Top 3 safest ways to get out of dark color

Ilya Mozolyuk , hairdresser-colorist, teacher at the Academy for Hairdressers, member of the Union of Hairdressers of Ukraine (SPU), author of the seminars “All about blonde” and “Complex coloring techniques”, technologist and brand ambassador of La Biosthetique

Today I want to talk to you about one of the most important topics - removing cosmetic base. When predicting results, we are obliged to take into account all risks and put the quality of hair and our work as a priority, and not the client’s desire.

Very often in the work of masters I observed simple mistakes that led to fatal results. In today's realities of salon procedures, we are increasingly faced with the problem of incorrect or illiterate painting and, accordingly, the correction of such work.

It is not always possible to change anything without quite aggressive procedures.

Ignoring simple things, such as diagnosing the hair canvas, determining the exact level of natural and cosmetic hair base, as well as the client’s color type, leads to the fact that the master’s work is unsatisfactory. Either the client is dissatisfied, or the quality of the hair is terrible, or the results are not as promised.

Photo: works by Ilya Mozolyuk

What methods of getting out of black should a master have in his arsenal?

Of course, many brands offer ready-to-use products, so-called washes. They usually have an acidic pH, so the scope of work is quite narrow. For example, we cannot remove more than 3-4 levels of cosmetic base, provided that the coloring is not done with household dye, but with a professional product.

Also, on the day of working with such removers, it is not recommended to use lighting or bleaching products, as there is a risk of destroying the protein compounds in the hair cortex, as a result of which the fabric will be damaged irrevocably.

A hairdresser should have several options for solving such problems in his arsenal. In my practice, anything happened, and quite often I had to use different types of decapages.

The classic version of the blonde wash, or as it is also called the “American shampoo” (when a deep cleaning shampoo with oxidizing powder and water is used), is best used exclusively in the first 48 hours after unsuccessful dyeing, until the keratin in the hair becomes strong again. Using this method after 48 hours is already pointless, because it will already be dangerous for the hair.

My leaders are methods that are more scrupulous and safe, although a little time-consuming.

This is exactly what decapitation refers to. First of all, let's study the term "picking" . This concept comes from the French word decaper - “metal purification”. In hairdressing practice we are not talking about metals, but this term refers to the process of cleaning and removing pigment from hair.

Decapitation is the removal of artificial or plant pigment from hair. This method is used to remove pre-colored or toned hair pigment that interferes with the desired result.

Decaying is an intermediate stage when going from dark to light, from dull to bright, from muted to cleaner or cold to warmer. And in all these cases we need a decapitation procedure.

We can offer clients many options for getting out of the dark, but are they all so effective and safe?

First of all, it is necessary to determine the quality of the client’s hair: how damaged it is, can it withstand all the manipulations and, most importantly, why? You should also analyze what result you want to get and, accordingly, what type of work needs to be performed.

Classic decapage is made using bleaching powder and the smallest volumes of oxidant. But no one cancels the miscalculation of proportions. If the powder you usually work with has a classic proportion of 1:2, then in decapage the proportions are doubled, which means you need to calculate 1:4.

Now it is important to understand which powder is suitable for the procedure. We need a classic powder for bleaching, in no case a powder for techniques or more aggressive lighting such as powders that illuminate at level 9+.

The oxidant is also an important link. Its activity should be between 1.9% and a maximum of 4%.

It should be remembered that decapage is a deep “peeling” of color with a high level of lighting, but at the same time a calm and controlled process.

Photo: work by Ilya Mozolyuk

How to perform the pickling procedure?

1. We evaluate the uniformity of coverage of the color of the hair canvas.

2. Apply the mixture to dry hair in six-month increments, 6-8 cm.

3. The application is dense, thick, at the place of the “end of the half-year” we create shaded edges.

4. Mechanical massage movements against the growth of the cuticle.

5. Remember that the mixture approaches the surface of the head evenly, as if from the oldest hair to the root.

6. Holding time: until the result is achieved!

7. After completing the procedure, thoroughly rinse off the product with technical shampoo and apply an acidic mask for 10-15 minutes. Dry with cold air.

Pay attention to the diagram

We always do decapage only on dry hair and start either with dark areas or with areas that have been exposed to color for the longest time.

For example, in a bob haircut, we do not work with decapage according to a very convenient haircut pattern, first separating the lower occipital zone. Most often, the ends of the hair in the crown area will be as dark as possible. You should start with them, but in small sections of 5 cm and moving from the ends upward.

Having applied the mixture to the ends (5 cm), we observe the reaction. If noticeable visual illumination begins within 15-20 minutes, we can begin to illuminate the same strands another 5 cm higher into the next block, previously untouched, there will be only the first application. Thus, we need to achieve the effect of equidistant approach to the skin.

Roughly speaking, the mixture should approach the roots as perpendicular, but at an equal distance to the skin. Some areas begin to participate in the process earlier, while others we involve later.

As a result, we must reach the scalp at the same time. But we remember that the mixture should be applied along the strand, moving upward in blocks of 5 cm, and each block should be processed only when an active result is visible on the previous one.

You should wash the mixture from your hair only when the result is achieved, and this can take up to six hours. There is no need to be afraid that you will ruin the canvas; it is important to strictly follow the recommendations of the process.

If during decapage you see a moment of old and painted ombre or something similar, then the lighting effect there will be clearly pronounced. Although the process is not yet complete in other areas, under no circumstances should the mixture be removed from this area with water. You need to pull the mixture dry with paper towels in such an area and apply it over the “sour” conditioner, continuing to work on other areas.

Upon achieving the result, we must perform re-pigmentation, focusing on the dark areas, level the canvas and then begin painting in the desired color.

This type of complex cosmetic color removal will allow you to work even with a cosmetic base at level 1/0 and achieve results up to 5-7 levels and higher, provided that all stages and conditions are completed correctly.

What to do if your hair is in critical condition?

But what if the client made a mistake in his desires and asked for a peach instead of ashes or vice versa? Or, for example, is the blonde hair too “clogged”, over-pigmented with active tinting, and the quality of the hair leaves much to be desired?

In this case, I recommend using light decapage . This color removal system is suitable for hair that is already on the verge of “emigration”; this is the most scrupulous removal of pigment from hair. For good illumination (bleaching) of the pigment, a very sluggish, calm, controlled reaction occurs.

Recipe: powder + _H2O2 (1.9% or 4%) + conditioner or _mask .

Proportions: 1:3:1.

This procedure is carried out in a car wash and allows you to quickly and harmlessly clean up imperfections or correct mistakes.

From the above we can conclude that only having serious knowledge of the structure of hair, the chemical component of the dye and the correct process of constructing work to remove an unwanted shade allows you to achieve the desired result without damaging the structure and elasticity of the hair.