The time I had to fix a major color correction in a tiny apartment bathroom

I was doing a house call for a regular in her Chicago apartment last fall. She wanted a big change, from dark brown to a cool platinum blonde. I told her it would take two visits, but she insisted on doing it all in one day. After the third round of lightener, her hair felt like wet paper towels. I knew we had gone too far. I was in her small bathroom with just my kit, no extra help. I mixed a deep conditioning treatment with a demi-permanent color close to her natural root shade. I applied it slowly, section by section, for about 45 minutes. It brought back some strength and tone without making it look muddy. Has anyone else had to salvage an over-processed service in a less than ideal space? What was your go-to fix?

4 comments

4 Comments

angela_harris16d ago

That "wet paper towel" feeling is a classic sign of people pushing past the limit to save time or money.

skyler_jackson2716d ago

Man, that feeling is the worst. You did the right thing moving to a demi and a heavy conditioner. I've been stuck in those tiny bathrooms before, and the stress is real when you know the hair is hanging on by a thread. It's all about bringing back some protein and closing the cuticle without adding more damage.

paul_taylor2116d ago

Read somewhere that a cold water rinse at the end can really help lock in that conditioner.

vera_robinson3616d ago

Has anyone tried using a filter on their shower head? I got one for hard water and it made a bigger difference than I expected. My hair stopped feeling like that weird sticky mush after washing, even with the same products. It made me wonder how much of the damage feeling is from our actual water quality messing with the products.