Aah, the surprise darker color result.

Why does this happen?

Let’s delve into the dark side.

Hair color results are affected by several factors:

Hair Porosity

Your hair’s porosity refers to how much moisture it can retain. Some hair textures are naturally more porous, such as very fine or curly hair. Hair which is naturally more porous will over-absorb color, leading to darker color outcomes.

The finer your hair is, the more susceptible it can be to damage and over-processed color results.

You will achieve better, more accurate and ‘true’ color outcomes if you understand your hair texture and incorporate texture into your color selection – If you do have porous, very fine or quite curly hair, it can be a good idea to select a color which is half to one level lighter than your color goal, to allow for the fact that you tend to see darker color outcomes.

How do you get a color which is half a level lighter? Blend two colors in a Duo color blend, eg, a level 6 and a level 7 color to achieve a color result which is in between those color levels.

Porosity Test:

Grab one strand of hair, hold it from the end and run two fingers up it towards your scalp. Feel anything? If you felt any ridges or bumpiness, then you have porous hair.

Porosity Due To Over-Processing:

Hair which has been bleached, repeatedly colored or exposed to excessive heat can become more porous. These processes create gaps or tears in the cuticle of the hair, which then lets moisture move in and out of the hair, increasing the porosity of the hair.

The lengths and ends of your hair will be more porous than the hair at your roots, as they have been exposed to more environmental factors which contribute to porosity for a longer amount of time. Highly porous hair locks on to moisture in the hair color and more rapidly absorbs and processes color, which can result in darker color outcomes.

Color Build-up

color build-up is seen when permanent color products have been applied in layers, causing the color to build-up and resulting in darker and duller color outcomes. If you notice that your color results are getting progressively darker and duller, you may benefit from lifting out the older color in your hair through a bleach wash. 

A bleach wash will lift out older, layered or darker color pigments in your hair.

Layered or built-up color can significantly affect color outcomes. If your color has a tendancy to get darker over time, then it can be a good idea to do a bleach wash annually to ensure that your base color level does not have too much depth.

Color Selection

If you have had issues with darker color results than expected previously, we suggest that your select a color which is half to one whole color level lighter than your color goal. It is always easier to add depth to your color by choosing a darker shade when you recolor, and it is always trickier to remove color.

Your hair is not a clean slate on which you can impose your color wishes like a blank canvas. It has a history, a texture all of its own. When in doubt, opt for the lighter color selection to avoid darker color outcomes. It is easier to add color when you next recolor than to remove color.

Talk to our colorists about any color challenges you have. Tell us about your hair condition and history and we can recommend colors, processes or products which will work best for your hair.

Definitely will be using this color again. I got some very helpful advice from the colourist/support to help me with my difficult grays, and it worked very well. Really happy with the color and service!

A. Embleton

Shade was true to its advertised color. The quality compared to supermarket brands is amazing. The color actually stays in longer than average brands . The best part of the shade is it’s I ingredients that are free from harmful chemicals

S. Calder

I got so much help from the colorist – she explained how to fix my current color problems, how to stop getting the same outcomes in future and told me exactly how to color for the color results I wanted. I am feeling really confident and I really like the new color selection which is really working for me, and no more color banding or build-up for me either (now that I actually know what that is)! Thanks!

Elena L.