TONING!

Toning! Also known as glossing or glazing is multi-purpose tool, but what does it do?

Let’s back it up a bit and talk about lightening the hair. When you lighten the hair with bleach (highlights, balayage), your left with what we refer to as “raw lift.” In the olden days, circa 2004 highlights, this is how the hair was left. If you notice, all the blondes look the same back then. YELLOW! The hair after the bleaching process is dry, the cuticle is open meaning it’s more prone to breakage and frizz and the color your left with is quite dull. This is where toning comes into play and here is why:

1. It closes the cuticle and PH balances the hair.
   • This prevents breakage, adds shine, conditioning elements, reduces frizz, and customizes the color.
   • If there are unwanted tones (such as yellow, gold, red, or orange) this is where we can neutralize them in order to get a more neutral color that is not warm.
2. There are many options for toning!
   • Typically, glosses are created and customized by your stylist using a demi-permanent color to give you customized results. This means it will roughly last 30 shampoos depending on your at-home care.
   • Demi-permanent colors are the standard because of the gentleness on the hair, shine they add, and customization options.
   • Yes, permanent colors can be used to gloss and that is up to the stylist on when and where to decide to use them.
   • Sometimes the raw lift is the desired color so instead, a quick clear coat is used to close the cuticle and add shine.