You want to keep that fresh salon look to maintain your vibrant, balanced color between visits.
Yes, we know it is a full-time job, and the best thing to do is add a hair toner application to your hair care regimen.
A hair toner tones your hair color to keep it balanced and vibrant. Depending on your desired results, a toner helps to warm up or cool down your overall color.
It can help after doing a grey coverage, root touch-ups, or highlights.
What Is a Hair Toner Application?
The hair toner is a color refresher product that deposits temporary pigments into the hair shaft. It is a type of hair dye that contains little to no ammonia and is categorized in the semi-permanent dye group.
Why Hāste Urban Hair Spa Recommends Using It
A hair toner works as a color corrector and can help eliminate brassy or yellow undertones after coloring your hair. It can also help restore, adjust, or correct the color or add a gloss.
We commonly recommend using a pigment refiner on blond hair, but it can also help with brown and red hair. The toner application aims to achieve an even color in gray or blonde hair to give it a natural appearance.
How Does a Pigment Refiner Work?
To understand how a hair toner application works, you must understand what is in your hair so the product can do its magic.
You get two types of hair pigments. The first is eumelanin, which has black or brown tints, and the other is pheomelanin, which is red, orange, and yellow.
Treating your hair with bleach strips away the eumelanin, while darker hair tends to be more orange with lighter yellow tones appearing.
When you come for toner service, we use a color wheel to help determine what tone you need. Based on the tone you want to reduce, we will choose a toner on the opposite side of the color wheel. This process ensures that the toner we apply complements your hair color and achieves the desired result.
For instance, we will use a purple toner that is beneficial for blonde hair to neutralize yellow tones. A blue toner helps neutralize brass and orange tones in light brown hair. We use a green toner for red tones, and red toner helps enhance your red tones.
How is a Toner Application Done?
Hāste Urban Hair Spa typically uses a hair toner with a bleaching or highlight service to provide outstanding final results. You can also use it at home between salon visits.
After completing a double-process service, our stylists apply the toner to the shampoo bowl. You can use a toner application in several ways.
- We can apply the toner at the root to give it a shadow effect to blend highlights.
- Other times, we will put the toner over all your hair to give it a shiny look.
Depending on the application technique, the toner can take up to 20 minutes to process. We will determine whether you need toner, as it is only sometimes necessary.
Furthermore, we will also determine the type to use and how to apply it. If you have questions when visiting us, never hesitate to ask.
Aftercare Using a Color Corrector
Avoid hot water and treated shampoos when cleansing your hair daily after applying toner. We also recommend avoiding using chemicals like chlorine and heat processing, as the two can damage your hair.
Can You Use Hair Toner on All Hair Types?
Yes, you can use hair toner on different hair types, from curly, wavy, straight, and coarse. The toner addresses any color concerns instead of texture. So, if you have dark, blonde, or silver hair, you only need a specific toner to meet your needs. The versatility makes the toner a valuable addition to any hair care routine.
How Long Does a Shade Adjuster Last?
When done correctly and with proper aftercare, the results of a hair toner application can last up to two months.
The reason is that harsh cleansers containing sulfates can affect the toner’s durability. We recommend using a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner, like Kerastase.
These products also help repair your hair bonds to be healthier. So, if you are concerned about a toner application, we can reapply it between your full coloring sessions.
Some of our clients visit us every six months for a balayage and every ten weeks to do a toner refresh to ensure no lines of demarcation are present with a fluid blend from the root to the tips.
What Does a Hair Toning Service Cost?
A professional hair toner application costs between $40 and $200. Prices vary from place to place, but you can check out our hair toner service here.
Are There Side Effects?
Hair toners are safe, but dyes or pigments can cause contact dermatitis and sensitization. Overusing hair toners can also cause hair to become very dry, resulting in damage.
Can You Use a Home Toner Application?
We only recommend using salon-grade toner at home if you are not a professional hair colorist.
One small mistake can overtone hair, but many gloss and tone kits are available. Toning shampoos made for home use are even available.
If you’re a bottle blonde, we recommend using a purple toning shampoo once or twice weekly. A great product is the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Purple Collection. It will prevent your hair from getting brassy.
Another great product is L’Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss, available in 15 shades. It is an in-shower, at-home gloss toner that helps correct faded to brassy tones. The product has a vegan formula free from any harmful chemicals.
Another great product to amplify warm undertones is the Davines ALCHEMIC Shampoo Red and the green toning drops from Amika’s Mixtape Teal Brunette Toning Drops, which you can mix with products you are using to help neutralize your red tones.
Pureology’s Color Fanatic Top Coat + Tone Hair Gloss in Gold or Copper amplifies warm tones.
Wrap-Up: What Hair Toner Does and Why Use It
Using a hair toner application is a semi-permanent color correction product that works on the opposite side of the color wheel to remove unwanted tones.
While hair toner is often used with blondes to neutralize brassy tones, it’s a versatile product that can enhance hair shade or texture. Whether you’re a bottle blonde or a brunette with highlights, a toner can be a powerful tool in your hair care routine.
You can do a toner application between your total coloring visits at home or visit Hāste Urban Hair Spa to do it professionally.
While applying toner is generally safe, using dyes and pigments responsibly is essential to avoid issues like contact dermatitis or skin sensitization. Overusing toner can also lead to dry, damaged hair.
Our team of hairstylists is always here to provide guidance and advice, ensuring you can enjoy the benefits of toner without any worries.
Before you attempt an at-home toner application, we encourage you to speak to one of our experienced hairstylists. They can provide personalized advice and recommendations, ensuring you achieve the best results while maintaining the health and integrity of your hair.
FAQ
What does purple shampoo do to brown hair with highlights?
Purple shampoo helps neutralize yellow or brassy tones in brown hair with highlights, keeping the lighter sections fresh and vibrant.
How do you tone highlights on brown hair?
Depending on your target undertones, you can tone highlights on brown hair with a purple or blue toner or shampoo.
What does hair toner do to highlights?
Hair toner neutralizes unwanted undertones in highlights, such as brassiness or yellow hues, and refines the color for a more natural and polished look. It can also add luster and improve the overall vibrancy of the highlights.
How often should you use hair toner?
Use hair toner every 4 to 6 weeks or whenever your color looks dull or brassy. For maintenance, use a toning shampoo once a week.
Does hair toner lighten hair?
No, hair toner does not lighten hair. It only alters the tone by neutralizing or enhancing certain shades; you need a bleach or lightening agent for lightening.
What’s the difference between hair dye and hair toner?
Hair dye changes the overall color of your hair, while toner adjusts the undertones to refine or correct the hue, enhancing the vibrancy or eliminating brassiness.
