OVERVIEW - Colour Corrections Are No Joke
I can officially state that my hair is definitely not black anymore! 3 lightening sessions later and I'm *that* much closer to matching our Boho extensions. The last month has been quite labour intensive for our stylists and it really made me realize how much work colour corrections can be. Let's break it all down...
LIGHTENING SESSION 1 - Full Head Foils
For round 1 we did a full head of foils using Redken Flash Lift lightener with 20 vol developer. Kim did back to back babylights to lighten as much of my hair as possible, while still leaving some hair out to avoid over processing. She then toned everything with Redken Shades EQ in a level 7.
We didn't quite get as much lift as Kim expected but overall we managed to avoid a really awkward colour. Typically when you lift black you'll have to live with reddish/orange hair for a period of time while you're in between lightening sessions. I was grateful that we managed to get to a shade that I could live with!
My ends were a bit dead and actually lifted slightly green due to the blue colour that was in my hair. After we took the photo below, we trimmed the dead ends off and I lived with Olaplex in my hair for the next few days.
LIGHTENING SESSION 2 - Full Head Foils
One week later we dove into round 2. It required a full head of foils using Kevin Murphy Color.Me lightener (which is a bit more gentle) with 30 vol developer to try to bump more of the colour out. Ivette used the same approach as Kim - back to back foils to try to lighten as much of the hair as possible.
LIGHTENING SESSION 3 - Half Head Foils
Finally, a couple weeks later we kicked off round 3. Ivette just colour corrected a few areas that were uneven and continued lifting specific areas that were getting closer to our desired tones. We're hoping that we can achieve our desired look with just one more lightening session!
AFTERCARE
I truly don't think my hair would have survived all of these lightening sessions without Olaplex. At home I've been using Olaplex shampoo & conditioner, plus the No. 3 treatment 2 times per week. I apply the Olaplex oil to my hair after styling and before bed each night.
Ultimately my hair is more dry than it was when it was black, but with ongoing treatments and trims, I know it will be completely fine in a few months!
COST TO DATE $209
Session 1
Full Head Foils - $250
Olaplex Add On - $30
Extra Lightener - $30
Extra Olaplex - $10
Cut with Colour Service - $50
Session 2
Full Head Foils - $250
Olaplex Add On - $30
Extra Lightener - $30
Extra Olaplex - $10
Session 3
Half Head Foils - $190
Olaplex Add On - $30
SUB TOTAL $960
TOTAL SO FAR $1,169
*not including taxes + gratuity
As you can see, colour corrections can be time consuming & pricey. We should also point out that this is almost a best case scenario. Often colour corrections can go sideways, especially when box dye is involved. There is always the chance that there will be odd colour shifts, banding and uneven lifting. The key is patience and realistic expectations.
We still have another lightening session to go, plus extensions. Stay tuned for the final blog post with the end result!
xo Janelle
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