Top salons and L’oreal Redken Stockists will tell you with the utmost confidence that toning hair is one of the worst-kept secrets in hair styling that can take your hair from drab to fab. Why? If you don’t already know how it works, we are here to give you the scoop.
How does hair toner work?
The best hair toner for bleached hair has the ability to upgrade colour, boost shine and improve condition. Here’s how the magic happens.
After your hair is coloured, it has a tendency to oxidise. You’ll immediately notice this, for instance when you first dye hair blonde and it displays lots of yellow tones, but it also happens over time, too. Chances are you will leave the salon with your dream hair colour, only for it to become brassy and force you to book a hair appointment online. The underside brassiness or oxidation occurs for a number of reasons including exposure to hair treatments, chemicals and the UV light from the sun, and it’s the job of hair toning to counteract this process and bring back to tone that you left the salon with.
What is hair toner?
A hair toner is a product that helps you correct or personalise your colour. It is used to add natural or more visible tones after a professional colour treatment. As a result, it enhances the tonality of your hair. How? By creating a professional finished look. In order for toner to work, hair has to be pre-lightened or coloured first. It is most commonly used for shades of blonde hair, but it can be beneficial for brunettes and redheads too.
A professional in-salon toner is more pigmented than a silver shampoo or purple shampoo that is used at home. However, these products are excellent products to maintain a bright or cool colour between salon appointments.
Is toning hair the same as colouring hair?
No they are not the same. It is like comparing an Olapex bond repair treatment with a keratin treatment. To be exact, hair toning adjusts an existing tone, making it cooler or warmer, whereas colouring hair changes the colour completely.
What are the differences between toning your hair at home and at the salon?
Toning is the final step in colouring hair at the salon and this is done to adjust the shade into your perfect tone. It may go unnoticed as part of the process because as it happens as your hair is being washed. Salon toners have a much wider range and can be custom mixed by your professional colourist to match the shade you want and bring out desired tones whether that’s ashy, violet or golden. They contain higher concentrations of pigments and therefore can adjust shades more drastically, but keep in mind that they should only be used by professionals.
DIY or at home toners are super helpful and can maintain your salon colour between salon visits. They work on a more gentle, but more regular basis. But with that said, overuse can dry hair out, so make sure you choose one that nourishes as it tones, or make sure that you rotate it with moisturising products. You can also search “keratin treatment salon near me” if you want to ensure that your hair’s health is optimal while you are in the process of toning your hair yourself at home.
How often should you tone your hair?
The answer to this question depends on what colour hair you have chosen for yourself. In the case of redheads, they require more upkeep because the colour tends to fade out quickly. Another factor is your hair’s condition or how damaged it is. A good rule of thumb would be to tone your hair after every three washes.
Does toning improve shine?
Improved shine is an effect of using toner, although not too many people know about it. Acid-based toners can add shine to natural hair and won’t affect the colour. By reflecting the light, this gives hair a super glossy varnish-like effect.
