Question about handling a bad day with bleach and foils

Last Tuesday I had a client come in for a full highlight and she wanted icy blonde, but her hair had old dark box dye on it. I did a test strand and it lifted okay, but after 45 minutes the foils started showing orange spots I couldn't fix. I ended up having to tone her twice and it still came out patchy, cost me an extra $30 in product and she left unhappy. Has anyone else dealt with box dye surprises and found a reliable prep method?

2 comments

2 Comments

bettym8914d ago

Oh boy, box dye is the absolute worst for that! I actually watched a video from a colorist on Instagram who swears by doing a pre-color treatment with a bond builder like Olaplex or a similar product before you even touch the foils. She said it helps the hair lift more evenly and prevents those weird hot spots. I also heard that if there's old box color, you might need to do a color remover first before you even try to lighten it. That extra step could save you a ton of headache and product waste. Did you try a strand test with the remover first, or just go straight to the bleach?

rowan_hayes13d ago

Betty, Olaplex isn't a pre-color treatment, it's a bond builder used during bleaching.