How to Do Hair Color Correction at Home

A green-based hair color removes red hair color.

Many people who try to fix hair color errors at home find that they only intensify the problem with each subsequent color treatment. The problem often lies in color selection. While it may seem natural to simply apply the color that you desire, color correction is much more complicated. Bad color has to be corrected or canceled out. Balanced hair consists of equal amounts of red, yellow and green. If you find out what is missing, you can do hair color correction at home.

Things You'll Need

• Color wheel
• Hair color
• 10 volume (strength) developer
• Color bottle
• Timer
• Shampoo
• Conditioner

Instructions

1. Inspect your hair and determine the dominant base color. Look for undertones of yellow, orange, red-orange, red, violet, blue and green.

2. Consult the color wheel and find the tonal quality of your hair. Pull your finger straight across the color wheel to the opposite side. That is the base color you will need to use to correct your color.

3. Pour 2 oz. of hair color with the correct base into a color bottle. Add 2 oz. of 10-volume developer. Screw on the lid and shake the bottle until the color is mixed thoroughly.

4. Apply the color to dry hair. Work the color into the hair with your fingertips. Set a timer for 20 minutes.

5. Rinse your hair until the water runs clear. Shampoo twice to remove remaining color residue. Follow up with a conditioner. Rinse and towel dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Hair color manufacturers use descriptive words to describe color bases. Ash describes a green base and beige indicates a blue base. Auburn and red colors indicate a red base. Gold indicates a yellow base.

• Always perform a strand test before performing corrective color. Simply remove a strand of hair and apply the color. Process the color as you normally would, and check the color of the strand before proceeding.

• Color will not lift color. If your color needs to be lightened in order to correct it, you must use a pre-lightener or color remover before applying more color.

References

• "Milady's Standard Textbook of Cosmetology"; Milady, Diane Carol Bailey and Margrit Attenburg; 2008