Chapter 7 – Corrective Colour
7.3 Decolourization and Toning
A decolorization service is required when a client’s coloured hair is darker than their target level, and artificial pigment must be removed in order to achieve their desired outcome.
There are many factors to be considered when performing a decolorization service, and it is important to remember that multiple steps and multiple appointments may be required. It is crucial to educate the client and set realistic expectations prior to beginning the service.
A decolourization service involves many steps, some of which may need to be repeated more than once.
Step 1: Determine the Type of Colour You Will be Removing
The first step to a decolorization service is the consultation and hair analysis, in which you must determine whether the artificial colour present on the hair is non-oxidative or oxidative dyes. As you learned in Chapter 1, these dyes work very differently.
Non-oxidative direct dyes or semi-permanent colour products contain large colour molecules that either stain the cuticle or sit within the cuticle layers. They do not form molecular links.
Oxidative demi-permanent or permanent colour products contain a combination of large and small colour molecules. The smaller colour molecules enter the cortex and form molecular links, which hold them in place.
This is an important distinction as the two types of colour products must be removed differently.
Step 2: Remove Artificial Colour
There are several ways to remove artificial colour, depending on the type of colour product, the hair integrity, and the hair texture. The methods covered in this chapter are:
- Colour removers
- Shampoo cocktail/ bleach bath
- Bleach application
Colour Removers: Non-oxidative Direct Dyes and Semi-Permanent Colouring Products
As previously mentioned, direct dyes and semi-permanent colour products have large colour molecules that stain, or sit in, the cuticle layer only. So it would make sense that they would be easiest to remove, right? Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and one must be cautious. The best place to start with these types of colour products is with a colour remover that is specifically meant to remove these types of dyes. Most colour lines will include such removal products specific to their brand.
The problem with reaching for bleach in this case is that the lightening product will open up the cuticle and often drive the colour molecules deeper into the cortex, thus making them even more difficult to remove. You will most likely end up with a different shade of the colour that you are attempting to remove.
When using an appropriate removal product, take care to apply it only to the areas of the hair where the artificial colour is visible, as these products will also affect the natural melanin in virgin hair.
A few examples of appropriate direct dye and semi-permanent colour removal products are Joico Colour Eraser, Pulp Riot Blank Canvas, and Malibu DDL.
Colour Removers for Oxidat