Shoutout to the stylist who showed me how to fix a bad bleach job in 20 minutes

Last Tuesday I had a client come in with orange roots she got from a box dye at home. I spent almost 2 hours trying to tone it down and it still looked splotchy. Then my coworker pulled me aside and said to use a purple shampoo with heat for just 5 minutes first. It honestly saved my whole afternoon and she looked great leaving. Has anyone else had a quick fix like that change your whole approach to color correction?

3 comments

3 Comments

miller.paul27d ago

Hold on, is a little bit of orange roots really that big of a deal? I mean, I've seen people walk around with straight up brass yellow hair and nobody bats an eye. Sounds like you saved a couple hours of work and a client from a minor panic, which is good, but "change your whole approach to color correction" feels a bit strong. It's a 20 minute trick with some shampoo and a blow dryer, not rocket science.

simon_chen27d ago

Read a study recently that said most people actually prefer a tiny bit of warmth in their roots over a flat, ashy color. Something about how it mimics natural hair growth and looks less painted on. That stuck with me because it explains why those brass yellow heads can still look okay from three feet away. So saving the roots from that harsh line probably matters more than chasing perfection with a toner. Your 20 minute trick keeps the depth and stops that fake helmet look people get after a bad color melt.

paul_burns20d ago

Right, but "just a 20 minute trick" gets a lot trickier when the orange is deeper than surface level (like box dye damage or old color buildup). A little bit of root warmth can look fine, sure, but that specific hot orange patch right at the hairline screams "touched up at home" from a mile away. The real win here is that quick fix prevents the client from panicking and booking a full correction later which, trust me, is a nightmare with banding and porosity issues. Besides, that flat ashy look is dated anyway so preserving a little depth is smarter than fighting every ounce of warmth.