“Decolorizing has become big in my salon - clients wanting old color removed, looking to either go back to their natural color or even grey," says Joi Rooks, owner of Fresche Salon in Atlanta, GA. "This week I had several, but this one was done all in one day from a copper/brown with grey roots to a pale ash blonde using Goldwell.”
The number one thing to do before a decolorizing service is a consultation. “Discussing the details of the service with your client is crucial, not only for the timeline, but also for price and the integrity of their hair,” says Rooks.
When decolorizing, there are two options:
- A very aggressive approach to peel away as many layers as possible at once. Peeling away the color is done by lightening the hair in back to back foils with Goldwell Oxycur Platin Lightening Powder or Goldwell Silk Lift High Performance Lightener. This process is called peeling because it's like an onion where you truly peel away one layer of color at a time. Depending on your starting color, you may need to shampoo, dry and repeat this process and then color balance to achieve desired tonality.
- A more subtle approach by removing color doing a series of highlights. The series of highlights happens over several appointments. You start by using lightener and highlighting the entire head to remove color. You will need to color balance for the desired tonality after processing with Goldwell Colorance Express Toning. This process will most likely need to be done over several months as you are doing it in panels versus all of the hair. Note: If your client wants to go grey, you need to try to achieve a more ash tone in the hair.
With the proper techniques, and the right approach, you can help your client successfully go back to their natural color, or embrace grey, without damaging the integrity of the hair.
[Images courtesy of Glow Communications]
