a critical ingredient for mixing this product. Without the developer, you won't be able to use the color, so don't forget it!

PLATINUM BLONDE

A true platinum blonde is off the charts light, as far as the international coloring level system is concerned.

It's white. Completely lacking in pigment. And devoid of any telltale signs of yellow!

The Manic Panic Virgin Snow temporary hair color is a perfect toner for achieving a beautiful translucent platinum blonde.

NOTE: Hair must be lightened with bleach to the pale yellow stage before toning to get platinum. If there is too much pigment left in the hair, the toner will not have enough deposit to neutralize it. Learn more about bleaching hair.

TONING TO BRIGHTEN/DEEPEN COLOR

A color gloss can liven up a dull blonde or brunette shade or deposit a more favorable hue if your shade is dull or slightly off-tone.

And it'll amp up the shine, making your hair look healthier!

Sometimes highlights are just too light, especially in contrast to a very dark natural color. Or a haircolor process can end up being a bit off from the shade you're trying to achieve. In that case, using a hair color to deepen the tone works nicely to restore some balance to the hues.

Second Nature No Lift Color is a deposit only color that works very well for brightening or deepening hair color tones from blonde to dark brown.

This color is great for covering hair that is dry and damaged because it is more of a 'true tone' than many color formulas, meaning that you won't end up with 'off-tones' due to overporous hair grabbing blue/grey pigments from the color. Also, it adds a beautiful shine to the hair, sealing down the cuticle layer and making hair appear healthier than it really is.

Application

Start applying the toner in the area that needs it the most. Avoid getting any of the formula on pieces that don't need toning (coating those sections with a bit of conditioner will help keep them from getting processed if you accidentally get color on them).

Let the toner process for the full time recommended by the manufacturer (usually 30-45 minutes). However, in cases where only slight toning is required, you can rinse it sooner.

To gauge whether the hair is at the color you want, lightly scrape a fingernail (inside a glove) down the hair shaft to remove most of the color so you can get an accurate look at how far the color has processed. Even this can be a bit deceiving though, so if you're unsure, spray a section with water and use a towel to rub off the color to expose the hair and have a look at it in good natural light.

Related Pages:

• Blonde hair color photo gallery
• Underlying pigments and the chemistry of hair color
• Bleaching hair safely and effectively

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