Hi HCC
My challenge is; I have a client who is about I’d say 80% gray and 100% gray in the front hairline, I have been coloring her hair for the last 6 months using 2 different formulas which is working on her gray hair, but what is happening is that the front part of her hair (hairline) is creating a very dark halo which I have tried several times to prevent by adjusting the formula. Nothing is working I have even gone up at least 2 to 3 levels lighter and still there is this almost level 3 banding, is there anything I can do to fix and prevent this from happening?
Suzanne
There can be several reasons why dark bands are created; 1/ the grey in the front hairline can be more porous then the rest of the hair, 2/ individual has a high content of sodium in their system which typically comes out through perspiration, 3/ skin care ( moisturizers) 4/ makeup, 5/ hormones.
In any case there are a few tricks you can try to alleviate this challenge, however the first thing one needs to do is remove what is already present ( cleanse) which means remove some of the hair color on the hairline. Without doing this and continuing to color this area the results will not change, think of it this way when we want to paint a wall that already has paint on it the first thing we do is use a primer so the old paint does not come through, darken or dulls down the new color, so by removing some of the dark tint on the banding will enable you to apply fresh hair color. Once this is done you must make sure there is no overlapping when the hair color is being applied, you can apply a barrier cream on the out-growth the next time the client comes in for her hair color, and this will also help. Keep in mind that makeup as well as some moisturizers can cause front hairline banding in which case I would ask the client to be careful not to get any on the hairline. Ask the client if she workout that day, you can’t believe how many times I have had this exact situation and discovered that the perspiration was the culprit (salt), so my recommendation is always have them wash their hair after a workout if they are going to get their hair colored that day.